West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-03-14
REPLY TO HEERMANS.

VIII Mr.. HeermaDs please be seated? |
1 think he Is entirely too fresh. Who
charged you with corruption and dishon-
esty, Mr.. Heermansr Do you mean to
say that i did2 Now, Mr.. Heermans,
let me tell you something when
wrote my first article about this current
ly-reported- and generally believed Re-
publican corruption, was not aware of
the fact ltat f.. Heermans was evcr jher,
i'll OF Preston county. In fact inferred
from letter published i'm the Enterprise,
and signed +. Heermans, concerning the
soldiers reunion at Terra Alta, July 4th,
'S3, that you were a soldier ia the late
war. but subs equent events prove you
were not.
since yon have seen proper to attack
me, am going to talk plain 10 you. You
are always getting into hot water, and
you make it a speciality to vent you r
spleen upon tho poor and low class" as
the rich Nabob is prone to characterize
those who are so unfortunate as To have
To earn their bread by the sweat Of their
brow. Your attack on Col. Cooper was
UNJUST and inhuma1. Now you class
the Editor of The ARGUS and myself as
vile falsihers and malicious slanderers. -
will leave THE ARGUS take care of it,
self, which IL is fully able to do. OF
course, 1t Is unnecessary for me 10 tell
you, Mr.. Heermans. that have no bank
account, neither have l filthy lucre TO
cast upon the waters that it may double
itse VI in many years; but L have. Mr..
Heermans. character for honesty, in
tegrity and veracity that no gold pen OF
yours can ever efiace. Do you imagine
We poor people have no priVileges2 That
We must remain as reticent as a SphynA
on all questions pertaining to the public
good ? Do you believe that one blast
from your gold pen wonld silence me in
to submission that would not dare
raise my voice i'm defense of the public
who are tho tool of the political shark?
If you do, hasten to dispell that erron-
eous mistake from your mind.
No, MIR. Heermans, / won't accent
your 5000. l have no desire to he classed
| as millionaire" What do yJl want
me to rolract? When did prefer charg
es against yOu? Do you really know
what you are talking about? l have en-,
deavored to show the absurdity OF the
republicans preaching up Democratic
crookedness aud corruption, when their
own party is tainted with villany. DO
you consider yourself the Republican
partyY Ii your record as a public officer
Is ctea', what are you crying on. i'm thun
dcying tone, investigation Investigation
What do You want us 10 investigate
My infornent said there was certain
amount Of bounty money that could not
be accounted for. He did not say you
got tins money. lie said it was a conun.
drum who got this money, and / quptcd
ms language, and f. + this you say | ail a
| "viie f'lsitier AMI amllicinns slAnderor.n
The trouble is, I" use the common par
lance OF the day, you have got your foot
IN 1t, and got it bad. You have unwit-
tlngly, L think jumped at conclusions.
Let uS see what all this fury IS about. A.
l understand it, it is abou. AZ follows =
December 18th, 1864, there was call FOR
soldiers. Prcston's quota was 1856. TIE
records of the War Department show
thal lS6 volunteered, one in oXoess OF the,
required number. 1t is said these sol>
diers llo6J were paid $500 apiece. An>
Other report has it that ! or hundred
men volunteered and were paid S92 u
piece. These figures don't correspond.
There arc soldiers who say they never
got one cent of this bounty munoy, and
tn 9 OILERS families say they received
none OF the "wd3w and orphan" levy
money. This is ths whole thing in a
nut shell. Ii this money was appropri-
ated and collected 10 pay those soldiers,
and was used Tor other county purposes,
curious public would like to know why
IT was done. We don't accuse the cuun-
y officers of appropriating this money
Tor Men o1on WSe We simply make tho
inquiry what was this money used for
The public have a righ: to make such I'm
qniries, l can see nothing wrong i'm it.
My conscience will not permit me 10
apply such beautiful epithets to you a,
present, but unless yoU retract or prove
your sp!enetic epthels to be truo, / may
be forced to come down to your Icve,
and woilow ia the miro by your sido
An investigation is possible, retas.
ton NEVER
March 10. W I,Avrrrr