The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-02-27
st'heeling Register.
The Register has u Larger
circulation. by so per cent,
than any other Paper publish
ed i'm West Virginia. Hts value
~ IN Advertising Medium Is
therefore Apparent.
The Asscssorship. a

The Asscssorship.
The President has appointed, and the
Senate has confirmed, Mr.. 4. G. LEON
ARD, of Parkersburg, W. Va, as Asses
sor of Internal Revenue for this Dis
trict, rice Capt. q. J. STEALEY, rejected
10y the Senate. Mr.. LEONARD, it will
he remembered, was the former incum-
beat Of this position, and was removed
l,y the President last Fall because of his
bitter opposition to the political views
., IN, Administration under which he
h.ll his place.
We have heretofore referred to the
,,J faith toward soldiers and other
consistent and useful Union men, mani
f,,;rd by the majority of the Senate
in their action upon Presidential ap-
uoiutments. We recur to the subject
for the purpose of pointing out another
instance in which the leading represen-
,,tives ofthe Radical party have been
false to the principles which they had
rromised should control their conduct
j., ,he distribution of Official hOnors
and .moluments. When the rejection
.fNr. SHALLCRoss, Collector of this
District, was followed by the appoint
rrut and confirmation of Mr.. b. +.
KELLEY. of Maryland, general feeling
If dissatisfaction prevailed, i'll view OF
,br acknowledged incompctency and
known meligibility of the appointee.
When il was ascertained that the place
wa, given him rs recompense' for
,iI,.rd military and other ser
vice. in behalf of the coun-
rry. the people seemed disposed to
acquieSre in an appointment which had
been made with a view to rewarding
pltriotic merit, although there was n
universal ignorance of any past deeds
Of fdcvotiou or display of ability on the
part of the beneficiary which might en-
title him to any signal marks of nation
al appreciation or gratitude. Never
,hrlr,>. because of the manifest justice
.frhc rule under which the selection
was made, people were indisposed to
riIicule the awkward mistake in the
application, and everybody was graf
jdrd 10 believe that the public
places were generally to be Civ
rn TO men who by their fidelity
ro the interests of the common
country had established claim to the
natiou's remembrance. That no such
rnle is intended to he pursued by the
Radical Senators, who now seem to con-
troll the distribution of profitable
places. is manifest from their action in
relation 10 the AssessOrship of this Dis
trict. The assignment of one of the
most lucrative offices in the State to 4
person who has neither military nor
civil service 10 recommend him to favor,
shows that partizan merit is much more
t>timable than patriotic worth i'll the
eyes of those who are now directing the
distribution of Federal patronage. fla
genuine devotion to the interests of the
couutry. faithful service in the Union
cause at the most perilous hour, and
trae and upright discharge of arduous
duties in places of high responsibility
can establish claim to preferment, the
gentleman whom Mr.. LEONARD succeeds
should never have been rejected. Those
who are familiar with the history of the
national troubles in this section at the
commencement of the wal, know that one
of the iirmest, and one of the most un-
swerving Union men of the time was
the gentleman whose displacement has
been followed 10y Mr.. LEoNARD's ap-
pontmcnt. At period when through
ont the whole of the interior portion
OF the State, the entire list of prominent,
active loyalists could scarcely have
numbered a score, Capt. STEMEI's
influence was being exerted and
felt, in the organization of the
Union elements of his section, in raising
volunteer troops for the Federal army
and in arousing and animating the dis
hcartened friends of the Government to
unite in behalf of the unity and iuteg-
rity of the nation. His subsequent
faithful services in the army, have been
publicly recognized and attested by the
various commanders under whom he has
acted, and no better record than his can
he shown by any West Virginia officer.
His decapita ion, to make room for an
obscure civilian whose chief qualifica-
tion seems to be the vigor and con-
stancy with which he votes the Radical
ticket is striking proof OF tho reOk-
I"Ssness with which Radical leaders can
violate their pledges in tayor of soldiers
when partizan considera tions are
brought TO bear upon them.