Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-25
The ''Intslligsncer's' Efforts to lniure
General Watts
ARE RIDICULED IN WASHINGTON
It's Scurrilous Attacks Have No
Foundation and Will Not Harm
General Watts Chances for Re-
appointment-Th Publication
Shows the Frenzy Of West Vir-
ginia Republicans.
Special 7sIsorom to tAs Register.

WASHINGTON. April 24.-Occasion-
ally, by accident, q copy Of the Wheel
ing InteIHgencer finds It's way into
Washington. This evening one or
those accidents occurred, and 0y o
further accident some West Virginians
came across the solitary copy which
had reached here among the unstable
papers thrown into the waste trap by
the proprietor Of down town news
stand. They fshed ii out In idle cur
iosity, having absolutely nothing else to
do, and after wiping the mud from
It's soiled pages, were amused TO
discover In the first column OF its hrst
page q savage and no doubt final attack
on General Watts. whom the West Vir-
ginia Republicans, with good cause,
are possibly afraid will again be ap-
pointed United States Attorney for the
District of West Virginia. The finding
afforded great amusement to the gen.
tlemen who read it, for they read be-
tween it's lines more clearly than ever
before how much agony the Republi-
cans were experiencing at the prospect
of General Watts again taking hold OF
the prosecution of offenders against the
federal statutes in the State OF West
Virginia.
or course no attention was paid the
brazen attempt to blacken Gen. watts
character as a lawyer. Those charges
were too contemplate to need attention
or refutation. As to the story regard
ing President Cleveland's remarks to
Gen. Watts friends and the Congress
sional delegation, that is known here to
be an extremely cunning blending OF
fact and fiction which it is hardly worth
while to analyze.
In the first place 1t was never repre-
sented to the President that General
Watts was the only man in West Vir-
ginia who wanted the Office OF District
Attorney; but 1t was represented to the
President, and truthfully so, that Gen
eral Watts was the only candidate
whom the Congressional delegation OF
the State chose to present for the place,
and they presented General Watts and
stood by him solidly, not because they
were not aware there were other Demo-
Gratis In the State willing and competent
to take the place, but because the Re-
publicans had made united and deter
mined effort for purely partisan reasons
to prevent General Watts from getting
reappointment.
1t can also be said authoritatively,
that the President has never, in dis
cussing the question Of the district at
torneyship with the West Virginia
Senators and members, used anything
but pleasant and courteous language,
nor has he ever by implication or other
wise accused them OF misrepresentation
I'm the premises. On the contrary, In
the latest interviews he has had with
the members of the West Virginia dele
CATION he has spoken in manner that
left no doubt that he intended, when
the time came to make the appoint
ment, to name General Watts as Dis
trict Attorney.
The entire falsity OF the Inteltt0encer
story cannot be better illustrated than
by the fact that when General Watts
case was first presented TO the Presi-
dent by members Of the delegation, Mr..
SommerVlle's papers had not yet been
filed, nor was Mr.. Chiffon present, as
represented on this occasion. In short,
the whole story is simply the last ex-
piring attempt of the Republicans to
prevent General Watts nomination.
But there is no reason to believe it will
have any effect except as boomerang
which will strike backward and disfig-
ure those who hurled 1t.
There were 10 fourth class postmast-
ers appointed to-day, OF which number
90 were to fill vacancies caused by res
ignations and deaths.
The following fourth-class postmas-
ters were appointed in West Virginia to-
day: At Bretz, Tucker county, w. +.
Randolph, to succeed j. c. Barndollar,
resigned; at Burlington, Mineral coun-
ty, c. Wilson, TO succeed Paul Sloan, re-
signed; at Elk Water, Randolph county,
Bryson Hamilton, TO succeed ID.
w. Gibson, resigned; at Halvetia,
Randolph county, George Brets.
to succeed H. II. Lewis, resigned; at
Montrose, Randolph county, j. e. Co
hertv. to succeed w. P. Jett, resigned;
at Job, Randolph county, j. w. Par
sons, to succeed NJ. Summerfeld, re-
signed.
John Patton, Of Craigmoor, Harrison
county, West Virginia, to-day filed an
application at the Treasury Department
for the position of Immigrant Inspector.
DR.. Cowen, of Wheeling. candidate
for the Ottawa consulship, has returned
here. accompanied by MS mother.
Mr.. Thomas G.. Maybury, OF Wheel
ing, is also in town.