Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-08-07
connrssroNEn N. STEMS
Answer to Tax-Payer-"A Snake In tn
Grass"

Answer to Tax-Payer-"A Snake In the
Grass"
In the Inteligencer of the 5th inst d
correspondent shielding himself behind the
anonymous cognomen OF Taxpayer,
makes venomous and brutal attack upon
Commissioner Prince (Repubicsn) and
myself (Democrat). With more coarseness
than ingenuity and with less veracity than
malicious purpose, tie pseudo "boss" al
leges, as sufficient grounds of opposition to
our reelection as County Commissioners,
our votes (at April, 1884, meeting of Board)
in favor of the adoption Of the report of the
Joint Committee on County Road Appro-
priations.
From the tone and malignant spirit of
Taxpayers" brief article, it is fair to infer
that there was some personal and unforgot-
ten grievance at the bottom of his assault;
something more directly concerning him as
an individual, than could be implied by any
voto Of ours on the county road appropri-
atoms
The attempt to hoodwink the public as to
the true animus of Taxpayer, BY making
joint assault on Prince, as Republican,
and the undersigned, as Democrat, is too
thin to deceive or mislead any one, who
does not wish to be deceived and misled.
Taxpayer" has a private-a personal
grievance. He wants to get even with Capt.
Prince or myself for some fancied wrong
done him BY either one or the other of US.
And he has resorted to this anonymous and
unmanly method of accomplishing his pur-
pose.
As had already given to the public,
(see Sundays REGISTER, of April 18th,
iS84), my reason in full for voting to adopt
the report of the Joint Committee, making
necessary appropriations 10 the county
roads, and as / cannot afford to waste time
or take up your space in defending myself
against the yenomous attacks of anony-
nous enemies, beg leave, before entering
upon any further defence or explanation, to
ask TAX payer the following questions.
If frankly answered, so as to disabuse my
mind of the idea now so frml y fixed in II,
to.wit, that TAX payer is a personal
enemy in disguise-merely seeking under
the guise Of public concern, to veil
a feeling of individual spite. | shall
not hesitate to repeat through public
channels, the reasons that forced me, a
sworn officer, to support the report OF the
Joint committee, Of which l was not mem
ber-reasons which have already proved
satisfactory to my own constituents in city
and county, and which cannot well fail to
give entire satisfaction to all fair minded
men.
Here are the questions. Let Taxpayer"
answer them:
First Is Taxpayer" resident of the
city of Wheeling? If not, why does he pre-
tend to be?
Second. Is not Taxpayer" bona fde
resident of the county as contradistinguished
from the city claiming Triadelphia as his
district? If so is he not dependent along
with the other citizens of Triadelphia dis
trict, for his ming in and going out of
the city, upon those very county roads for
which he now says dictatorially Let there
be no more appropriations of city money?
Third-Has NOT Taxpayer" personal
grudge against the undersigned growing
out Of certain Democratic State Conven-
ton, held last April, to appoint delegates
atlarge to the National Convention at
Chicago? And further has not Taxpayer
on more than one occasion, in the presence
of witnesses, declared that he would get
even with the undersigned, because of the
latter's refusal, as one of the County Com
missioners, to countenance the effort OF
Taxpayer to have private road leading
to his residence in the country changed
into public or county road, to be kept up
at public expense?
Fourth-ls Taxpayer a Democrat or
Republican now2 That he has, in his day
and generation, been both, seems probable
from his duplex mode of attack against
Prince (Republican), and myself Demo.
craft but that he cared more for himself
than for his party whatever that party may
be to-day, seems equally probable from his
thinly concealed effort to obtain private re-
venge against Captain Prince or myself I'M
der cover of an attack on us both for al
legged official misconduct.
l ask these questions, because in matter
of this kind, | have right to know my as.
sailant-and it is fair, too, that the public
should know him. Besides | cannot rid
my mind of the more than suspicion that
Taxpayer" (should his name be given the
public) will turn out 10 be some ambitious
and lately disappointed politician-living
neither in my own or Captain Princes dis
taict-and yet nursing in his heart some old
grudge against one or the other, or both of
US, because of our, or his, or my
supposed interference with some
of Taxpayer ambitious schemes.
fl have shown some little feeling at this
miserable attempt-Inade on the eve of our
district primary election-to injure me in
the mind OF the public. through an anony-
nous squib, / hope that my constituents,
who have so often in the past conGded high
public trusts to my keeping, will see in it
desire to vindicate as well themselves as
myself MICHAEL STEIN,
Commissioner.
PRARARIY EAEAL ACCIDENT.