Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-03-15
A NATTER OF MOMENT.
WHY THE NEW POLICE HAVE NOT BEEN
PUT ON DUTY.
The Necessities Of the City, and The Safety
Of Life and Property, Sci Aside for
Party Purposes.

The Necessities Of the City, and The Safety
Of Life and Property, Set Aside for
Party Purposes.
One of the principal topics Of converse
ton about the city yesterday was the de-
lay in making the increase in the police
force, so loudly called for by the people az
ter the cowardly murder Of Officer Joe
Glenn, some two months ago. With oun-
ell, the Police Commissioners, the press
and the people alike heartily in favor of q
substantial addition to the present force,
week after week has been allowed to slip
away, through one pretext and another,
and today we are no nearer to
the end than we were when
His Honor the Mayor, in his message
to Council, officially called the attention OF
that body to the insuficiency of the force,
and suggested a remedy. For a time,
there was considerable activity shown in
getting the matter in shape, Council refer
ring the Mayors communication to the
Board, the latter giving it due cOnsidera-
ton, agreeing upon the proper number Of
additional officers, and sending their recon-
mendation to Council, where it WAS
promptly approved. Chief Smith next
sent in to the Board his list of names for
the positions to be filled, and it really
looked that, after the ten days during
which the Board was entitled to hold the
names for examination, they would be
duly
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL,
and confirmed by that body. Bat the
slow progress made up to that time, dis
eOuraging as it was, soon gave place to
something infinitely wOrse--the entire
matter coming to a complete stand-still.
The reason alleged for this was the action
of Council in rejecting a resolution, sent
in by the Board, providing for IN apprO-
priation of $500 for the pay Of the new
men. Friends CT the Board stated that the
Commissioners had not been treated With
courtesy by Council, aud that they Were,
therefore, justified in doing nothing more
in the premises. Ia the absence of any
thing else, the public accepted this reason
as fully explaining the delay, and although
there was great dissatisfaction 1T the pecu-
Garly unfortunate situation, no suspicion
arose that things were not what they
seemed.
But, when the Board, at its session last
Monday night, neglected to take up
the list of names, submitted by the Chief
of Police, for examination and enquiry,
and also failed TO do anything towards call
ing the attention of Council to the snsrl
resulting through the rejection of the $500
resolution, there began to be heard whis-
pers that there was
SOMETHING WRONG;
and when the simple and mildly-worded
resolution offered in the Second Branch of
Council, Tuesday night, by Mr.. Cruise,
was choked to death by the full strength
of the Republican membership, the suspi-
cion deepened into a conviction, and en-
quiries followed which developed some
things of decided interest.
Il seems that the Ill-prOportioned hand
of partisan politics has been intruded into
this measure for the better protection of
the lives and property of the whole people.
That behind the digniied attitude as
sumsd by the Board OF Police Commits
~sioneIs mon the rejection by Council Of
the resolution providing for the pay of the
new officers, there turks an attempt to
dictate to Chief of Police Smith the ap-
pointmens Of a certain proportion of the
new officers: to-wit, One-half, and because
the Chief refused to put the selection of
these men into other hands, it has been
agreed by the Republicans in Council that
the force shall remain where it is for an in
definite time TO come. This attempt TO
dictate appointments was not made by the
Board as q Board. The official actions OF
that body
HAVE BEEN REGULAR,
and although it has been said that it would
have been justified in sending the names
of the new officers TO Council, notwith-
standing the refusal to appropriate the
$500, thus throwing upon that body the
responsibility for any failure to provide
salaries, quite a number OF people thought
Council had not done right, and thought the
Board was not much to blame for the stand
it had taken. The attempt to force Chief
Smith to yield hiI unquestionable right to
select the new deputy Sergeants came
from the Republican majority in the Board,
acting in an unofficial capacity. About
the time the Chief was ready to send in
the names OF the new officers 10 the Board,
he vas approached by one of the Republi-
can members, who was good enough to
suggest that the Chief ought to sppoiut
three Republicans as deputies, and not
content with that, this member went TO
the length of giving the Chief a list of
names to be recommended by him to the
Board. As soon as the Chief could catch
his breath he intimated that he would ex-
ercise his own discretion in sending in
nominees, and in due time, as a matter Of
course, sent in q list of names
MADE UP To SUIT HIMSELF.
This he had q perfect right to do; and
any other Chief-Republicau or Democrat
would have done the same. But this
disposition on the part of the Chief to per-
sonaily select the men for whom he would
be responsible under his bond, did not
meet with the approval of the Republicans
on tho Board, and it is openly charged that
q pressure has been brought TO bear upon
the Republican majority in Council 10 set
down upon the whole matter of an increase
in the force, until such time as the Chief
shall come to terms with the Republican
msiority. The result of this pressure was
the thFottling Of Mr.. Gruse's resolution
Tuesday night.
We are here treated TO a fine spectacle.
Can it be that the Republican party in
Council and throughout tie city govern
ment has been reduced TO the extremity of
summarily killing a measure conceived in
the interests of better security for life and
property, because = political eudlcan not be
served? No one has q right to interfere
--.al rl.oE Glib - ~. .,Il.o- L.