The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-20
OUR RCHARLESTONLETTER

OUR CHARLEETONLETTEB
2Hinning Of he Ranks Of Democratic Al
ptrdnb for Congress from M 7air
| Congressional DiStriet-A Man "Slopet
| Wa $4,000 "in H8 QotheS'-Hers
| ford and HI Back Pay.
Correspondence Of the IntellIgSnOer.l
| CHARLEsToN, W. Va, Feb. Is, 1874
] The Republican press oI this State hal
thus far 6eenwholly silent upon the run
ming away Of prominent Democratic
politician In this Congressional District
with $4,000 Of other peoples money ID
his pocket. The Democratic papers ol
the state have also maintained profound
silence, as an exposure oil this wholesale
villalny would injure the prospects oil
their sacred party In this Congressional
District, II not In the whole State.
"Hon." Thomas B. Kline, late prom.
lnent member oil the West Virginia Sen
ate, and one OF the Democratic leaders Of
that bodY-also member ol the Demo-
cratic Congressional Executive Commit
toe o! this District, late member OF the
State Executive Committee, and Chair
man oi the Democratic Senatorial Exec
utive Committee Of this District, which
embraced Cabell and surrounding coun.
ties, some weeks since ran of with $40
600, Of money collected by him as Com.
missioner OF the Circuit and County
courts Of Cabell county, and by him as
Attorney at Law, and has not been heard
Of aimee.
Mr.. Kline was, at the time he "slid
out" the most prominent aspirant for
Congress on the Democratic ticket from
this District. In fact the nomination was
conceded to him by nearly all Of his COM
petitors, and had he not proved himself q
wholesale thiei, he might have been nomi.
mated, and for ought we know elected to
represent this District Of Bourbons In the
Congress OF the United States. Had such
been the case he doubtless would have
proved himself fair representative Of the
will ol the people electing him, judging
BY the grabbing" capacity Of the present
incumbent.
As have referred 10 the SALARY grab
Der" F. Hereford, the Congressman from
this District, who always claimed that the
August election was not the legal time,
and that he would not recognize 1t, but
who holds his seat az elected on that day,
yeu will pardon me for introducing right
here letter from him recently published
In the West Virginia Courier In relation
TO this salary steal:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, !
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 1874 !
Hon. B. ". Byrne, Superintendent Of
Schools Of West Virginia
DEAR SIR: Enclosed send you a
check for four thousand six hundred and
seventy four dollars and eighty cents. The
above Is the amount paid TO me by virtue
OF the law passed by the 42nd Congress,
and generally known as the "back pay"
In the 49nd Congress voted against the
said law, by which the salaries were in
creased and by which such "back pay"
was given me. In this, the 43rd Congress,
I voted to repeal said law and to return
said back pay to the National Treasury.
Congress repealed the law but defeated
that feature returning the "back pay"
Congress having taken final action on
the matter, as ! have before stated, now
send you q check for said amount upon
bank where 1t has been awaiting the ac-
tion Of Congress. l desire that You invest
said, amount In the "1rreducible School
Fund" oi our State TO be devoted, forever,
to the education Of the children Of the
State. Please acknowledge the receipt
Of the check. Yours, truly,
FRANK HEREFORD.
This Is the thinnest effort for buncomb
that has ever fallen under my notice.
You are aware that he Is aspiring 10 o
seat In the United State Senate; and as.
serts that II he Is not chosen to the
Senate, he Is determined to go back to
Congress. This accounts for the above
mastery letter containing the Cheek.
Now, Frank says he voted against the
grab law In the first place; that 10 all
right. But he walked directly to the
Treasury and drew the back pay, after
voting against It on the ground that 1t
was q swindle. Then we conclude that
he got sum Of money, that Of right did
not belong 10 him, as his vote on that
question will show. Aiterward, when
the people demanded repeal Of the law,
Frank voted for It, (but not until after he
had received the money!. Now, we con.
clude that II 1t was wrong to Increase the
salaries Of Congressman, It was wrong for
them to take the money. Hence the
$4,674.90 drawn by Mr.. Hereford belongs
in the United States Treasury and no
where else. It's Just as wrong for a man
to draw his back pay and donate II 10 his
State, as it's to draw It and put II In his
own pocket His whole object, however,
Is to make sufficient amount Of capital
out his liberality at the expense OF the
National Treasury, and fix the blame Of
drawing the money upon the Republican
party. We warn Mr.. Hereford that he
cannot get into the United States Senate
by this kind Of conduct.
The money that he sends to West Vir.
ginis, according to his own admission
was unlawfully and improperly taken
from the Treasury Of the United States,
and should be Immediately returned, else
his conduct In the matter might be
branded as 8 swindle.
But ! must return to the Tom Kline
swindle. In addition to the other high
positions that he held in the Democratic
party Of the State before mentioned, was
that Of Regent for the State Normal
School at Huntington. But the said
school Is as dead as Tom, and therefore
needs no further mention here.
I would not bring this matter before
the people as emphatically as I have done,
but for the crowipgs and bleatingS Of
every Democratic paper in the country
over the misconduct Of Republican office.
holders. For example, / take the follow.
ing from the Charleston Courier Of this
morning:
"As before remarked, John g. Henry Is
the son Of Mr.. John Henry, . member Of
the City Council from the Third Ward,
and Radical politician Of some notoriety,
his iather.in.lRw Is Mr.. John P. Wright,
also prominent Radical politician, and