The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

To the Editor of The Call-Dear Sir: The letter of the Hon. c. A. Clinton. published this morning, demands few words from me. He accuses me of mak- ing ''erroneous and misleading state- ments'' and he demands the justice of correction. If I made erroneous and misleading statements" concerning Dr. Clinton 1 shall be most happy to with draw them. I desire to further no cause by erroneous and misleading state ments."
 The first erroneous and misleading statement" of which I am accused IS my charge that Dr. Clinton has attack ed me- He says, q have never either directly or indirectly attacked the rev. erend gentleman"
 Permit me to transcribe a letter which I received from the honorable Supervisor last May
 SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, 1898
 Rev. Father Yorke-Editor Monitor: The article in to-day's Monitor in WhlCh my name is used in connection with the Sailors Home does me a gross lnJuSuCe' 1t is false, cowardly, contemplate, 9n- Served c. A. CLINTON.
 I do not know what ideas the honor able gentleman may attach to tAe words used in that note, but to me U seems a very serious attack to oe o"ii00 an ingrate, a coward and lar.
 The second erroneous and mlslead- ing' statement of which l am accused is my charge against the Sailors Home. The honorable Supervisor declares lIe. L the Mayor and the Board or SuperVI- sors thoroughly investigated the Iil3 '. agement 2 of the institution ana 1ounu u faultless. I beg to state that no lnVeS- tigation, thorough or other, was nlaue bV the Mayor and the Board or super visors Such investigation 10 deSeA V . the name should have been Hldue py the board in the light of day ana "lIn due notice to the persons concerned To merely hear the pleas of those ln- terested in getting the lease, to listen +o the attorneys of the old society or the officers thereof in private room, to stroll alone through the corridors of the institution, these private ana un- official actions do not constitute an in YeStigation.
 Let me say here, Mr. Editor, that the facts which l have published about the Sailors Home have never been contro- verted. I have shown it to be a secta- rian institution. 1 have proved that 1t is not a charitable institution. If the Hon. Dr. Clinton, if his fellows on the Board of Supervisors were acting in good faith, why did they not meet these charges? The facts are backed up by sufficient testimony. They have never been explained away. No eft1cacious means have been taken to prevent 8 recurrence of them. The only answer that has ever been prOffered concern ing them has been the ipse dixit of Dr. Clinton. The honorable doctor may be a very great man, but he Is not so great that his mere denial will abolish facts. That denial is of the less weight that 1t is couched in such terms as false, cow ardly, contemptible, ungrateful, uncall- ed for and totally undeserved.
 Let me tell Dr. Clinton that I am not in the habit of making rash and reck- less assertions, and therefore l am not to be turned from my purpose by rash and reckless denials. have made use of many more opportunities than Dr.. Clinton has at his disposal to study the question of the Sailors Home. Were I accustomed to deal in mere assertion, to take rumor for truth, or to set forth propositions that are not demonstra- ble with certainty, I might have said many more things about the Sailors Home, about the Board of Supervisors and about the Hon. Dr. Clinton. have, however, confined myself to hard facts and they are sufficient to prove my con- tention
 The third ''erroneous and misleading statement" of which the honorable doc tor complains is my accusation that he is the moving cause in this latest at tack.
 I have shown how much faith is to be placed in his previous general de- nial, that he never attacked me, di- rectIy or indirectly. From his own let ter you may judge, Mr. Editor, how much credence is to be placed in this specific derial as to this new attack.
 It may be well, however, to remark that he attributes this late letter of the Seamen's Friend Society t. the fact that: ''In a recent number of the Mon itor the subject was again brought up and again the management of the Sail ors' Home was attacked. This last