Year: 1867

MoUNDsvMLE,W. Va. July -, lSG7.


Editor of the Register:


find in the Mtclligcncer of your city,
all articl, under the signature of
"Stand from Under" which article is
evidently the production of Promi-
nent official of the penitentiary at
Moundsville. By this powerful effort
of brain and stroke Of his pen h. thinks,
no doubt, that he has quite annihi-
lated correspondent of yours from this
place, who signs himself Marshall"
l must acknowledge, Mr.. Editor, that l
was very much surprised when | read
his production, for, heretofore, | had
believed him to be high-minded, hon
orable gentleman, one that abhorred and
despised personal quarrels through the
press Of the country, and especially
when the parties to those feuds resort
ed to such vulgarity as is found in
his letter. The whole public will con-
denim it, and am sure the author him
self will, upon second, sober thought,
wish that the thing had not
been published. The people have
no taste for any such stuff, and he will
see and know ere long that this tax-rid-
den community will not be convinced
that the public interests are properly
attended to and cared for, by any such
arguments as these. The public are
more interested just now, in these times
of high taxes, as to how the stone is
measured at the mound, who measures,
and how many times ii is measured and
paid for, than they are as to what an
old rebel did when he was member of
the Legislature of Virginia from this
county some fifteen years ago, and
whether he stole money or drank whis-
ky. These are matters that have moth
ing to do with the present disturbed
financial condition of our State and
country, and cannot convince the tax
payers that they are properly and fairly
taxed, and that their money is, by their
agents, judiciously expended. Now /
cannot conceive why it is that this gen.
tleman gets into such a passion, and
pounces down upon some old ''reb" and
says so many ugly things about him.
He knows that il was not your cores
pOndent, nor the old scamp of militia
General that he talks so fiuently about,
that circulated the report that the
stone haulers, some of them, at
least, had the good luck to get
twice paid for the stone they
delivered. He knew that it was Mr..
John II. who publicly, in the streets of
our town, in the presence of a Lumber
of citizens Of the place, said that this
had been the manner Of doing business
at the penitentiary. If Mr.. John H.
Ehad made false statements in reference
to the matter, why not through the
press come at him and say to the public
that be had made statements that were
not true Mr.. II is man that is we'll
known here, and some people believe
that he has told the truth, touching
this matter. Now if the chiyalrous gen
tleman at the penitentiary wishes set
tlement of this affair, let him call on
Mr.. II. This official admits that the
confidence game had been practiced up
on him in one instance, now why not at
once have told the public who play at
this game, and what amount the State
was the loser by by it' Why not have
done this, in manly and gentlemanly
manner. and then the people would have
had fair opportunity of judging who
was responsible for this unjust transac-
toni We plain country people, whose
sweat moistens the soil that we plow
and hoe, and who labor one day
of every two to get the means
to keep in motion this government,
believe that We have the right TO ask,
nay, demand of our agents, the Office
holders of the country, to give as n plain
statement of facts and figures IS to how
they spend our money, and for what
purposes it is laid out; and all the abuse
that this refined gentleman can bestow
upon me, or the reb, will not deter me
from exposing him or any other public
official who plays the confidence game,
or suffers it to be played at the expense
of the laboring classes of the country.
know that the people are with me in
this matter, for they say to daily, "Lay
ON McDuff."


Itseems % methat it would be proper
for me to say, in this communication,
that this old man that Mac abuses %
numerically, has been citizen Of this