Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-10-10
MAYOR VS.. CHIEF.

A Few Suggestions Bearing on the Pres
ent Trouble
10 The Editor of Tie Register:
SIR-Whither are we of Wheeling drift
iDg2 Whither2
Is it not time 10 call stop2 Not to take
bearings for new departure, 80 much as to
obtain guidance for retrogressive move
ment to the social, official and journalistic
decency Of former days?
The existing status of things is disgrace
to the community.
For weeks now, our doors have been visited
daily by printed indecencies and journalistic
Vulgsrisms, illeoncealed under the drspery
of local news, or, worse still, the hypocrit-
ical pretention Of patriotic assaults upon
the morals of our city officials.
What the result2
The Mayor and Chief OF Police in tenn
porary disgrace, their families bowed down
in distress; and confusion, anarchy, bitter
ness and a general bad feeling everywhere
prevalent.
Is there sremedyP
AS a rule, the character of the remedy
depends upon the csQse of the disease. But
unfortunately this rule will not apply to the
existing case.
There is not an intelligent man or
woman in Wheeling to-day, that does not
know that the egotism of single editor
brought upon US all the trouble and dis
grace from which we, as speople and city,
sre now suffering.
Republicans and Democrats, alike, de-
plore the course OF the lntelligencer, in its
violent attack on the private character as
we'll Of the Chief of Police as of his subor-
diDates. No one complains of that journal
or bringing charges against, or critizizing
the official conduct of the Chief or any
member the city police.
What it is bsmsble for, what every
good man and woman in this community
olsmes it for, is the manner in which the
charges were made.
The columns of dirty and obscene stuff
thrown upon the good people Of this city,
we're we'll calculated to stir up, not only
bitter resentment in the breasts Of the par
ties assailed and their friends. but spirit
of censure and repulsion in the entire com.
munitY. The editor may have meant well.
1t is possible that he commenced the bitter
war with an idea in his own breast of pro-
noting the public good. Unfortunately,
however, for himself as well as his
Journal, there existed, as there still ex-
lists, in the mind Of the public well
grounded belief, that the editors impslliug
motive was, in the outset to get ereR with
Porter Smith and his Lieutenantfor alleged
discourtesies on their part towards the staff
of the Inteligencer.
In this, the public may have done the
editor OF the Intelligencer wrong. We sim
cerely hope it is so.
But taking the most charitable view pos
sible, and what have wei
The psrstively young and incompsr-
ably ambitious editor, unfamiliar with our
people and, yet, restlessly bent on creating
a Journalistic sensation in the city, under
took in an evil hour to initiate the Pail Mall
Gazette of London by opening up his local
columns to the dirtiest and most obscene
details Of social degradation.
Previous to this time, he had gained
some notoriety in the State BY vigorous as
ssults upon certain popular officials of bis
own party. And, we may we'll suppose,
being from this in bad odor among his
Republican brethren, the thought to gain
lot ground by turning his batteries upon the
enemy.
The result is but too we'll known. By
playing upon the vanity Of a youthful
Mayor Of his own party, he was able to bring
t, his assistance useful and emerge i;
slly.
In assailing the police, he found no Ian
gusge too bitter-no details too filthy mo
lmaginings too foul for his purpose. On
the other hand, in lsudipg the Mayor, he
withheld no adulatory adjective of the
English language, whilst exhaustiDg his
assical resources il continuous searches
af cr eulogistic comparisons.
"A brave Mayor he heroic Mayor
the grand yoapg Mayor" and so on, ad
minimum.
We all now know how eagerly the bait
vas seized-how vorsciously devoured-
and, yet alasl-how cruelty the barb of the
hidden hook sunk into the Gte-the happi.
ness and ambition of the youthful victim.
Friends by the hundred may call upon
he Mayor and express confidence in his
innocence; the Inteligencer (hsving gotten
him into trouble) may seek to relieve its
conscience by sounding his praises daily;
some of the charges may be proven Gas we
trust, before God, they will be proven)
groundless; and yet. like those formulated
against johnson and Burns, end even like
those sWeepingly made against the Chief OF
Police, they will continue to tester and
work harm this side Of the grave.
The worst feature of this whole deplora5le
sensation outside Of the social injury result
ant from the publication Of obscene details
Is to be found IN the fact that just IS indis-
Greet partisanship insligsted it so indiscreet
partissushiF is now controlling its
course. A perfectly fair investigation Of
either the Mayor, Republican, on the one
side or Of the Chief Of Police, Democrat
on the other in the present excited state Of
the public mind is not possible The action
of the First Branch the other evening dem
oustrated this Why then offend the good
morals of this community by insisting upon
an investigation that can never reach sat
isfsctory conclusion?
Enough harm has already been done.
Why continue to stir up the dunghiilP
Let a meeting Of our citizens-citizens OF
sll parties-be called, and Committee OF
Decency" be appointed. composed OF repre-
sentative mep, with instructions to pat
stop to this thing by bringing to bear upon
the Council, the Mayor and the Chief Of Po-
lice the moral power Of the community.
A CITIZEN.