The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-01-27
Thnnkfui for Past Pavors.

!
City Council, the name of His Honor,
A. j. SWEENEY was presented, but failed
Of nomination. To-day he appears
as a candidate for the Second Branch of
Council, along with certain Radicals,
in opposition to the regular Democratic
nominees for the First Ward.
1t is a we'll established Democratic
custom, when a man allows his name to
be presented for nomination before a
Democratic meeting, that he be required
to support the nominees, whether he be
chosen or not. In offering himself as n
candidate to-day, Mr.. Sweeney occupies
the unenviable position of the only
Democrat in the city, who having been
defeated fer a nomination, bolts the
ticket and vents his feelings in an indie
pendent candidacy. While such ceurse
would not be particularly creditable to
any respectable Democrat, there are cir
cumstances which rsnder this case
worthy of the special airing which we
here give it.
A year ago, to-day, Mr.. SWEENEY was
chosen Mayor of this city by the Demo
cratic party, whose ticket he now bolts.
The opposition to his election was un-
usually bitter, and as would now appear,
not altogether out ofplace. In his own
party, whose ticket he now bolts, there
were many persons who supported him
with reluctance, because they deemed
him, for various reasons, unworthy of
the office. From the Radical party
there came the fiercest denunciations.
The organ Of that party here made
against him the gravest charges, among
which we may name that Of corruption
in the matter of city contracts. Anoth-
er charge involving his knowledge of
the value of household property for pur-
poses of taxation as estimated in a
sworn statement, we will not mention,
from obvious motives Of delicacy.
At this jnncture, his election was re-
garded by all as kind of yindication of
his private character from the asper-
sions of his enemies in the Radical
ranks, and as rebuke to his opponents
in that party whose ticket he now bolts.
We feel justified in saying that Mr..
SWEENEY had every reason to be CRATE
full to the Democracy of this city, whose
ticket he now bolts. He had been de-
nounced by many Democrats as unfit
for the position. They claimed
that he was actuatcd in his
public ambitions by purely selfish mo-
tives, that he was using for nothing but
personal ends the party whose ticket he
now bolts, that in his administration
of the city affairs he aimed at personal
profits, and that whenever he could not
use the Democracy. the Democracy
wonld lose him. We have no desire to re-
vive the numberless serious accusations
brought against him by the opposition
Our readers arc sufficiently familiar with
them to know that had they been sus-
tanned at the ballot-box, he would not
soon have renewed his application for
public favor. Suffice it to say, that his
election, accomplished with great
effort, and with loss of strength, was
personal favor TO himself, with which
he could not have dispensed with com.
fort. But the party whose ticket he
now bolts, rallied around him manfully,
This paper which now regards his posi-
ton with modification contributed Its
aid to help him through; the domestic
dissensisns were overcome, and he was
saved.
His candidacy against the regular
Democratic nominees, is the first visible
expression of his gratitude. What ap'
pears in his justification At the ward
meeting to which we have referred, one
hundred and twenty votes were polled
a number seldom eQualled by any SINH
lar meeting. Three of the Messrs
SWEENEY were candidates before
that meeting. Mr.. THos. SWEENEY was
beaten for the First Branch of Council
Mr.. A. J. SWEENEY for Second, and Mr.
r. II. SWEENEY for City Convention
Mr.. A. j. SWEENEY, however, was elect
ed to this Convention. We are not ad
vised as to whether the present Mayor
expected denomination. If onr recol
lections serves, it was not rendered him
If there is anything in these facts tc
Justify Mr.. A. J. SWEENEY in revenginl
himself upon the party whose ticket ht
now bolts, we are unable to perceive 1t
When summed up they amount to
plain unwillingness on the part of the
Democrats to give him and his any un
usual prominence, at least for the pres
ent. Whether he can restore himself tc
favor by boiling remains to be seen.
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