The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-25
The Con,lug City Election.

interest IN Tue result Of city election, anu
that Is the selection Of such public servants
and the adoption Of such policy in the
administration Of their municipal affairs as
will most economically and efficiently pro-
mote their common interests rs fellow
citizens. This is true Of the public rs a
mass, whatever may DO true OF tho indi.
viduals who may have private ends 10 sub.
serve. And this being true, there should
bea little Of party politics Us possible in
our city elcctlons-the lcss Tho better.
The curse Of municipal government is the
,'se made OF politics for sinister ends.
When 1t comes 10 raising and spending the
taxes contributed by each tax payer We are
not in any proper sense Republicans or
Democrats. We arc simply fellow pas.
sengers In the same small local boat, and
the common interest and the common fate
becomes matter Of individual interest
and concern.
This being tho case, We cannot afford to
work at cross purposes, one with the other.
AS n matter Of common prosperity we
must pull together. There is no proper
line in politics on which we can afford to
divide.
1t is uncertain perhaps on a test vote
which political party Is numerically
stronger inside tho city limits. Therefore
arguing rs We do from the premises laid
down above, it Is matter Of indifference
what the actual fact Is in this respect, for
We conceive that BIO 1t ono way Or the 9TH
er it is not Il circumstance that should be
taken into tho account. We have closer
and more important relation to each other
in the matter Of good local government
than any or all issues or triumphs growing
out OF partisan politics. ,E l4gl
The cities Of the land are coming gener.
ally to take this view OF their municipal
affairs. The case OF Philadelphia is an in.
stance in point. There the present Govern.
or-elect who is a Democrat, was elected Con.
troller-which is the most important tlnan.
cial position in the city-by majority OF
10000, Democrat though he was, aud not
withstanding the fact that the city gave at
the same election 10000 majority for Gar.
field. The people drew line between pol
itics proper and the administration Of their
local affairs. They resolved that the two
should notbe COMPOUNDED. This was right,
and the plan had the endorsement OF tho
best men Of all parties.
The history Of New York City is the his
tory OF politicaljobbery and corruption ior
the last 25 years. The present enormous
debt OF that city is the penalty paid for los.
ing sight OF real interests through partiean
blindness. No people regret more bitterly
than the taxpayers Of New York the folly
that has given their great corporation
into the hands OF the spoilers who in the
name OF Tammaay or Mozart Hall have
proceeded systematically to rob the people
and pile up an immense debt. 5;
Nearly all the cities Of the land have
mementoes OF this kind Of Jolly. But it is
hopeful sign Of the times that taxpayers
arc refusing longer to be victimized by
leaders and ringsters who simply seek to
rally the people in the name Of party to
their standards for personal and selfish
ends.
The prosperity Of a city like Wheeling,
us indeed Of every city, large or small, dc.
ponds to no Insignificant extent on tho mod.
Grafton Of its taxes and the righteousness
and honesty with which they are spent for
public purposes Debt is the foe OF pros.
perity public Or private, and is to be
avoided as far rs possible And while the
debt OF Wheelingis not excessive for a city
OF its population and wealth it is large
enough for its prosperity, and promises to
be larger rather than smaller in the future
There are disagreeabe rumors rs to the
growing proportions Of the unfunded debt,
md rs to the probability that new loan
will beasked for at an early day.
This debt, funded or unfunded, and the
collection and expenditures OF the current
receipts, form issues enough in city cleo.
ton without dragging in irrelevant political
issued. We lose sight Of our real and true
interests when we cnyolop them to any e1.
tent in the mists Of state or national poll.
tics. State and national issues have no
place in our local business affairs, and We
only injure ourselves by permitting those
who have personal ends to serve to put It's
into political muddle.
Tho Lesson OF the Election. saIEr
The 1STELLlGEScER remarked the day
Al ~ Al. Al. =