Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-05-20
SHARP.
Letter Written by.
Grant.
"A Violent Attack on
Roosevelt.
tie Says He Is Emphatically a
Hanna Man.

Washington, May 20-What is prob
ably the most violent attack ever pub
licly made upon president of the
United States Is embodied in a state
ment issued over his own signature,
by John Grant, until recently United
States Marshal for the Eastern dis
trict of Texas.
Grant was summarily dismissed by
President Roosevelt short time ago
on the ground that he had accepted
fee of $4,000 for using his influence
to have the American National bank
Of Beaumont designated as a govern
ment depositary. He denies this charge
in an open letter to the people of
Texas, claiming that in serving the
Beaumont bank he acted as a private
citizen, and not as United States Mar
shall, and further, that the $4,000 he
legitimate expenses OF himself and
friends, and was in no sense q fee.
He says the President refused to hear
any evidence favorable to him, or even
to read his explanation of the charge.
but was bent on dismissing him solely
for political reasons.
"The attorney general would not
read my explanation" he says "and
the President would not and did not
read it. 1t was hung up for six weeks.
was told by my friends that it was
all politics. l was wired to come up
there. / declined. I was told l had
better resign or 90 up. refused to do
either.
" was advised to go up and pledge
myself to agree to bring up the state
in 1904 for Roosevelt. Thereby l
could save the $4,000 would get out
of my salary for this four years, other
wise I would be removed and lose it.
l told them that would mean that I
must pledge myself to urge my friends
to follow ME to Roosevelt in 1904,
which / would never do, as had never
advised my friends except from my
heart. and / knew l could not advise
his reelection, and that rather than do
that / would lose the marshalship and
everything l had in the world. Mean
time the outlook kept getting darker.
l was charged with being a Hanna
man. I did not deny or apologize"
Further on in his letter Mr. Grant
says: ut seems to be fact tnat
Henry G. Payne, postmaster general,
has been selected as the Roosevelt
political leader. He Is the man who
has for years led the fight for the re-
duction of representation in the south
ern states. 1 know this, because dur
ing he fight since 1896, l have as a
national committeeman, been in the
thickest of the fight against him and
have contributed no little to defeat
his project"
He does not deny that he is "Han-
ma man" but on the contrary says:
''They charge me with being a Hanna
man. Well if providence should spare
him to us tiii 1904 and he is a candi-
date, / should consider it privilege
to every man who has an interest in
the welfare of his country at heart to
| use every effort to put him at the
head of this government, with his
wisdom, patriotism, and broadminded
craftsmanship. He, in my opinion.
| more nearly knows the needs and
wants of this country and people than
any man in the United States. and has
the temperament and ability to meet
| them."
Mr.. Grant concludes his letter as
follows: "a President Of the United
States, who will conspire to. or who
does maliciously, or even careIessly.
stamp the brand of dishonor upon
American manhood without adequate
cause, is scourge upon the country
and is unfit to be recognized as a citi-
zen, and some form of restraint should
be placed over him until the time
comes for the people to defend them
selves against him at the ballot box. :"