Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-12-28


70 rsE Epsroas op-THE INTELLloENoEA:-You
editofia Yesterday Is well calculated to misleau
the public in relation to the police OF
the CITY, You foot up the whole e1penot9Ls tnas
is paia BY 4hs city at 1928, and class them as
follows: City Sergeant $685. paid 70 the Alder
men, five Of them, 1856; jaiior OF ONO county
s4sI; witnesses S21; oyeIsser Of the cnain gang
S525. J7, s,sl IA. d -. :, ..te.. 4 :
seer Of claim canE,'anI s4s7 to inilor, making ST..
4e0 / venture TO say that for the payment Of TINS
sum- the city realizes at least $1,000 IN the aoot
of those committed 10 ailJ and there Pald INTO lne
city treasury from $500 to s, oUo IN nneS ouns
the wear. Take the lowest sum g, 500 and ADD
81 ono ,or labor, and you have IS, 500 received by
The city, and for its government IN the polee ae-
paTtment they pay os you say SS<SS1 ~
IN the organization It is Of present. 6nall Ual
ance of clear gain TO the city; but hneS pau
in. is below the amount BY several huhaIeo uO'-
lars. .,-.t,,.l. f..8 -.s74#
we cbeerfuIly publish the above attempt at cor
rection OF our articles the waste OF the city ana
are glad 10 find that those expenses are so Palpaele
and glaring that some friend oGwaste, perhaps OBJ
iect of it, sees proper 10 attempt to correct US
He is correct in stating that there are fines paid to
the city, nnd he will find that for the last fiscal
wear the fines paid to the city slightly exceeded
$4,000, but does that weaken the force OF our ar
sumentY We did mot argue that no fines were
raid, but we did and do argue thai officers were
overpaid. II $4,000 of fines were paid into the
treasury it only strengthens our position, fCr from
every party who Iays one dollar Of fines the Atdtr-
men and Sergeant receive their fees. The more
fines then, that are paid by the offenders the great
er the peTquisites of the Aldermen and Sergeant;
and we are under obligations to our correspondent
a., IL nnl apainSt
the reckless and exhoTbitant waste to which we
have referred. His own statement proves most
incontestibly thatE the Aldermen and Sergeant
should not receive one dollar from the city for
their services. Take the fines above stated and
look at the result. 81 ~
We apprehend that three dollars will be the
average of the fines per head, paid by the Offend
ers. Divide $780, by 3 and there will he 1913
cases in which the Aldermen and Seargent receive
their fees fromthe offenders, and what those fees
are let any man who has had occasion to pay them
answer. as 10 the $1,000 alluIledto as the value
OF the chain gang, it is rather absurd to allude TO
it. Every one knows that the effective service OF
this notable body are literally nothing. They ore
put to scratching somewhere out Of sight, and II
they earn the salt in their daily breadS it Is more
than we suppose is the fact. But admitting all that
is claimed, is there any law or reason why the
fines & c., should belong to the Aldermen, Sergeant
Jailor, and Oyerseer Of the chain gangl Our argu-
men, was that these parties, particularly the two
first were over paid. Does it answer that argument,
10 say that fines and work pay them? If they
are paid too much, then all over paid them is
waste and reckless extravaganza, and such We
suggest is the fact as to the Aldermen and Ser
geant. Why cannot the city receive something
from fines, for il the argument of our, corresPon-
dent be good the CITY had best say to the Aldermen
and Sergeant, "fine away I'D Ebitun, you may have
all you can make,'' and then the poor offenders
would march the plank' in fine style. We're
neat it that we desire reform, that unless we have
it The credit or the city must be Frustrated We
want counciImen who will look to and preserve
that credit, who will be such for the whole city
and not be the meEe representatives Of particular
ward. Look to another column and ssyAwhy it
that the Bridge and Gas stock must come under
the lammeri We sorrow to say it, yet it must be
said in accordance with truth, debt, debt, is the
cause aud the city will pay at all hazzards. But
must this state of things continued Will we go
OIL from year to year in this of reckless ex-
penditure, when even now scarce dollar Of city
revenue is paid save in city scrip, and mustwe
keep siIentl We mean to keep This matter be-
fore thelpeop!e and we shall warn them as+we do
to protect alike the city credit and the city expen-
iture satisfied that unless this is done, no one can
foresee the end. d.