The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-03-14
POSTOFFICB CONTEST
Which Had Some Novel and In
teresting Features is Settled.
= PRESIDENTIAL COURTESY
overridcs tho Wishes OF Local lead.
crs In the Matter OF u Local An.
pOIntmcnt In this Stakeholder
News from Wnshingto on.
Special Dispatch to he Mhliise,eer.

91Nrh's DNpdIch 10 Inc IhhWgencG. ".
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 13.-The
contest over who shall DO postmaster al
Fairmont, W. Va, was decided to-day
by the President sending to the Senate
tho nomination OF Thomas Reed, who
was appointed on the request Of Ex'
President Hayes.
Tho nomination OF J. A. Davis to be
postmaster at Morgantown was also sent
to the Senate to-day. N
In the Fairmont case the Postmaster
General had recommended Capt. 4. @.
Dunnington, who was heavily endorsed
by leading Republicans and business men
Of Fairmont and the State at large. The
President, however, was moved by n
sentimental desire to grant the request
Of m ex.President, and would listen to
no arguments urged by the West Vlr.
glnia politicians that 1t would be bad
politics to allow citizen OF another State
to interfere In their local appointments.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Reed,
who was appointed to-day, was fret made
postmaster by Mr.. Hayes, during his in.
cumbcncy Of the Executive Office, and
was re.appointed on Mr.. Hayes recon.
mendation by President Arthur. When
Mr.. Cleveland became President he Gp.
piled to be reappointed by tho Demo.
cratic administration. Mr.. Hayes asked
Mr.. Cleveland to reappoint him, and
that gentleman was about to grant the
request, saying it would be discourteous
to an ex-President to refuse his request.
A great pressure, however, was brought
to bear upon Cleveland by Senator Cam
den, Henry G. Davis, Congressman vii.
son and others, as well as by some Re-
publicans who did not like Mr.. Reeds
action in asking to be reappointed by
Democratic President, and Mr. Hayes'
request was not granted. Wien Mr..
Harrison came in Mr.. Reed was again
with the usual letter Of request
from Ex- President Hayes, which, as stat
ed, proved to be more powerful than all
the Republican leaders in the State.
1t is stated that General Goff, Mr..
Elkins and other West Virsinia leaders
all wanted to know Of the appointing
power what right citizen OF Ohio had
to interfere with local appointments in
West Virginia, and protested against
the policy allowing such thing. Numer-
ous protests were also filed from citizens
of Fairmont and other points in the
State. One OF them, numerously signed,
was forwarded to ex-President Hayes.
1t suggested that he was, by his action,
embarrassing the local Republicans and
that the signers would heartily join
with him in an effort to get Captain
Reed some other office, not OF local
character. They did not object, they
said, to Mr.. Reed having an office, if Mr..
Hayes wanted to get him one, but they
did object to having their postottice filled
without consulting its patrons. 1t was
a matter of principle and politics and
not OF a choice OF men.
Capt. Reed is an honest man, and it
was the manner Of his appointment that
was objected to more than its character.
Editor Powell, OF the West Iirginian,
was also m applicant for the office. He
was strongly backed for the place.
The story Of the settlement Of this
contest is given because OF the interest
ing and novel features which has given
1t q state reputation.