The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-02-01
sWIssHELM VS.. REAM.
q. Iateresting Letter from the Mis-
represeuted Party.


PITTSBURGH, January 16, 1869.
Editors Missouri Democrat
SIRs: Your Washington couespon-
dent has made so unprovoked and ma
licious an attack upon me that ask you
10 correct his misstatements. de
charges me with having written many
malignant, vulgar and unprovoked
things" against Winnie Ream, with
personally canvassing against her,
"going to Hon. Thaadeus Stevens and
among Congressman, asking them not
to give her stadio back" repeats con-
versation between Mr.. Stevens and my
self on the absorbing topic of his hero
inc, states that l, Searching for vic
tins, got afoul of Mrs. Sprague dreadful
ly, aud raised such indignation that
even her (my) undaunted metal was
abashed," and altogether devotes a third
of column TO representing me as pro-
fessional slanderer of women N private
life.
Now, the facts Of the case are, that l
never wrote anything about Miss Ream,
bat one paragraph in aletter describing
her the only time l saw her, 1. e., IN tAe
Senate gallery, putting her ten thou
sand dollar bill through that BODY.
When she places herself in the position
of public pensioner she may not plead
privacy 10 shield her designs and char
acter from the scrutiny Of the psbllc
whose money she pockets; and, for her
sake, regret that the facts ! then stat.
ed have never been contradicted, and
that my predictions have been fully
verified. If they had not been before,
would they be now, in her openly plac-
ing herself beyond the pale of woman's
sympathy Il have been young, and
now l am old, yet have never seen" q
virtuous woman forsaken by her own
sex, or her laudsble efforts asking IN
vain for woman's sympathy.
As for Thaddeus Stevens, l never
spoke to him, never saw him but once,
when he was on the floor of the House,
and in ths gallery.
have not been in Washington since
October lst, 1866, and the question Of
returning Miss Ream's studis came up
in the summer OF 1869; so, Miss Winnie
must be reduced to straights for crown
of martyrdom, with which to purchase
enough of the public money TO carry
her to Rome, when she placed me at
the head of her list of prosecutors. The
statement of your correspondent Is
sheer fabrication, so far as 1t details
my personal interference in Miss Ream's
affairs.
Nv statements about Mrs. Sprsgus
were made when her name was in every
newspaper, as the head and front of the
opposition to impeachment, and when
the etiquette of the press made her le-
gitimate subject of public comment.
Up to this time | have not been made
aware of any attempt TO contradict
what l then wrote. When any one
seriously attempts to deny anything |
have published, it is time enough for
me to prove it, aud | have always held
myself ready to do so.
There is no question in which the
public are more interested than the
character of the women who control
legislation in Washington, and how
ever unpleasant the task may be, there
is ns truer service to this Government
than ex posing the corrupt Influences
which dep,ete our public treasury, and
vote the money wrung from the sweat
of the laborer, as testimonials OF the
admiration of eur representatives for
the personal charms of any woman.
Your correspondent may OF may not
be in the interest of some lonesome
Congressman, who wishes to win
smile from Miss Winnie BY voting her
another subsidy; but should like here
to record prophecy that project is
on foot for giving Mss Ream another
slice from the public loaf.
JANE G.. SwISSHELN