Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-09
SOME CRITICISMS
ON THE WASHINGTON DISP ATCH RELATIVE
TO LAIRD, MCCORMICK AND N'GRAW.
Mr.. McGraw Writes Letter Saying That He Never
Saw the Laird Statement and Never Had
ii in His POsssSSiun-Ths InteligenOsr
Representative Feels Aggrieved
Spncial TtIennn 10 he Renixer.

Specid! TdegGn 10 The Register.
WASHINGTON, August s.-A letter re-
ceived here from Collector McGraw ad-
dressed to friend, in which he refers to
the Washington dispatch printed in Sat
urday's REGISTER, says so far Us he is
concerned the dispatch is inaccurate and
untrue"
He says: "The REGISTER representative
mixes up the Laird statement with the
brief which was filed, assigning reasons
why 4 change should be made in the Of
flee of Collector of Internal Revenue in
West Virginia.
The Collector states that this was the
paper which he had copied and which the
REGISTER man saw in his room at the
hotel. He says that he ''Reuer sdp the Laird
statement and Nerer had it in his possession, !"
and that Commissioner Miller will verify
what he says. He cOrrects some further
alleged inaccuracies in the dispatch regard
ing Mr.. Laird's visit here. He says that
the statement was regarded by Commits
sioner Miller rs a privileged communication,
and was not entrusted to him or any one
else TO have copies made, and that Miller
did not carry the statement 10 the PreSi-
dent This brief which the REGISTER cor
respondent saw, is claimed by Mr. McGraw
10 have been simply reference TO Gen.
Duvall'S removal for political reasons,
with his endorsements and the political
reasons why change i'll the Office was de-
manded. Mr. McGraw states that the
REGISTER representative places Mr. Miller
in IN unpleasant position,
THE INTELIIGENCER REPRESENTATIVE
FEELS AGGRIEVED
at that portion of the dispatch which con-
nectcd him with the COlleCtOrship fight.
He says: Your dispatch was grossly mae
curate in many respects and misrepIesents
us. | do not believe that You intention
ally distorted the facts, but you have done
so nevertheless. Your account of the
Laird episode is based upon a misconcep-
tion of the whole matter. ] want
70 say that | represented nobody
here except myself. ! did not assume to
represent the Republicans of West Vir-
gnia or any faction of the party. What
You say in regard to my antics about
hotel lobbies, and my connection with Mr..
Laird'S visit, so far aS perSuading Mr.,
Laird to 90 to the office Of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue is
untrue Mr.. Laird made the statement
voluntarily and not at the instance OF any
Republican. believed then and believe
now that the Presidents actions IN de-
manding that the charges be filed in writ
ipg were wrong, and did not endorse that
mode of procedure nor did any other Re
publican that know OF. We did not be-
lievc that Mr.. Mccormick ought to bc re-
moved in IN unfair manner. | still main
tain that my statement regarding the Laird
interview is the correct one.
Collector Mctiraw's statement regarding
the document he had copied hy type
writer is probably correct, The REGISTER
representative did not read II, but at the
time gained the impression that il was the
Laird statement which he saw on the table
in Mr. McGraw's room at the National
Hotel. lie believed then and has been
laboring under that impression ever since
and would have continued in the belief
had not the letter of the Collector above
quoted been shown him.