Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-24

WASHINGTON, October 81, 1890. J
10 The Editor Of tie Register:
GENTLEMEN;-My attention has been
called to the following telegram pub
liShed in your paper of the 18th inst:
DIRTY WORK.
How THE ADMINISTRATION Is EMPLOYING
CERTAIN OFFICERS IN WEST VIRGINIA.
Special TELEGRAM 10 the Register.
WARDENsvILLE, HARDY Co, w. VA, DC
tober 15.-The Republicans are working
some slick tricks on the Democrats in this
section. The worst feature about it is that
the dirty work is being carried out by men
in the service of the government. 4 gauger
or storekeeper named a. $. Davis, of Pres
ton county, has been kept here nearly or
quite four months, professedly watching
one barrel of whisky, but really doing the
meanest kind of political work. The kind of
work this agent of the Republican party aud
incidentally the Government, has been do
ing can be imagined better than described.
Suffice it to say plenty of money has been
used. The Government has thus far paid
$50 for campaign work for the Republican
party At Cline's distillery, near here,
another fellow who claims TO be watching a
few gallons of whiskey, is really in the en-
ploy of the Republican party, but paid by
the general Government The work OF
these understrappers is Il reflection upon
the administration of the offices of the Uni
ted States Commissioner and Deputy Uni
ted States Collector. Certeinly Mr. Mason
and Mr. White are aware of the conduct
of these Deputies. The administration OF
Commissioner Miller and Collector Nc
Graw is in strong contrast to that of the
present incumbents, if the dirty work of
their appointees is TO beconsidered"
Assuming these statements to be true
you make the following comment:
"As may be seen from dispatch from
Wardensville, published in another col
umn, some exceedingly dirty political work
is being done in this State. When an ad-
ministraton employs its appointees and
paws them out Of the public treasury TO do
partisan political work, it is surely time TO
throw that administration out, body and
| breecheS.N
II the statements were true your crit
iciSm would be altogether proper, and !
should not complain. II, however, they
are incorrect, you will admit that dirty
work" is being done by someone else. l
had both these men appointed and as
signed them to duty and have kept them
on duty, and it is but just that | should
assume the responsibility. | have tho
right to my own political opinions and
the right TO vote as please, but l have
no right as Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue toemploy people at the expense
of the Government to do political work.
If there was no authority in law for the
appointment, or necessity in fact for the
services of the two officers named, then
your criticism is right. You will admit
that | assume the responsibility fully,
and meet the charge Squarely.
Before proceeding further | would
like TO know who makes the charge, so
that your readers may know who is en-
gagged in dirty work." if ! shall succeed
i'm showing to your satisfaction that
lam not. No name is signed TO your
Telegram" IL purportS to have come
from Wardensville. How? II by wire,
when were the telegraph wires com
lpleted to WardenSville? But some real
kilograms that were sent from here to
the New York World and the Cincin-
matt Enquirer about the same time your
telegram was published, may throw
some light on the authorship. Hon. w.
l.. Wilson was at Washington and caused
Ian interview to be- published in the Gin
cinnati Enquirer, making the same state
ment contained in your WardenSville
telegram, using in some instances pre-
ciSely the same expressions. SO that
MIR. Wilson is the author of the state
mentS as found in the Cincinnati En-
ptircr, whether he Is of the WardenSville
dispatch or not, and they are practically
the same. Thus it follows that dirty
work. is being done either by Mr.. Will
son or by me-by me in keeping two
men in Office whan | should not. or, by
him in falsely making the charge. a
plain statement of the law and the facts
will show which one of us is guilty.
TIE LAW.
Section 3.154, Revised Statutes, re-
, ouires the assignment of a stOrckceper
| | to every distillery warehouse established
5 by law. Sections 3,2s7 and 1926 re-
r Quire the presence of gauger when
D ever distilled spirits are TO be placed in,
! or withdrawn from such warehouse.
Section 3,153, Revised Statutes, as
! amended by act of Congress OF August
( 10, 1876, authorizes the appointment OF
C officers having the powers of both store
e keeper and gauger in all cases, 'where
: the amount of spirits produced at the
ldiStilery to which such officer may be
: assigned is not sufficient in the iudg
ment of the Commissioner to warrant
the employment OF two officers to per-
form the duties of Storekecper and
. gauger."
The Commissioner has not only tho
authority to assign such officers, but
the duty is compulsory. y diStiller hav
G ing placed his spirits in bond has tho
= right.to leave them there three years
e during all OF which time his warehouse
e remains in charge Of a storekeeper. II
: must be kept securely locked, and must
, not be unlocked or opened, or allowed tC
: remain open, unless in the presence
;, OF the stOrekeeper. Section 1924, Re
vised Statutes.
I The law would thus seem to be not
/ only plain, but compulsory, that while
I there are any distilled spirits in bond,
: no matter as to the number of gallons
the storekeeper must be kept in charge
> THE FACTS.
:, September 6, 1855, Charles Zipp be-
: gan the operation of a small diStillery'
l. MASKING about four bushels daily. 81
n =. Mckeever was appointed to the joint
Office of storckeeper and guager on the
o. 18th day of October, 1887, and on tho
i 2lst day OF September, 1858, he was as
signed by Commissioner Miller to duty
. at this distillery at 50 per day. Mr.
n McKeever remained in charge until Au'
4 gust 1G, 1889, when his commission wa:
= revoked. On August 10, 1889, store
a keeper and gauger L. $. Davis was as
signed to this house in place OF Mckee
yer, and at the same salary, and remain
=, ed there until the diStillery ceased work
. and all the spirits were withdrawn from
II bond and the warehouse discontinued.
. simply continued an officer ut DIS
= tillery authorized by my predecessor.
: Why did not Mr. Wilson complain while
, McKeever was in office? 1t is not
= claimed so far as have heard that Mr..
!. Davis is not an honest and competent
l. officer He is, to my personal knowl'
q edge. very upright and Intelligent
a man. | know of no reason why MI
Wilson should make this attack upon
him. He is Mr.. Wilson's peer, notwith'
= standing he has spent his life in the
, mines instead OF the colleges.
+ The history of the other cases re-
= ferred to is similar to the Zipp case.
e In July, 1855, Tilbury Overdorf, OF
n Hampshire county, began to operate
4 small distilery, MASKING about -four
, buobels nor day. On the 9th day OF