Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-12-22
CITY ELECTION,

january next puE aunua1C cry CtSS@'SN
cer, from Mayor to grave diggeIs will take place.
and it is proper that citizens should begln 70
look about them for suitable persons to I'LL the va
rous officers which are created Ny ana unuet tne
charter There ale few Of our citizens VINO 10 lloe
now regret the sweeping election charter Whicn
passed the Legislature in 1852, involving the e'ec
the most unimportant officers by the people.
No one citizen we venture 10 suggest voted full
ticket at the last charter election and could say
after having done so, that he knew personally
acAn the entire persons for whom he bad voted,
while he would be compelled TO acknowiedge that
he knew but little of the qualifications of most OF
IN m. The propriety Of pacing the appointment
ofthe minor officers in the. hands oil the Council
sapoareut to ALL while the bare cost OF thei1 cleo
tom would more than repay the city for all the
snpposed advantages resulting from their choice
by the people. We think it well enough to cleo
Clerk Sergeant, Wharf Master, Collectors. andA Al
dermen, by popular vote, but when it comes to
market sweepers and sections, we really think that
o,,r voters would prefer not being troubled with
such petty matters. One thing is certain' that in
the choice Of the above officers and the Mayor and
members of council, we cannot be too careful and
particular in the choice which we will make.
There are some tendencies in the management
of our city affairs to which we feel bound to al
ludp, and which we respectfully suggest cannot
he too closely attended to in the coming election.
There has IF late been manifested most alarm
ing tendency to run ad infnitum the credit OF the
CITY. Members of the Council seem often to act
as though they were the representatives Of their
own wards aIOne rather than Of the city at large,
and regard but little the general current of expen-
diture, provided only that in the onslaught upon
the treasury their yards in for the lions share
of the SPOIL If member from one ward propo-
ses sidewalk in his ward, member from anoth
er proposes to pave street in his, and so it goes,
until the little snow ball which some prudent menu
Der thought would just touchths treasury, reaches
it having attained the size, dimensions, and power
of an avalache. These bills then log roll through
city bonds issue, pay day is STAYED of, and who is
10 provide the ways and means TO meet iH Now
while we are in favor of rational city improve
ment. yet we cannot endorse this way oil paying
for it. We advocate the propriety, yes the ne
cessity of making the same Council iOhieh makes
an Oull1y prOuide for its ultimate payment. Then
but not til then, will members Of the Council feel
their responsibility and their direct accountability
10 their constituents, and then, too, their constltu-
en.s will feel the IUeigM of their Legislators and
Judge for themselves whether they will have It
continued. Our city is reasonably in debt already.
The present Council have had 10 impose heavy
taxes to meet the emulotive annual outlay, and
where taxation will ultimately stop no one knows.
If it keeps on thus, no sensible man will own
property here If he can avoid it, for the taxes will
eat up his rents, unless they exorbiant to
consume the very substance of the poor tenant
We know that it is a favorite idea with some that
the property holder pays the taxes, and therefore
the poor man is unhuTt. Bullet US ask such l0ho
pups the property holdcr7 Does not the tenant?-
Just in proportion to the increase of taxes is the
increase Of rent. Let every tenant take this home
to himself and say then whether he will aid reck
less expenditure. The poor tenant al last,is the
heavy paymaster. What causes the increase in
rent which every tenant now feels7 Let every
one answer for himself. But we close here, and
give separate notice to the presently police system.
and particularly to the Alderman part of it. their
Odus operandi, their fees and the cost of the sys
TEN to the city, for it is time 10 contract rather
than increase our city burdens, fora day is coming
in which all portions of citizens will feel the
Necessity of prudent, and cautious counsels.-
Debts must be paid some time, and tits not just TO
stave them of and entail upon Others the necesst-
ty of providing for the payment of debts created
by our TecklesSness and extravaganza.