The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-24

THE CITY ELECTIoS.-We consider
ourselves as belonging to the least san
guine portion of those with whom we
generally cooperate in political ma mat
tiers, as to results in any election ~,
have learned long since now
easy IL is to be mistaken as 10 no"
canvass, great or small, miBht ..t,'.ti "
ate, As has been well said eiectloh ie
turns do not belong 10 ~, inc III dcU6,,0i
tbJpos ,f,ey are, as the learned Yer
mont Judge remarked, somewhat I'm
certain. But making all the proper
discounts, and assuming nothing as
certainty, we consider ourselves en-
tirely justified In saying that the pros
poet OF Capt. John McLure's election to
the Aayoralty of this city next Mon
day looks decidedly fiatterihg, to say
the least His election, II so 1t turns
out, will not be due to any partisan
contest or interest, SO much as to deep
and wide spread desire to see "the
wheel within "a wheel" controlled so
long and SO extensively for the city by
the Sweeney interest, ehectually
smashed. There Is, as we have before
remarked, as earnest a desire among
the political membership to which
Mayor Sweeney belongs, ana
which no aspires TO control on
all occasions for his own heneht.
to SEQ that wheel smashed, al there Is
among the political opponents of tho
Mayor. Some of the most influential
leaders of the democracy" in this
city, will rejoice over the election of
Capt. Mcclure as heartily as his own
party friends. They are working
against Mayor Sweeney because they
are thoroughly convinced that he has
Professionally chung to bis present posi-
ton as a means to ~ certain end, which
end mainly is to secure a heavy patron
age for his private business. The facts
that have but meagerly leaked out in
regard to hia Jobs and his contracts in
connection with the Water Works, wear
very forbidding look on their face,
and they have not been explained. II
Is believed and charged that during his
MRyOrality, nearly or quite 5000 of
city patronage has gone into his shops.
How small portion OF it has come
back to the city, may be guessed ut by
taking the household returns of the
Mayor during the last yenr as basis
political allies for years do not hesitate
to say that he has been tho most eIpen-
sive executive that this city has ever
had. Andthey do not hesitate either to
employ much stronger Language, and
to denounco him in terms OF unSparinR
severity rs tnmpOrer and jobber in
tho city's most vital dnHncial
lhNolN1hhs ANDDAt chiy outA
things as any one can hear
from them, such things as arr said in
public, and on the publication of which
no restrictions are laid. Mayor Swee-
ney has been sort Outstanding CONTRACT
tor for city Jobs during his term of
office. He has had the power, and he
has used It, to keep n pretty steady
stream flowing into his pocket. The
Office which he holds is Incompatible
with that of n contractor. 1t is a rule of
the government ofthe United States that
no member of Congress, nor the most
insignificant officer OF the government
can be u contractors. And yet has May
or Sweeney not only been frequent,
We may say, standing contractor, but
he has been directly engaged in max
ing out specifications for bidders OF
contracts, and in very many in
stances in which he has been the sue
ceSsful bidder, the work did not C, m :
ply by any means with the specificR-
ton. Yet he Ind the influence, and
exerted it, to get the work accepted. OF
course, in this way, he always had the
whip hand of all competition. Any
one can see how the man who Is the
head and front of the city can use and
abuse such power, and it is charged
that Mayor Sweeney has grossly abus-
this way. One very fragrant in
stance is cited in connection with
the manufacture of the twenty-inch
water pipe, which was to have been aC-
cording to the Mayors own specifica-
lions, OF Hanging Rock iron, the best
iron in the market and commanding
the highest prices, Us We understand.
And yet, it is said, that he used mixtures
OF scrap and inferior iron along with
the Hanging Rock, in the manufacture
OF the pipe. Now, II an inferior iron
could be used to make such pipe as
IL. 1t q
drawn exclusively, or mninly Mt least,
by the Mayor, call for IL better article,
thus frightening OFT bona Jide bidders,
and allowing any one to come in who
did not intend to comply with the spe-
cificntions Mt IA very decided margin of
pTofitf II Is believed now, that had the
specifications for the twenty-inch pipe
been drawn so Us To exactly correspond
with the material actually furnished,
and the work actually done, that the
job would have been taken at a much
lower figure, and II great saving to the
tax payers OF the city.
We might very greatly enlarge upon
this subject, and so into the details OF
the Mayors dOingS and dealings with
the city treasury, were we disposed to
print everything that comes to our ears.
But enough is before the public to show
them that tho lone man power has
been e1erted about long enough in the
MINUS Oh Iue present executive. and
that n change at this time Is needed and
would certainly DO very wholesome for
the city finances. The election OF a
man like Capt John Mcclure would be
guarantee that the affairs OF the city
are to be placed under the guardianship
of n man who is above suspicion, one
who has no axes to grind, no shops to
feed, no specifications to make out that
are not to be complied with to the strict
letter. II the office of Mayor is one
merely of honor, and not OF profit. as
the preSent Incumbent would have peo
pie believe. he has had it long enough
in all conscience. He has been profess
ing to be tired OF IL for IA long time, vet,
strange to say, Is never ready to give
1t up, but il perPetually intriguing for
n denomination. To such an extent
has this been carried that the leading
men OF his own party have turned
away from him in disgust, and are now
in open and undiSguised opposition to
his reelection. II all the friends of
Capt. Mcclure, personal and political,
cooperate az they should in this oppo-
Sitton TO Mayor Sweeny'S election, and
in an effort to discounect the office from
anything like jobbery and spoliation,
they have every reason to expect sue
cess next Monday.
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS,
The election by the Legislature yes-
terday for u State Superintendent OF
Free Schools raSnltai in tho IN ala,,