The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-11
MR.. CLEMENS SCORCHER.
Writes an Open Letter to Governor
Stanley and Calls Attention to
Inconsistency.

refused TO take cognfzance of the
charges brought by Mr.. Black against
the regents of the state agricultural
college, has aroused G. c. Clemens to
write an "open letter. to Governor
Stanley in reply. The letter is as fol-
lows:
Hon. w. E. Stanley.
Dear Governor:-I once acted as mar
shall of a parade and seated on my
snow white steed, even lowered above
the drum majors bearskin hat; and
think know some of the trials which
come to disturb the tranquility of one
who has attained an elevated station.
/ also know something of the tribula
tions of reading and answering long
letters when one is busy preparing an
extemporaneouS address for harvest
jubilee or the like. Jefferson, who in
his day was almost as great as either
of us-did he not complain in his old
age that answering his numerous cor
respondents had become a veritable
slavery to him? And poor oliver Wen
dell Holmes, even with the trifling de-
gree of popularity he had won, patheti
cally complained to Lowell of the pain
full task letter writer's imposed on his
old cramped hand Heaven forbid 1
should add to your burdens, and as
know how it exasperates you to have
letters published before they reach you,
and as I intend to lose a copy of this
letter for reporters to find, shall spare
y
sending you this epistle at all. I shall
simply let it get printed as if I had
sent it, leaving it to some intimate
friends of yours to read it and choose
proper time to communicate its con-
tents or it's general drift to you. trust
this unusual deicacy will not go unap-
preciated, although there is no Office
left at present I would care to accept.
It distresses me, dear governor, to see
you become so excited this hot weather
as you were when you wrote that let
ter to one of your humble subjects, Mr..
Black of Manhattan, who had been so
audacious as to prefer charges against
Republican, instead of Populist Off
Gals. I know the prOvOcatiOn was
great and I have nothing to say in eX-
tenuation of Mr.. Blacks insOlence; but
still, dear governor, as a friend and
citizen, I could wish that, when you
are tempted to do anything like that
again you would put a dampened cab
bage leaf in the executive hat, or re-
quest the accommodating Topeka fire
department to attach a hose and Satur-
ate the gubernatorial head; for really,
dear governor, that letter does no cred
it to your head, your heart, nor your
position
To begin with your head, which, ex-
cept in a few instances of which this
letter was one, I have been proud to be-
leve was much harder than your heart
do you remem Der a conversation we
had last spring about the investigating
machine you had set to work on Hoff-
man and Limbocker,t PopuliSt regents
of the agricultural college? Perhaps
not; for a governor has much to forget
when he starts out to be a partisan and
seem a saint. But, fortunately, you
wrote me what you admitted yourself
in a burst of confidence was "a, very
kind and pleasant letter" about that
time; a letter I have never given to the
press, after the manner of politicians,
for I cannot rid myself of an Old-fash-
toned prejudice that a gentleman should
a become
a partisan. Neither shall now publish
the letter; but a single extract from it
of a purely official character will be no
breach of honor and will recall to your
mind the views you entertained when a
Republican preferred charges against
Populist regents. This is what you
wrote me in explanation of your course
in preparing to make an educational
institution an asylum for decayed poll
ticians:
You are a lawyer, and understand
the law relative to this investigation.
Complaint in writing was made by me,
and I think you will agree with me
that there was no discretion upon my
part in calling the lieutenant governor
and speaker of the house together and
appointing a committee to investigate.
The law is clear and explicit
upon this matter, pointing out exactly
what 1 shall do. If the law is
bad it ought to be repealed"
This was your opinion as late as May
g. while PopuliSt regents, not exactly
upon the firing line. were in line to be
fired. As the legislature has not since
been in session, 1 presume the law re-
mains unchanged. But your letter to
Mr.. Black plainly shows that some
thing has changed. We are both law
yers STILL for each of US has won a law
that letter of May 6. Has your opin-
ion as to your duties under the law
changed? Or was your Interpretation
of the statute, as you then gave it to
Ia r.v,Tr- af.a1r~
filed by Republicans against Populist
officials? Am to understand that your
present ruling is that when Mr.. Per
kins, a Republican, filed frivolous
charges against POpulist regents you
had no discretion lin calling the lieu
tenant governor and speaker of the
house together and appointing a COM
mittee to investigate" but that when
Mr.. Black, a Populist, files serious
charges against Republican regents you
are master of the situation and can do
as you choOse2 Are your powers and
duties under the law different when
Populist is the accuser and Republ1-
can is accused?
You refuse to entertain Mr.. Blacks
charges because, as you intimate in the
insulting and undignifed letter you
wrote him through the newspapers. he
is a. perjurer and that he sWore to facts
with which you assume he could not be
personally familiar. Are you serious?
Could Mr.. Perkins have had personal
knowledge of the matters he swore to
against Hoffman and Limbocker? Did
not your own committee actually report
to you in writing that all that was i'm
portant in those charges was untrue?
acquit Mr.. Perkins gladly of the seri-
Gus accusation of perjury your letter
makes against him when it makes it
against Mr.. Black Neither meant to
swear that he had personally seen
everything done which was mentioned
in his affidavit. But if Mr.. Black is
guilty Of perjury to such an extent that
you are justified in spurning his sworn
charges against some officials of your
own party, why did you give such eager
consideration to the charges made by