Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-30
Monumental Sights About wheeling.
razor q th- Rrgia7'
WHEELING, November %.


An article under the above caption ap-
reared i'll the REGISTER of last Tuesday
Indeed the author Of the article would
seem to hr high-toncd citizen, who is gift
ed, or, rather. troubled, with qualities and
ideas altogether different tn those OF the
Democratic masses, which compose the
hulk Of our population But of his troub-
les will speak before finish This high
toned writer, who calls himself Knee
Deep" has given us panoramic view OF
how the select wisdom OF our people has
been writing their history in mud instead
OF writing it in stone. as the amCients did.
To critiCiSe the action and management
Of our lawmakers and executive officers is
personal privilege uf umr American citl-
zen; therefore | will not quarrel with
Knee Deep" on that subject, but | Will
question his motives. There Is small
school OF rcinrmcrs in this city who never
allow opportunity Ia slip without showing
their aversion. yes, their contempt, for all
our institutions ~ far rs they grant the
masses any privilege TO participate in pub
lie atiurS Knee Deep" belongs to this
school This school "f rcformcrS commence
all of their reforms hy taking the power of
voting from the e0plc. Alluur reading citl-
zcn> remember well that two years ago pc
titiuns cnanatrd frUmu clique of rctorIn"rS
in Council praying our Legislature to take
away the right from the people at cicctIng
our city officers and granting Council the
power 10 appoint them.
Knee Deep in the closing paragraph of
his article he says: The entire system Of
working our streets and spending our
money j. wrong in toto. No man elect ii
hy the people should have anything to do
with it,
Workingmcn. citizonsof Wheeling, marx
that arStucratic mouarchiaI idea, and don
You forget II.
Knee DcCpand his disciples are now fish in
the mud for the appointing power for COIN
ell We doubt they will look for it again
ON the imported Dolly Warden tiles that
ornament the floor of our capital. For an
imaginary trial will clnthr our city c"un-
Gil with the power 20 appoint our city otfi-
GERS. and now let us take prospective
glance nj the new management. Look at
the home of Il councilman turned into Il
kind oi brokerage for office seekers; look
ut the same councilman with his dis
heycled gray hair going back
ward and forward in council room,
hartcrirg and trading votes with fellow
members To- help him to appoint ms
nephew or a distant relation OF his vile on
a board OF commissioners with an exclusive
control Of all money spent on our streets.
Jobs would follow in quick succession.
whilst the people would he helpless to cor
rect IT,
Our present and pas, councils and city
officers may have erred in their manage
mcnt occasionally, but To-, their
credit they never were guilty "i
any corruption that wOnld cause
the pcorlr VIII" elected them 10 blush
whilst all the REGULATION that ever was
done in public trust was done by officers
who were appointed TO office.
Knee Deep sends out wall over the
seventeen thousand dollars OF the people :
money that i buried beneath the mud and
water on Jacob street. in lGchietOwn. lie
! should saw twcnty-seycn thousand one
thousand more than our present commit
! tee ON Street, and Alleys got for the "h"ie
city this year In this lamcntati0n ne con-
dcmns the combined wisdom oil
our Council. the present system
I Of hired labor and the contract, system
and how he can make good streets
without some system Of labor and money
TO pay for it. and We fail 10 see. but we do
see and believe that any man who starts
every reform by DISTINGUISHING the people
and Increasing the power OF few Is per
feet fraud ~ u reiOrIner on an American
community. Respectfully,
4 CITIZEN.