The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-18
MORNING, NovEnhLH 70
ThO Unbusiness Like Management Of
CITY Annirs.

mo Unbusiness Like Management Of
city Affairs.
Public business at the best Is never
managed with the skill and economy that
characterizes the management OF private
business. Even II the systems for carry.
Ing on public business were perfect, still
they would lack certain essentials to COM
plete success in their administration. But
when the system and the administrator
are both bad, the result to the tax payer Is
bound to be unsatisfactory in almost every
respect.
This is the condition Of affairs In this
city to-day. The system by which impor-
tant interests areedmiuistered is very bad,
and the administration very loose, inehici.
ent ard expensiye. Were the interests
involved private interests there would be
radical changes very speedily, but mas
much as they are not any mans personal
concern, no one person, or set OF persons,
feels enough interest to induce them TO
devise ways and means OF radical reform.
Each tax payer prefers to pay his pro rata
OF expense and suffer hispro rata oil depri-
walton and annoyance, or even sanitary
dangers, rather than undertake an investi'
cation. He knows that he Is being negll'
gently and wrongly dealt with, and that he
and his fellow.cltizens are being cheated
more or less flagrantly; yet he expects to
worry along and get even as respects his
share Of expense by close attention to his
own private affairs. Every once and
awhile he is startled by developments
such as lately came to light in the Gas OF.
fee and In the City Collectors office, and
for the time being he, in common with
everybody else, is very indignant, and de.
mands that examples be made OF the of
tenders. But, as Ia well known, examples
are seldom made OF those guilty OF NAL
feassnce in Office, and hence what was for
time mime days wonder" passes grad
ually away into sort Of condoned obliy-
ion. The excitement produced at the
time seldom eyentuates in such changes as
will more eHectually guard the public
interests. The personnel is changed, as a
matter Of course, and perhaps something
is gained in that way for the time being,
but the system remains, and as before the
protection OF the public depends almost
solely on the casual and temporary occu'
pants Of positions.
We do not need to prove to the people
OF Wheeling that they are very poorly and
extensively governed. All intelligent
citizens know it, and all deploreit. They
have known 1t for q long time. They
know that we have not correct system,
and also that our poor system Is not even
honestly and efficiently administered. They
know that our system Of choosing our
agents or public servants is really miser-
able one in many particulars. They know
that most OF the men who are elected to
Council are very poor material; that many
OF them are ignorant and prejudiced, and
Others self.seeking and dishonest. They
knowthat asystem Of jObbery and "private
pudding" taints their votes in numerous
instances, and that thousands Of dollars
. are squandered in things that will not
bear investigation. And yet, knowing all
this, the same average class OF men
are sent to Council from one
election to another, and men
who are VIGOROUSLY unfit for membership
in that body are able to whoop up fol-
lowing on the score OF politics or on the
strength Of special promises to certain
parties, when no intelligent man would
think Of choosing them to pass upon any
matter OF private moment TO him. And
in the same way the general Offices OF the
city are too often filled. We put men In
important positions whom we would not
think OF putting in private positions
where not half the interests are In:
volved. They are able to accumulate .
following OF voters through manipulation,
and 10 force themselves on somebody's
ticket as nominee, and the unorganized
public, who are to be the sufferers, have
in many cases no choice, save Hobson's
choice, between two unfit candidates.
These things We refer to at this time be-
cause our city election is approaching, and
we are soon again to go through the cere'
mony Of eleCting men to public positions.
We have shown in previous article the
necessity OF change in thesystem Of con.
Quoting one Of the most important and ex.
pensiye departments Of the city govern.
ment. There is want Of responsibility
and ofsupervislon attending the expendi.
ture Of vast amount Of money in this
city. This is especially true ofthe Streets
and Alleys department, Arsdical reform
is called for in that department and in
others. No reform however Is possible
that does not carry with 1t the election Of
better class Of men to the City Council.
The object Of every citizen this year
should be to effect a reform within himself,
by taking a personal interest in the selec-
ton Of the best, most practical and faithful
men in his ward as candidates.
LETTER FROM INDIA.