The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-06-04
INSIDE HISTORY
OF 5rAL pAlssNr. AoMlNlaTaArloN
" West rI,xlnis : stat, It,asursr O's,l,a |,
e ran,p,d D'J By q i'rp,tl,i. and rali, On NJ.
a,,snmsn. asd 0lhtr Particulars Of
iattf.st-somc " eighty Utt,faAe,s.

"
prominent aaplrint for the Gubcrp atoriAl |
nomination, and by tho iumors that Auditor
Mil'nf las given up hll oanyEtB and will not |
'omc Into tho convention. $50 tH,
. feslarday q reporter dropped In At tho
state TteAsuitI'a flee, and hiding Colonel
O'br!en In 9 iaclabls mood. directed the
ponvetaition into political channel.
why TIIz COLONEL WITHDREW.
"Col. OBrlen,n said the reporter, NJ have
often wondered what your real motives wero
didsts for rtnonInstion for your present 20
sitlnn. Won't you tall mel"
ut ID true" tsId the Colonel, frankly,
that nj ono tItns did look iayorab!y on
going 10 Charleston, and, OF course, on being
elected 10 my prtsOnt office, but when found
that cesiain Democratic leaders III Lewis,
Wayne snd kauawhn onuut!os were bitterly
opposed 10 Inc and talked about carrying
tnelr opposition to the polls, while knsw
they could not defeat Inc, either for nOmins.
tiou or election, yet concluded 1t was better
TO lot iha otilce so ard give at.eStion to my
private aiairs III Wheoling." r,rlE
Why their opposit!un2'i 81 Sar's 10
"Well, cannot say. never ccncssled my
hearty approval Of the personal property as.
.stssHeut order ana ut times was nu,spokBn
10 my endorsement OF the action OF the Gov.
etror aud Auditor on that subject. As u
member oil the board Of Pablo Wo,ks, act.
Ing AZ " Boatd Of Equalization under the act
Of 1857, my votes were not Alwayu In accord
Win some oil our party leAdtrA from tho In.
tefiot; hencs the opposition from certain
quArtGra." ~ .'1-...'.
"Wby should they single you out, any
more than Mtsirs. Butcher and Watts, who
both seek reelection You all voted alike,
did you not7"
"Well, We nil voted the sanis way at the
mestlng In Charleston, on March %, 1883, q
mest!n. held Tor the purpose, among Other
msitets, OF correcting and eQpaliziDg the
value Of lands In the State between the
counties but We did not all. vote alike at
the meeting In Wheeling, OIL May 2S!h, and
from tina. springs the opposition to me-" M
IN Tnk sAuE uoAr. rg
"What course did you pursue at The
Charleston ruestin2?'
Gen. Watts and Judge Ferguson tho last
named gentleman invited to DO present be-
CAUSE 81 his large and varied pe!lence) were
relied on for liking values III most Of the
counties 10 Tho old Third district, and wha,
they two agreed upon, in the main, was what
tho Dosrd approved. don't think there
was an instance wheru II was otherwl.e.
Auditor Miller Was regarded as good
authority on tho lards Of Cabeli, Masan,
Putnam, Jackson, &C. G werner. Jackson
spoke for the countita adj lining Wood and
tnoso south OF the parktrsburg Branch. Mr..
Butcher gave us tha benefit Of his knowledge
OF tho valua OF lands In Randolph and cout
tlel adjoining, and was regarded as reason.
ably we'll informed on values north OF tht
rarkeraburg Branch and on the lima OF The
Is. 80. OF course when 1t came 10 fixing q
valuation for a county, We discussed matter,
for while, hasmon.zed our views aud agreed
upon what We deemed was correct and
eq11ssl." = -,-,
planned Of their valuation, among them
Lewis and Kauawhu, remember"
"ies SIR. They were the counties oil
Boone, Bra1ton, Greenhsler, Kanawhs, Lswis
Lincoln, Logan, Mason. Nlcholns, Pccahontas
Raleigh, Randolph, Richie, Roaue. Sum,
neIs. Tucker, Upshur, Wayne and Webster. II
"Did Messrs. Whtts anu Butcher vote n,
Charleston fer the valuation which Wa.
