Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-06-29
Wheeler's Record.

We thought, indeed, we had reason
to hope, the Republicans had selected
candidates for President and Vice Pres
ident with untarnished records. 1t
was the boast of the leaders that they
had chosen candidates whose public
acts were so few and unimportant that
they could not be forced to assume the
defensive at the very opening of the
campaign, and therefore their chances
for election were better than those of
men who were open to attack. There
are, however, already signs that imply
mistake somewhere, and if things go
on as they have commenced we fear
these candidates will be found to not
only have a record, but record that
is far from being as unspotted as that
of gentlemen aspiring to such high
and honorable positions should be. A
Plattsburg correspondent of the New
York Sun gives the following frag-
ment of the record of the candidate
for Vice President:
In 1916 or 1847 Mr.. Wheeler, then as
now an aspirant for political prefer
ment, was known as a Whig. Not
withstanding this fact he obtained the
Democratic nomination for District
Attorney by pledging his word in the
strongest terms to several of the lead
ing Democrats of Malone and its vi
cinity that he would then and there
after act with their party. The Wings,
unsuspecting his party fidelity, were
influenced 30 nominate Mr.. Wheeler
also. Whereupon be went back on
his Democratic friends and his pledge,
and even denied the promise that was
hardly cold on his lips. This denial,
however, was met and sufficiently
contradIctedjby the affidavits of seve-
raj gentlemen who had been privy to
the violated compact.
AS another instance of Mr.. Whee-
ler's infexible integrity, l am told
that when a member of the Assembly
he was employed by Mr., Frederick
Ames, of Essex county, to purchase
on account of said Ames a piece of
State land, located near the State pris-
on at Dannemora. On looking into
the matter Mr.. Wheeler decided that
there was money in the speculation,
and that he could find more profit in
buying the land as principal than as
agent. He counseled with one Dou-
glass, a clerk in his law office at Ma
lone, and the twain became possessed
of the land, which was purchased in
Douglass name.
When Mr.. Ames found, upon appli-
cation at the Land Office, that the
plum had been picked by certain
Douglass, he went to the Hon. Mr..
Wheeler to inquire why and where
fore. Mr.. Wheeler insisted that it was
all mystery to him, and that he
didn't know much about Douglass, but
understood he was half lawyer, half
horse jockey land lived in Chateuagay.
The true inwardness of the transac-
tion came out afterward in court dur
ing the trial of suit brought by this
same Douglass against the Hon. VIM.
M. Wheeler, his partner in the land
speculation, to compel him to divide
the profits. Mr.. Ames appeared as a
witness, and his testimony put Mr..
Wheeler in such light that the lat
ter FASTENED to compromise the suit
by paying Douglass his shareand the
costs.
OF course nobody can tell how Mr..
Wheeler reputation for integrity will
be supported by the investigation of
Northern Pacific affairs. Mr.. Wheeler
was chairman of the House commit
tee on this railroad, and if he, like
Blaine and Colfax, should have to
walk the plank, it will at least be a
crumb of comfort to his friends to
know that the Hon. Chairman lacks
not of this worlds riches.