The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-07-02

POHtmIStroSa Nearly Related to Abraham
LincolR Removed Gu q FlimIy Pr0tSxt'
Widow of y Confederate OEiOoT-rhs
Sonata May Take Action.
Rdshinoioa Special IN Chicago lRlT. Ocean,
1t is not many weeks aInce tue post
Office department struck the historical
name of Appomastox from the list OF
postoRicsS, aud now tho department has
deprived Mrs. Helm, tho Histsr'In'law oil
Abraham Lincoln, Of a little p~OstOalce
in kentucky, OF which she has been the
pOstmisIreus for thirty years, Tho at
tempt to do this when the senate was u
session Fas unsuccessful, Mr., Bisaelll
whom postmaster general, who made
many fictitious claims to bs Il civil SCR
vice TolOrmer, attempted to drive her
from this petty office, ia which ahe has
given satisfaction to the patrons OF the
office for thirty years, and recommended
to the President, at the suggestion oil the
local congressman, the removal oil Mrs.
Helm aud the appointment in her place
Of Que joplin, u man who had no other
known qualification for this place than
the fact that no ts a friena OF the incem'
ing Congressman.
The senate, which knew no partisan
ship in this matter, refused to create
the vacancy, aud declined to confirm
Mr.. Joplin. Both otthO Kentucky SEN
ators wero very active in tho movement
to prevent this confirmation and to keep
Mrs. Helm in her place, In doing this
they acted in accordance with the gem
eral sentiment OF tho American public,
and, az they declared, in accordance
with tho almost unanimous opinion OF
the patrons Of the Office. But the I'D.
ministrAtion has taken mp the chal'
lenge, aud removed Mrs, Helm aud ap.
pointed Joplin,
This was not done, however, until
some petty charges were formulated
against nor. 1t was Senator Villas, oil
Wisconsin, who, when postmaster gem
oral, introduced into the postotice do
partment the policy OF removal upon
charges" In order not to seem to be at
lacking the principle OF civil service re-
form. The method was a sham, but II
was successful, and has continued under
Democratic administration in the post
office department since that time. 1t
involved a resort to spies. Such intiu'
enceS have been used to make q proteXi
for the removal Of Abraham Lincoln's
sister.in.iaw. Some postofice official,
who is q detective assigned often to
political work, has been prying into
Mrs. Helms coal bin in Kentucky, and
/ saws that sho on ono occasion used q
hod or two OF coal from tho %postotice
bin. This 10 tho charge made. There
Ia no protense that Mrs. Holm was
| heard in nor own defense. II was simply
an accusation against her, aud it has
been made the bRsi8 for her removal,
and tho appointment OF Joplin, not
withstanding the aenate refused TO con-
firm Mr.. Joplin. SO much has been aC-
compllshed since tho senate adjourned.
There arc some senators, who are very
devoted adherOnts Of the principles OF
senatorial prerogRtives, who maintain
that tho President has no right TO APP
point q person In vacation who has been
rejected Just before vacation, and who
will insist that Mr.. Joplin, whom his
name shall come before tho senate next
/ DGCHIlutEV bhuAl wv Nv OAGV AIlSNkVN'
That issue will certainly DO made.
1t would not have been thought pos'
sible thirty years ago that the strongest
possible political Influences would have
been necessary to keep Mrs. Helm / n
office, aud that they would hHvo ulti.
mately proved unsuccessful. Yet that
Is the fact in the case Of Mrs. Holm,
who, for many years, has been post
mistress at tho little town Of Elizabeth
town, Ky. Mrs. Helm is tho widow Of
that Confederate Colonel Helm who
| commanded u famous brigade Of tho
army Of tho west, and who tell while
making u charge at ChiCkamauga,
President Lincoln, in his lifetime,
showed n fatherly regard for his sister.
in.law, who had then become a widow,
and tho son OF President Lincoln, Robert
T. Lincoln, Of Chicago, made II very
| earnest effort to have her retained IN
office. The father OF Colouel Helm was,
moreover, once tho governor OF Ken.
lucky, and his grandfather was the
celebrated Benjamin Harding Helm.
1t had been supposed that tho widow
Of this gallant confederate officer, who
has such u distinguished and honorable
family connection, and against whose
appointment to federal Office no Repub.
lican in or out OF Kentucky ever mRdo a
protest, might reasonably have expect.
cd to have returned to Office after many
years Of faithful service without u struV.
glo under n Democratic administration
which Is nominally committed to civil
service reform. But the namO OF Joplin
was Il moro potent one to C%oniurO with
Mt tho postofice department than that
Of Abraham Lincoln. 1t romans to be
seen which Of these names will DO tho
greater shibboloth when tho senate shall
teConYeuc.