The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-06-21
From the Wheeling Register.l
THE "sIOONsHINERs.n
Letter from senator Hereford
Refuting AlllinsOn's Vile SLAM
ders upon the People OF Mer-
Ger. Raleigh and Summers.
ITNInN N. ~. Jnne 1th.

WE ANeAAStAA tAAArA
UNION, W. Va, June nth,
Within the last few days l have
seen copied into the various news
papers what purports to be a Wash
ington correspondence to the Cincin-
natl Commercial, in which we are
told that Collector Duyal has forward
ed to the department at Washington
a report of Il recent tour ofinspection
made by one of his deputies through
the counties of Mercer, Summers aud
Raleigh, in this State. This Wash
ington correspondent, in his article,
says that Collector Duval, in his re-
port TO the department at Washing
ton, reports his deputy referred to as
using the following language in his
report: at is an astonishing fact
that. every lawyer and officer Of the
court in Mercer county is in the
whisky ring. They are a. band Of
brothers and will, the say, go down
together. Thompson, editor of the
Hinton Herald, is member of the
ring, and his paper is their organ.
He is also a'haenber of a gang of
counterfeiters which / have traced
from the White Sulphur Springs to
Charleston; and although this is not
part Of our business, am working
it up, and Thompson knows it..
There is more outlawry in Raleigh,
Summers and Mercer counties than
you can imagine. was not at Raj
eigh six hours until | discovered that
the United States commissioner, who
was supposed to represent the inter
ests Of the government, was in league
with the distillers and counterfeit
ers."
l must confess my utter astonish-
ment and surprise upon reading the
above, "that every lawyer and officer
in Mercer county is in the whisky
ring" know, and have known for
years, all the lawyers and most Of the
officers of Mercer county, | under
stand that Foley, the County Clerk
elected, has been indicted for illicit
distilling. 0fhis guilt, orinnocence
| know nothing. If he be guilty, he
should be punished, as all violators
of the constitution or laws of our
country should be. With that sin
gle exception | never have heard
aught against the uprightness of con-
duct or purity of character of any
one of the members of the bar or Of
ficers of the county of Mercer; and
the same may be said of the members
of the bar and county officers of Sum
mers and Raleigh. For years have
been brought into the most intimate
relations with most Of the lawyers of
these counties, and it affords me
pleasure to say that L have never
known a more high toned honorable
set of gentlemen in my life; compar-
ing favorably in legal learning, pro
fessional etiquette and honor with
the same number of lawyers in any
rural district in the land, Ihey arc,
such men us John A. Douglass and
David E. Johnston Of Mercer, Adams,
Thompson, Lowrey, Fowler and Ma
hood OF summers county; ana NC
Ginnis of Raleigh county; some of
whom are worthy members of differ
ent religious denominations The
charge against MIR. Z; Il, Thompson
of the Mountain Herald, | regard as a
great outrage. No young man IN
the Third Congressional district
stands higher for integrity OF pHr-
pose and conduct than he does, be,
ing as believe a sincere, devout and
acceptable member Of the church 1t
is a burning shame that such a cal
umny should be hurled against such
a man.
From what have heard presume
there is illicit distilling in The coun-
ties referred to, and it should be bro
ken up, but in order to do this 1t Is
not necessary to misrepresent and
SANDER whole counties, us has been
done in this case. | know the citl-
zens of these counties well, and have
for many years, as a part of my CON
stituency, and, taken as a mass, am
proud tosay that do not know of n
more honest, law abiding, generous