Kicked against ~ su4
"Yss, sii; Messrg. Watts, butcher, Jackson
Miller and myself all voted at Charleston to
incresss the counties FAMED from ten TO, In
come instances, 100 percent over what tht
assessors returned them R,. We were uuii
In our action q. Charleston and as far as ]
knew, all thought We had dons good honest
work for the Slate and the various countiss.'
AcnASeE or BASE.
twas The Question OF the right OF tie Board
to change the aggregate CT the assessment
raised At your Charleston ucstlnt2"
"Yes, indeed; 1t wns the fist proposition
that confronted Us. and probably had much
10 do with Judge Ferguson's being Invited &c
attend our meeting. You know Judge Fer.
guson was member oil the Legislature thai
passed TIC act, and he was regarded land
believe justify ~ its author In the shape In
which It passed."
"Well, what wal said on that pon,2' .5g
Every little. l think It was Governor
Jackson that raised the question. Judge Fer.
guaon stated, In substance, that there was nc
doubt In his mind that 1t was the Boards
change the aggregate In order that all should
bear equally their Just proportion OF the
State burthfn. There was hardly i've min.
nics wasted Oh til. dcciion Of that suhi,ct.
The lawyer members Of the Bosrd seemed to
sGG." = '' 80 ' '"' ' WV 'D''A
''Iu view OF your unanimous action al
Charleston In March, how do you account 10,
your action In WheellEg jna. two months
later? In other worls, Why did your Board
reconsider !ta action and leays the counties
named lust about where they were before
your meeting q. Charientot p
Indeed, don't know, bat think Judge
Brown In his contest with Capt. Phil Snyde,
for seat in Consress, frat raised the ques.
tio,. The fact, at any rate, 10 that 10 soon IL
that contest WIS over, visiting statesmen
from KRnawhu and other COUNTIES, headed
by the kanawhs Senator, made their appoar.
ancs In Wheeling, and the r.sult you are As
familiar with as am." az
Colonel, what Wis your candid opinion OF
tho written opinion Of the Attorney General
which WAS furnished your Board at the
Wheeling mesting, and which was made The
basis Of tie Board 8 action p - Y l.rlI
II am not lawyer, bat never had but
one opinion on that sUbjact. believed
then, ~ do now, that Judge Fcrsuson, Gov.
ernor Jackson, Attorney Genera! Watts,
Auditor Miller, and urortntepdent Butcher,
all lawyers. knew more and better law In
Charleston in March, 1883, that tha ATTORNEY
| General did In Wheeling ten months Gf,er.h
IBID you nppsove OF that opinion et the
Attnrno; General? p - IS. - .J.s-g,l,;.TIir
mo. When 1t waa read to 10, I expressed
surprise, and sthtsd tbs. be!crs voting on the
motion 10 ADOPT the opinion IS guide for
our seton. would like 10 have tina T. CON
suit tome Of my Wheeling attorney irieudu
men to whom could 30 Il my own property
was in danger, aud the Board kindly pos.
ponsd action for thrse O. iour hours." J 4.
N"Well, what WAS the result Of your confer.
ence with the attorneys? -. :. i4sg.g. 3 {,
q NOT GOOD LAW. n
1.-THE result WAS, that Twas informed that
the opinions OF the Attorney General was not
good law" ,'3i'gg ~, -. lI15I i
ibid you vote 10 adopt the opinion OF Mr..
Watts 10 u guide to your Beard after being
so advised by your Wheeling utissneyr "
8 Ca that point have llst .hia to ssy: On
my return, In tie presence Of Mr.. Wstis, /
stated VIVA! my ndyices wese nad what l
thouslt. Jutt q. this point a question was
raised Of this sort: that whea b State officer
or State Board called upon the Attorney
General for his wrlttsn opinion on any cub
jeci connected with the atfiirs OF his office,
and tho Attorney General furnished his oplu.
ion as required by Law. It way tho duty OF the
officer OF Board TO adopt tho opinion Tor his
or Its official guidance. Ihia seea,pd 10 be
tho belief Of our Beard, anu In tia. view
and with thst explanation / did not vote
sgasnst THO adoption OF tho opinion Of The
Attorney Genera" ~ '.-3',if :,
~ u far 1, g.. vt n ~ .1nn,,J a. n ", Al,