The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-14

VI kuo hpPolhAneut SloiA " hiV o'NPy
designated the letters As belonging 10 the
Anderson matter, believe, but gave no
particular description Of them.
@. Go on with the interview between
yourself and Sherman. A. Secretary
Sherman then said TO me that he wished
to examine himself whether the letters
we're official or not. replied that 1t was
a matter that had decided for myself
whether the letters were personal or not,
but had no objection to his seeing them
II he wished. That was all the conyer.
sation. Then | submitted the letters to
him, and he read esch one himself. This
occurred In the appointment room, which
Is branch Of the Secretarys office. An
derson was an applicant IN the State De-
partment for a position as Consul to
the last Of May.
Q. How was II that the letter Of Conn,
written on the 9th or Sth Of March to the
President, was sent TO the Treasury De-
partment and then To the State Depart.
ment, and how did It come to be sent 10
the Treasury Department when he was
not an applicant Tor position until two
months lfterH A. They may have sent
II not being aware that he was an appli.
cant at the State Department; will say
as an expert II you wish that kind ot evil
dence that the Treasury being depart.
ment Of the government In which the
largest number Of offices at large are, that
when there 10 no special place named by
the applicant, they are very apt to send
such letters there; that matter Is, however,
Discretionary with the President's secre-
tary, and they may not at that time have
known OF his application 10 the State De.
partment or remembered II.
Q. In dealing with Anderson did you
act on the Conn letterH A. No sir l
never saw that letter until last week; II
was fled in the Treasury before was ap-
pointed clerk; was appointed May lst,
1877; l was not aware that this letter was
on file; never looked on the Giles at all
until after the publication Of the letter 10
Anderson appeared in the newspapers.
Q. Is it not usual when any body ap-
plies for a position in any Department to
require some testimonials from outsiders
as basis for the appointment, even
when you have made up your mind 10
make the appointment? A. Yes sir.
r. What official papers had Anderson
on file to your knowledge, on which you
based your intention 10 appoint him to
the place that you picked out? A. Moth.
ing whatever to base II on except that
letter Of Matthews TO me. l acted on
that solely.
@. And the particular letter on which
you acted is los,2 A. Yes sir.
O. And the letter which you wrote in
reply to that particular letter on which
you acted, you have no copy of A. /
wrote no letter in reply to that / think.
1t required no reply, being recommen-
dation to Office. do not remember
writing any reply to it. The letter that is
lost was the one on which based the in.
tention to appoint him.
@. Why would not the President see
Anderson A. He did not give any rea-
son, but was very emphatic and showed
great disgust and aversion.
@. Give US as near as you can what the
President said A. can only give the
substance. l went in to tell him that
Senator Matthews bad recommended
this young man, political refugee from
Louisiana, for an appointment in the
Treasury, and that | had offered him
minor place and that he had declined
positively taking any place in the Treas.
ury unless he would have larger salary,
(something like SS,000,) and that he had
told me that II | was to see him, the Pres
ident, I would understand that he was TO
have a larger place and he wanted to see
him. The President declined seeing him,
he said he was not aware that any rec
ognition Of that kind Of his services was
required. He disowned all knowledge
Of any such understanding.
@. What understanding-you must
have conveyed some Understandings A.
This gentleman claimed there had been
promise to him personally Of q place
that Senator Matthews and the Presi.
dent would know Of.
Q. The President disclaimed 1t. A.
Yes.
Q. What did he say about his being
Ct man to appoint to any place. A. He
said nothing about II. I cannot say as
to what the President said, but l under.
stood him to convey the idea that there
was no objection to appointing him to
minor place. He did not instruct me
not to appoint him, and inasmuch as
named to him that place / certainly un.
derstood could appoint him to that
place without objection.
Q. Did the President say 10 you or con.
vey to you that you should not appoint
him? A. No; no more than that he
showed his aversion 10 having anything
to do with the man.
o. How did be show III A. The en-
phatic way in which he declined TO zee
him. -.
o. Give us the wayf A. l cannot; I
can only give you the impression 1t left
on my mind.
Q. Do you mean us TO understand that
all the President declined to do was TO
recommend him for higher place? A.
All he declined TO do was to countenance
his being put to higher place.
@. Why did It never occur TO you to
20 and see Secretary Sherman as Cnief
Of that Department. A. For the reason
that when | would go to him with these
minor appointments he would say, II
can't attend to that Smith. can't be
bothered with the appointment"
Q. Still, here was man that had been
down In Louisiana when Sherman had
been and had performed valuable services,
why then did you not 60 and see sher.
man? A. Because he would not take
the appointment that offered.
Q. But when he claimed higher one
why did you not go and see him thenl A.
Well because his claim, l did not think
was matter that needed to take secre-
tary Sherman's attention.
q. Still you took the trouble to go and
see the President? A. did; he asked
me TO. II he had asked me to 60 TO Sher.
man should have done the same thing.
o. Did the President at this interview
say that Anderson had been appointed TO
Consulships A. No cir, he said moth
ing about it.
After some further testimony on the
same subject the Committee adjourned.
The Matthews Investigating Com.