The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-01-04
LEASE VS.. LEWELLING.
THE IRATE SISTER WANTS THE Gov
ERNoR TO PROVE IT.
She WRITES Him an Epistle Which Is Only
the Fuse Attached to the Bomb That
Will Presently Explode Under the
Gubsrnatorial Throne.

noon today sent Governor Lewelling
by messenger the following letter:
To Hon. s. D. Lewelling Governor of Kansas
DEAR GovERNoR-Disc laiming any
intention of questioning your sutho.
rity, the wisdom of your acts or he in
teution of your purpose, l beg leave
to remind you that you have
as chief executive of thi
state tried and sentenced me
without according to me that what the
law of ouI land accords to the vilest
criminal-the right of defense. Were
| an employee of yourself your right
to perpetrate this act of injustice
might depend on your inclination, As
it is | recognize tho fact that | am an
such to the people of this state for my
official record, and for them
as well as for myself | demand
"a statement and investigation
of the charges preferred against
me, that | may have an opportunity
to disproge the manifest Injustice OF
your decree or defend myself from the
imputation of a hireling politician.
Most faithfully yours. MRS LEASE,
The President of the Board of State
Trustees. President OF State Trus-
tees for Charitable Institutions.
Mrs. Lease, it will be noted. inten-
tionally signs her double official title.
Mrs. Leases appointment was con-
firmed by the senate, and she alleges
she is not accountable 10 the governor,
but to the people, unless charges are
preferred and sustained.
Tonight Mrs. Lease said to an Asso
ciated Press representative that not
withstanding dwellings summary
action she still considered herself a
member of the board, and at the regu
lar meeting in January proposed to be
present and take her usual place.
The announcement that have EN-
ployed attorneys to fight in the courts
is mistake. There is no cause Tor
excitement or frenzy. Nobody has
been hurt except Lewelling and | guess
he will be able, at least he thinks so,
to take care of himself. The real
reason for the attempt at removal, so
far as | can see. is because | would not
agree to introduce machine politics
into The board. On this account be-
came obnoxious to Householder and
Waite. There we clashed, and the
governor has chosen to take the ad-
vice of politicians and let me out if he
can, but we will see about that. am
not out yet.
Lewelling claims the arbitrary right
of removal, then why does he not re-
move Kelly and Yale, Republican
members? This would have given the
;y,t h. oF iHEc
and harmony would have been ins1r-
ed. There's where the trouble came
in. The Republicans stand in with
Householder. | asked the governor
some time ago to remove the Repub.
licans and apporent Populists but he
claimed he had no power to remove
them until the expiration of their
terms of appointment because they
had been confirmed by the senate.
If he could not remove Republicans
how can he remove me? The same
law applies. | would have resigned
long ago because of this war made on
me by Householder and Waite, but as
l knew my cause was right | made up
my mind to stay and give the politi-
clans all the trouble | could by con-
tinuing my labors for the better man
agement of the institution
Governor Lewelling was toll tha2
Mrs Lease denied his right to remov
her, with bland smile, he said: Does
she? Well, she has been removed and
her successor will be appointed this
week. The question of my authority
to remove has been settled by the su-
preme court in the cases of Railroad
Commissioners Anthony and Mitchell,
who declined to recognize the right of
the eXcouncil to remove. In these
cases the court decided plainly that
the appointing power is the sole judge
of the cause of removal"
Of course, all the state house officials
indorse the governors action but
among the rank and file of the party
dissatisfaction is the ruling spirit.
Everybody is on tiptoe of ex-
pectation now waiting for the regular
meeting of the board of charities
which takes place in January, at
which Mrs. Lease says she will assume
the position she claims is hers by con-
tirmation of the Kansas senate, that of
chairman of the board.