The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-03-25
Letters from the People.
Clerk of the Municipal Court.

ested. 1 refer not only to the election
of Clerk of Municipal Court, which
will be decided in the City Council at
its first regular meeting in April, but
also to what is expected of an officer.
by his constituents, in so far as his ap'
pointments are concerned. We, it is
true, work, and have organized our party
for the purpose of carrying into effect
principles which we know are best adap-
ted both for the Government and the
people; and also for the purpose OF
putting into position men who are best
qualified to carry these principles into
execution. But in order TO accomplish
this Ii bscomaS Imperative upon us to
avail odrselves0Of everything that is
calculated to promote our success, and
secure the final accomplishment Of this
end. 1t is an acknowledged fact that
every one, regardless of his position,
exercises a greater or less influence. If
this is SO in regard to an individual,
independent of all other influences, how
much, greater is our reason for beliey-
ing that his Importance will be in
creased when he has bestowed upon
him the patronage of Office. 1t has al
most become proverbial to say, that
such . party or ticket will be defeated,
for the patronage Of Office-holders is
against, it." And the remark is true
for in connection with the Office there
are an hundred little immunities, priv
ileges, and liberties that can be granted
all of which tend to wean the party
receiver in favor of the party giver.
We naturally become prepossessed in
favor Of such q one and are disposed to
award to him, on account of personal
considerations and favors, o reputation
for candor and fairness, that in many
instances, when the true intent has been
prove to be misapplied
and unfounded. And how do we as
certain these factsi In this way. 1t
is an elective office that he holds; the
time for which he was elected will ex-
pire; another choice is to be made for
the same position, at which time he
offers himself as candidate for reel
ection; comes up to you who are polite
ally opposed to him and says: Il have
been personal friend of yOurs; am an
applicant for reelection, and / ask ofyou
in consideration of our former intimacy
your support" Well, we are inclined to
yield. We say to ourselves he has made
a good and efficient officer, is courteous
and obliging, and in view of these things
we will give our influence, losing sight
entirely that the position, when OBJ
tained, il used as political instrument
to effect our party and forever debar
our friends from holding the same. That
man is politically fortunate who in times
like these, when public sentiment is so
divided, can say in his solilOquy, "Well,
it matters not which party succeeds, for
in the one case will be elected upon
NV political claims, whilst in the other
upon personal considerations" Such
seems to be the sentiment of. some few
of our City Council. They will vote
for Mr.. Chapline on account of him per-
sona1ly, and when their places shall be
supplied by Radicals they will retain
him in the same Office on account OF his
political fidelity!
There is another matter which strikes
me as being rather forcible in this con-
nection: it is this: If Democrats will
award Office to their political adversa-
ries. what is the great incentive to re-
tain us Democratici 1t is true that we
work for the purpose of securing prin-
ciple, but what encouragement have we
to persevere in our project If, by those
whom we would deem our friends, We
are debarred the advantage of positions
by which we can secure its final accom-
piishment. 1t is true that in this case
our struggles prove futile, our work
nullity, for the reason that the medium
which our object could be eff
fected is held and used against us, and
that, too, when conferred by our own
men on the fiimsical pre-
text of political expediency. 1t seems al
most unaccountable that the bitter eNpe-
rience of the last six years has not yet
taught us to keep our own ball and
powder, to provide for our own safety,
instead of relying upon the enemy who
is so magnanimous that he will first
erect oar defenses before he makes his
final assault. If our representatives
are credulous enough to believe that
such is the character of the enemy with
whom they are now contendlng they
will learn when it is too late to remedy
the evil that the tables have been turn
ed upon them. that their liberal views
have been converted to the means of
their defeat, and all to be attributed,
on their part, to a dis, raceful and I'M
warranted timidity. The visionary
ideas that are entertained by some of
us to the effect that expediency, politi-
cally speaking, consists in those COM
prehensive and liberal views in that We
do not show preference in favor of one
above another whether he be Dem
ocratic or Republican, white or
black, is the very principle that Will Sc
sure our defeat and ultimately culmi-
nate in our final destruction. We must
favor our own followers. We must
award those who meritoriously deserve
it. We must learn the invarinble
truth that "those who are not with us
are against usD and act in obedience
to its teachings. We must not be intiu-
enced in our selections to office by
friendship and consideration.
We must learn and know that these are
not personal, matters, and
that the public have as strong an in
terest, and are as deeply concerned in
them, as ourselves. We, too, who are
officers must be mindful that we are not
chosen for the purpose of executing our
own views and ideas in regard to mat
ters for which we act, but in which we
are not personally interested, but that
we are chosen rather to represent our
their wish and interests,
who are and should be the advisers in
all things by which they are personally
benefited or effected. These are the
of the Democratic voters OF
Ohio county. They expect the men
whom they elect to choose from their
number their deputies and assistants,
and every one who does not conform to
this wish must be, with them, political
ly killed. We hope that our council
men and other officers generally will
view this matter in its proper light,
and act in q manner that is becoming
to themselves and in conformity to the
wishes of those who elected them.
--s.-.-.-- OBSERVER.
Mrs. Dinah Wick, at the age of one