Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-03
cHIEr SMITH
BE Psys HIS Respects 70 the Iuteiligsaeer
and Makes Requests
WHEELING. October 2, 1885.

-
and Makes a Request
WHEELING, October 2, 1885.
EdaW 9fhs Reghtsr.
Idetire TO say 6 word or two, through
your columns, in ressuon to the case OF
Officer Burns.
After listening to the testimony against
the officer, / became Convinced thai hs
resignation should be requested BY me.
The citizens Of the ward in which Burns
served had made 10 complasntto me against
him, and many Of them have spoken very
highly Of him. A VIGOROUSLY unfair and
partisan newspaper Of this city demanded
hat this man should be removed BY. o GER
tain hour, as if l wal their dog TODD their
bidding without question. The ofscer
denied the charges and asked an
investigation, which was ordered
By Council. I preferred to awaitthe pro
dpcticn of testimony before the Council
Committee, to prejudgips the case AID act
ing upon the demand ora prejudiced jour
nal As before stated, after hearing the
testimony ! promptly requested the resigna-
lion for the coed of the public service L
deemed it only fair and right to await'a
hearing of the evidence before making up
my mind IS to the course topuesue Hsy-
ing given the officer every opportunity to
clear himself and being satisfied that it was
better that his connection with my force
should be severed, l have requested his
resignation.
In the course of the testimony, however,
there was developed conduct of a member
of the ~Iptelligencer staff, which certainly
demands tie thoughtful and careful consid:
Grafton and investigation Of the editor OF
that highly moral journal. .
In the interest Of the public service and
out of respect for the feelings OF the good,
reputable and law-abiding people of the
city, i have requested the resignation ofmy
subordinate officer. Will the publishers and
proprietors of the Wheeling Inteligencer,
with q like consideration for their patrons,
demand the resignation of the local editor,
Mr.. Beach, after that which has been brought
90 plainly to the notice OF the editor in chief
during the giving of the testimony IN the
Burns investigation
If they do not do 30 that paper must
cease posing in the attitude ofthe reformer
of morals which it has lately assumed. Can
a newspaper properly censure public OH
GERS for conduct which may be tsvoraoly
compared with that INDUCED in by members
Of its staff
The hideous picture of Burns conduct
painted by the I~ntelligencer will have a ut
companion piece, if it will only paint the
conduct of its own local editor as told by
one who claims to have been a witness
of it.
will not insult the good people of this
CITY and the readers Of your paper By re.
peatipg the charges made against the jour
nalist. If the Inteligencer has the slightest
spirit of decent fairness it will publish them
itself, as their late publications show that
nothing is too gross for its columns. 1t can
not ipiure itself by such publications, be
cause it has already so insulted its readers
that this additional publication can make
is reputation no worse. 1t will not do
for this paper to claim that its
enp'oye is not q public officer and there
lore not so blameworthy as q policeman
who might do the same acts.
It is a public, party journal and its con-
duct and utterances are colored blythe char
acter and habits of its writers. 1t owes to
its subscribers as great and careful atten-
ton to the habits Of those writers, whose
u~tterances and sentiments 90 into the fami-
" circle and into the interior Of mems
households, as l owe to the public the duty
of providing proper men to guard their
property and persons.
In conclusion I will only say that de-
mand that the editor of the ~Intelligencer
Shal show the same willingness to purge
and cleanse his force that l have to purify
mipe.
physician, heal thyself."
Very respectfully,
PORTER SMITH,
CITY Sergeant.