The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-25
The Election To.lDny.

The nominations for city officers this
year are rather above the average, take
them all round, and voters onght to be
able to select fair ticket from among
them. We desire to repeat what We have
heretofore said, viE-vole for the best
men today irrespective OF politics. This
election is matter Of dollars and cents
to the taxpayers Of Wheeling, and fancy
politics ought'to have no place in It. A
candidate may be ever no sound on the
points at issue in Congrcss---he may even
be for "wah"-anl yet be very poor ma.
terial indeed, for a councilman or city
officer. Let us not!deceive ourselves in
this matter but act to-day "a il We pos.
sessed an intelligent understanding Of Our
immediate interests and meant TO do
what was necessary TO protect them.
There is an outcry just at this time in
our midst on the subject Of debt and tax
alton. The Oulcry has only begun, II
wedo not take the means to save our
selves M regards the future. As long as
we vote for men simply to crafty their
clamors for office, and merely because
they were smart enough 10 get the party
nomination, We shall lind abundant
room to bewail the manner in which the
public interests are cared for.
In our private affairs We elect men to
serve us on business principles. We do
not choose Bank directors or Mill dircc.
tors on account Of their politics but on
account OF their identification Of interest.
with us, and because OF a certain amount
Of capacity and experience that ct them
to take care Of our interests along with
their own. Why is il that we so often ig.
more this correct way Of taking care Of
ourselves in city matters? Is it because
our proportion Of interest in city officers
looks so small that we reason that we
can not be materially affected no odds
what may happen2 This il very short.
sighted reasoning. The prosperity Of
the city is the prosperity OF every citizen,
both directly and indirectly. Whatever
policyIof local finance drives away capital
or changes itinto non.productive invest.
nlents (such as bonds) in order to escape
onerous taxation, is a. real damage to
every citizen. Whateycr policy sqnan-
ders our means on jobs that result in no
real improvement to the city is draw
back to every voIerS interests. Little by
little the public veal is undermined.
Personal and political fayorilism is
the source Of great deal Of corruption
and mismanagement in municipal ad.
ministration. II is responsible for much
Of the waste and theft that have depleted
tue Taxpayers Of American cities. To
such an extent has this been carried as
TO have become source OF amazCment
to political economists in the Old World.
Our general hard sense as a people has
shown up to very poor advantage in the
management OF municipal affairs. To
no one agency are we more indebted for
the discredit that has fallen upon the
bonded Indebtedness Of American munich
pSlities than to'the fact that the finances
Of our cities are jobbed aud farmed out
by class Of men whom capitalists are
afraid OF.
The fact that the beal men do not con.
troll our city government is a fault that
lies at every voters door. We can di.
vide the responsibility with our neigh.
bors but We cannot divest ourselves Of
our share Of it. Those who complain Of
mismanagement in money matters, as
many now do, can console themselves
with their own neglect to do their duty
at the polls. And we say to them again,
in conclusion, that unless they are willing
to put aside politics in choosing the men
who are to administer The government oI
the city-who are 10 assess, collect and
disburse It's revenues choose men on
business principles, Just as they do in
private affairs, their will he no help for
the state OF things they are now denounc.
ing.