Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-06
To the Editor cfthe Wheeling Inteliigencdr:

To the Editor Of the Wheeling Lntetiigencdr:
In your issue of yesterday. your iadiyna-
lion is made quite satisfactory to yourself,
doubtless, relative to the "guardianship of
the public interest,"" as connected with the
attempt to abstract the public funds from
the Custom House. In your article you
''do not propose to locate the negligence
that certainly is connected with this mar.
rowly escaped disaster" for the reason, as
you stated it 1--WE do not feel qsite sure
upon whom the responsibility rests" on
account of 'divided opinion"
You seem in your article MS ii wrath had
been pent up in you for a long time, aud
that 'lthis narrowly escaped disaster,'' had
relieved you in large degree.
In your local column of Monday you
placed before the public, conspicuously,
the following notice:
ga large amount of money was received
in this city on Saturday, by the pay de-
partment Of the Government"
Now, think, it is fair to assume that
"loyal men" will conclude that the above
notice may have had something to do with
"this narrowly escaped disaster" aud that
it is altogether probable the thiefor thieves
would have known nothing about the mon-
ey being in the Custom House but for it.
Will you account for why you permitted
this notice to appear? Certainly no me-
cessity existed for its publication, particu-
larry as the money was not here at the time,
and did not arrive until Tuesday afternoon.
But your attempt to strike blow at some
one or more to whom "the Government ia
paying large salaries" would indicate that
you did design to "locate the negligence
! join issue with you that negligence on
the part of any one, having charge of these
funds, has caused this burglarious attempt.
Certainly you will rot pretend to say that
even If there was but one sentinel outside
the building robbers would attempt to
climb up to the second story. You were
in the first story until after O'clock A. NJ.
aud have been recognized by the sentinel
on duty outside. Your Waterman was GER
tainly on duty inside; and in this connec
ton would ask il it was not your private
enterprise, and not your public duty which
called you into the frst story to remain
until that hour in the morning2 If you
will cease to use the public building for
other than public purposes, there will not
likely so many be admitted, having no
public business to transact
II is very generally understood that sbe
thieves secreted themselves in the loft of
the building before it was closed, and as
the building was closed by you, let me ask
you, do you make an examination before
closings
The vault in the building has always
been deemed a secure one. Beyond doubt
the government built it for such; and it
must have taken not only great labor and
some noise made, as well as time spent in
doing what was done. And all this whilst
you, faithful guardian of the public iu-
terest, were in the building.
"The recent train of government disas-
tiers" seems to have made you feel
"stranRe," but t'thfs one streak of good
luck" how more "strange." will not at
tempt to conjecture how you would have
felt had the funds been stolen.
"The recent disasters" alluded to have
certainly caused "loyal men" to feel that
due vigilance should be exercised by all
public officers in the discharge of public
duty, aud that, in order to do this, oil
things else should be snbordinated; and
that public Office with ''large salary" and
private enterprise are not compatible in
these days of the uRtion's peril.
d. d, McPHAIL,
Paymaster q. s. A