The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-07
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL =.
Mr.. AILiuSOn'S AppOinIment ~ uDitsd
ktAies Marshal for West Virginia,


The letter which appeared in the Oincin-
natl Commercial in 1877. II Mr.. Atkinson
aid not write that letter he 10 o much.
abused man; II he did, his appointment
10 Office will be dithonor to those who
make It, and 9 shame 10 our state; II VIII
be an endorsement by, the President ana
the Senate Of one Of the most das1aIdlY
and outrageous ISLANDERS ever bTeathed
against good Citizens; and Il our Senators
vote for the confirmation OF Mr.. Atkinson
without first having 1t clearly proven 70
them that he was not the anthor Oh IhRt
letter, then they will be unworthy our
confidence and support, and the ssdb VIII
be as outspOken as any other paper IN
their condemnation,
The above constitutes what may be call
cd the ostensible ground Of bitter opposi'
ton Of Mr.. Atkinson on the part OF the
Democratic press Of West Virginia
Whether 1t IL the real ground-Whether
his well known and decided activity and
zeal as Republican is not the true e1Pla-
nation OF great deal Of the opposition Is
point that We will not at this time stop to
discuss.
The circumstances surrounding the re-
port made to the Revenue Department OF
the Government by Mr.. Atkinson, under
cover OF tue privilege and secresy Of his
position as special agent Of that depart
ment, has been made quite familiar to the
public by frequent illusions and explana'
tions. 1t is important to understand that
he never published line OF the character
referred 10. lie was sent out to hunt
down and break up illicit .distilleHes
in the southwestern portion OF the
State, and he did his work very
eIecLualIy, as everybody familiar
with the facts we'll knows. Gnihis explora'
tons, In pursuance Of his suthorizedmls'
sion he discovered, or thought he discov'
cred, several important Irregularities and
sinister indications on the part oil q num-
ber oil persons, some Of them prominent
persons, bearing not only on the relations
Of the Revenue Service but upon other
interests Of the government, and these
observations and Impressions he reported
under, as he supposed, the traditional and
lnvioIable privilege and secrecy OF his
office as a detective and special agent OF
the government. He did not report these
for publication, and was In no wise re-
sponsible for their publication. On the
contrary, he deprecated their publication,
and was surprised and shocked to find
that what he had communicated 10 the Rev.
enue Department had been given to some
newspaper correspondent at Washington.
Not that he had reported anything that
the truth Of bis observations aud impress.
ions did not fully warrant to his consci'
encs and judgement, but simply that he
did not expect an interviewer to blazon
his observations and Impressions to the
world. lie supposed, as be had right to
expect, that he was communicating strict.
ly confidential information to the de.
partmenG--data for future examination
simply giving 6rst Impressions -lmpres.
sions Of aprima facie character, which were
to be verified by later, more leIsurelY and
more exhaustive examinations.
Now suppose that oil the observations
and impressions Of the detective agents
OF the Government were to be made public
in the newspapers, and then imagine what
q general embodiment and hubub there
would be throughout the land. Whole
communities perhaps would be set BY the
ears. No one can tell the strife and com.
motion that might follow. Their tore oil
such communications are kept religiouSly
aud inviolably secret, just as they should
be, and Just as Mr.. Atkinson had every
reason to, suppose his would be kept
secret.
He Is In nowise whatever responsible
for the fact that his expectations were
disappointed. That was not his fault or
his blunder, but the blunder Of the De.
partment at Washington, for which that
Department and not Mr.. Atkinson should
be held responsible He did what he
believed TO be his duty 10 furnishing TO
the department his impressions, be they
correct or incorrect, land In the nature Of
things he could not know for certain what
we're tho exact iacts), and leaving with the
department their future examination.
II 1t Is said that he should have waited
for the facts. 1t devolveB on those who say
90 to show that II il for the interests OF the
public service that detective should
withhold his impressions until time, that
may never come, arrives when he can
verify his Impressions. He gathered bis
information as he passed through the Coun.
tty-irom what he saw and heard-what
he encountered and what was reported 10
him-and these impressions he wrote out
for the department as their guide 10
further and more deliberate examination.
Granting that he made q mistake, a
grave mistake, II you please that was no
crime. A crime consists in the intention.
He performed, as he supposed, duty 10
the Government, in whose service he was
q detective, and he was In error he sim.
ply, no doubt, made the same sort Of
mistake that has been made many times
by the different agents Of the Government
in the performance Of their duties. The
Government has no inialllbls people in lie
employ. Some Of them are, no doubt,
cooler and more accurate than others, but
all Of them are liable 10 report Impressions
that do not pan out as facts. And this is
all that can be laid 10 The charge Of Mr..
Atkinson, and because Of this bis appoint.
ment as U. s. Marshal has been Rssailsd
with bitterness by the Democratic press
nj thia gtaia that ID nbhyarndanIad and