The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-20
WHY CHARLIE SMlrH SMILES,

He Secures the Removal ofn Democratic
Relative of AIRS, Harrison, Who Was POST
maStCrat RnvsnSwoOd,
lPdsAtuGtOa Special IN Pittsburgh Commercial Ga.
'teite,
Hon, @, b, Smith, Congressman.elect
from tho Fourth Congressional district
OF West Virginia, is wearing his hat
tilted over his right oye this morning,
All this is because he has proved that
all the talk about the lepotism Of Presi.
dent Harrison Is the veriest bosh. The
story is OF interest to Pittsburghers
since the lady In question is a cousin OF
Charles +. MCkenna, and the daughter
OF prominent banker in Little Washing.
ton. L. g, Smith, Of Rayenswood, W,
Va, was Q handsome young fellow who
graduated at the State University in ~
and then started Democratic paper,
Lilo wooed and won his bride
in Washington, Pa, the young lady
spoken OF above, and then settled down
to make fame and fortune. Cleveland
was inaugurated and young Smith was
appointed Postmaster. He made good
one and enjoyed tho hOnors so much
that he was loath to give it up when
Gen. Harrison took charge OF affairs,
1t was especially hard, since Mrs, Smith
was u near relative OF Mrs. Harrison.
There was no attempt to conceal this
relationship after the election, and some
OF the Republican wheel.horses down
there began to fear that Mr.. L. O. Smith
would remain Postmaster, notwithstanl.
ing his politics. Mrs. Smith was deter.
mined to do what she could do, so she
came to the Capital city and called on
her relatives in the White House. She
called with seeming success.
ShOrtlyatter this the Hon. G. B. Smith
came down and recommended j. +,
Stone to be Postmaster at Rayenswool,
Tho papers were filed, and as Colonel
ClGrksen was pushing the matter Mrs.
Smith thought all was we'll. On his next
trip to tho city the West Virginia Con-
gresham called up the papers In this
case to see the cause oil delay. He had
been informed by the expectant Mr..
Stone that his commission had not ar.
rived. Tho Congressman was not long
in finding tho cause OF the delay. On
the papers was Endorsed: make no ap-
pointmCnt at this place without consult.
ing the President" He took the papers
to Col. Clarkson aud asked for the rea-
son. Col. Clarkson remarked that the
President had considerable influence in
his department, and when the word
came down from the White House he
dropped the matter at once. He advised
Mr., Smith to sec the President aud talk
the matter over with him. This Mr..
Smith did.
The President listened to his story
and then said he never interiered in the
fourth-class offices and remembered
nothing about 1t. Tho Congressman
then told Of the visit Of the young rela.
tive OF Mrs. Harrison TO the White
House. The President smiled when he
heard thisa and said:
$50 the present postmaster is a rela-
tive. Well, this Is much the more rea;
son why he should not DO reappoInted.
Mr.. Smith, please tell Col. Clarkson to
send me up tile papers in the Ravens
wood case"
MIR. Smith did so and went to his West
Virginia home. He arrived here this
morning and the first piece OF news
which met him was the appointment OF
Mr.. Stone as postmaster at Ravenswood.
The President had seen the papers.
Mr.. Smith has been busy at the In
ternal Revenue Department all day. The
new collector for West Virginia has dc.
cided to redistrct the State. There are
at present nine districts there, and the
intention now is not to change the nun.
Der, The redistriCting is done for con.
yonience only, but has to be approved
by the department here.