Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-08-17

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and gave order to the Office force to
keep mum, But word was given to
the reporters from outside and they
asked the dear governor what he WAS
going TO do about II, Then Is when
the war broke out. lie first made q
charge on bis young lady photographer,
supposing she had told. When finally
Informed Of his error, he took his pen
In hand and began his campaign on
Mr. Black. G. @. Clemens, In an open
letter to the governor anent this situa-
ton, quotes part of letter the COVER
nor wrote him last spring relative TO
the case of Limbocker and Hoffman,
the pOpulist regents, as follows; "You
are lawyer, and understand the law
relative to this investigation. Com
plant In writing was made by me, and
think you will agree with me that
there was no indiscretiOn upon my part
In calling the lieutenant governor and
speaker Of the house together and ap-
pointing a committee TO investigate.
y " The law is clear and explicit
upon this matter, pointing out exactly
what 1 shall do. " n II the law is
80 bad 1t ought to be repealed"
Commenting on this Mr.. Clemens
says; This was your opinion as late
as May 9, while popullst regents, not
exactly on the FREEING line, were in line
to be fired. AS the legislature has not
since been in session, presume the
law remains unchanged. But your let
ter to Mr. Black plainly shows that
something has changed, We are both
lawyers still, for each Of us has won q
lawsuit or two since you kindly wrote
me that letter on May 8. Has your
opinion as to your duties under the Law
changedp Or was your Interpretation
Of the statute, as you then gave 1t to
me, intended to apply only to charges
filed by republicans against pOpulist
ofilcialsp Am l to understand that
your present ruling 10 that when Mr..
Perkins, y republican, fled frivolous
charges against pOpuliSt regents you
had no discretion Tin calling the lieu
tenant governor and speaker Of the
house together and appointing u COM
mI.tee to investigate but that when ,
Mr.. Black, a populist, 6les serious
charges against republican regents you
are master Of the situation and can do
as you choosep Are your powers and
duties under the law different when
populist is the accuser and a republi-
can is accusedp
"Yourefuse 10 entertain Mr.. Blacks
charges because as you intimate in the
insulting and undlgnlfied letter you
wrote him through the newspapers, he
Is perjurer, and that be swore to facts
with which you assume he could not DO
personally familiar. Are you seriOusp
Could Mr.. Perkins have had personal
knowledge Of the matters he swOre to
against Hoffman and Limbockerp Yet
| can not recall that you wrote q "sar-
castle" letter to Mr.. Perkins, and It 10
history that you did not refuse to en-.
terrain his charges. You overlooked
his indiscretions and acted upon hi0
accusations. Why is that q bar to
your consideration In Mr.. Blacks case
which evoked not the slightest rebuke
In the case Of Mr.. Perkinsp
Dear governor, II wont do. II you
feel yourself inadequate to the task Of
being governor Of the State instead Of
governor for your own party alone; II
you persist in being a conscienceless
partisan, this PecksEifian pretense OF
lofty gubernatorial ethics must be given
up. AS a partisan outright, you have
the respect Of partisans. As high
minded gentleman who refuses to cease
to be q high-minded gentleman be-
cause he has become governor, you
might win the respect Of all people, as
l sincerely wish to see you do. But 40
q miserable partisan, making false pre-
tense Of lofty motives, you can win the
respect Of nobody at all and you de-
grade an Office which should know in
its incumbent ouly the nobest manli.