The news & observer., 1897-02-21
His Congregation Will To Day Ask Him
to Explain How He Came to Give
Them such Bluff Last Sunday
About an Invitation.

Them such Bluff Last Sunday
About an Invitation.
Again have Parson Leak and Jim
Young locked horns, and again has the
ebon legislator got decidedly the best
of THE sable man of the cloth.
Last Sunday the Rev. II. III. w. Leak,
pastor of st. Pauls A. NJ. e. church
of this city, and editor of ''The Outlook"
announced from his pulpit that he had
Just received letter from President
elect William Mckinley, inviting him
to come to Canton and accompany the
Presidential party to Washington for
the Inauguration on March 4th. The
announcement was also made in this
paper, ON authority and by request of one
of Leaks friends. 1t was further stated
that the colored people of the city would
give their honored pastor, politician ana
editor a grand banquet and sweu recep-
tion the night before his departure for
the Presidents home, ON the 10Th.
In pursuance of this programme
committee has been for the past week
collecting money for the purpose of buy
ing the Reverend gentleman an outht
worthy of his mission and giving INN
such a blowout as would make his
rival, Jim Young, and his nlinions green
with envy. The clothes have been
bought and delivered but the reception
has been indefinitely postponed.
Now Leak and Young do not think
through the same quill, by any means
There are several reasons for this. They
edit rival papers, Jim prints the Gazette
while Leak lays claim to the paternity
of the Outlook. Jim is a BAPTIST, Leak
is a Methodist In politics they belong
to the same party, but fight each. other
on all possible questions, like two eats
ted by their tails. One always manages
to get on the opposite side from the other
Socially. one never recognizes the other
and each one claims that he is the leader
of the colored 400 In short their rival
nv amounts to hatred and one makes
life a burden to the other.
1t may be judged, therefore, that Jim
didn't read, with any degree of equaniHni-
ty. in last Sunday mornings News ana
Observer. that the Rev. Leak had on his
person a letter from Maj. Mckinley,
fnyifing and urging him to become his
g1est of honor on the journey from Can
TON to Washington and then occupy
n front seat on the grand stand at the
inauguration ceremonies, in plain view
Of the bowling mob Of pie-hunters ana
military companies who viii be present,
This was one too many for Jim. 1t
was beginning tc look as If the parson
were in the saddle after ALL Jim couldn't
believe it. He read it again. Yes, that's
what the paper said. And even now the
parsons committee on finance was
knocking at Jim's door for a contribution
to help buy prince-tail Albert coat and
give howling blowout TO the Rev.
Leak.
Jim made up his mind at once. "Ac-
ton" said Napoleon, lis what wins bat
ties" Jim decided to act. He got his
Gazette letter-head paper. Yes, he would
write and find out about all this busi-
ness of honoring Leak and snubbing him,
and If it proved to be true-well, If 1t
only should-let Mckinley look out. he
would be taught a lesson or two before
jim and the Gazette got through with
6m.
Now. what should he say in this let
ter. He wrote one, as he wrote he got
ulAd His th0ughts poured forth fast
and furious like .'splitskuH' through
a bung-hole. He told the President just
what he thought of this scuryy trick he
had played him. He slept ON this
letter for a night and next morning the
creases IN 1T We're as marked as those IN
Mai Tom Bailey's pants. The resem-
blance was too striking and Jim knew at
once that letter would never do. He
wrote just exactly il others that day.
Still he could not get the night eombina-
ton. All the time that committee was
going ceasely on in its work of getting
money for Leaks store-elouhes and
swell reception. That might Jim bound
"a wet towel with cracked ice and salt
about his curly Uranium and sat down
and .penned the following letter to Maj.
Mckinley:
''It is reported here that the Rev. r.
H. w. Leak, (colored), of this city, has
been invited to accompany You from
your home to Washington for the lnau-
e,ural ceremonies. This, if true, is I'M
usual. I would be glad TO know upon
what recommendation such an appoint
ment was made"
All. now he had it. There was the
right jingle to this. 1T was mailed and
Jim went back to the Legislature to
AW0lqJ the answer 4tSlSENSty AC aNSShf-
ed the following answer from james
Boyle, Maj McKinley's private secreta-
ry:
yours of the 10th inst, in regard to
the ReY. r. H. w. Leak has been receiv-
ed. Most assurdly the Reverend gentle
man is the victim Of thoughtless practi-
cad joker. He has not received an inyi-
tation from Major Mckinley to accom-
pany him from Canton to Washington.
Jim says he takes no stock i'm this
practical joke idea. lie doesn't think
Leak ever received a letter of any kind.
He says Leaks crowd owes him (Leak)
q lot OF money and the willy parson re-
sorted to this ruse to get some Of it in
the way of clothes O. good supper and
trip to Washington. All the Young fac
tfons social. political and religious-are
in high feather, for Jim has shown his
letter around to his friends
The Leakites, however, are in sack