Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-24
TEMPERANCE AT WESTON.
An Interesting Letter Upon Certain Mat
tiers Bearing Upon the Liquor Traffic in
that ToNu

tiers Bearing Upon the Liquor Traffic in
that Town.
Special Correspondence or ne REGISTER.
WESTON, December 2l.-Within the
last few days paper heretofore almost
wholly unknown here. calling itself the
Quest, has been earnestly in quest OF
readers in this city, with but little sue
cess.
A very few people have manifested an
interest in communication therein,
written by some one styling himself
Justice" but many have expressed
their disgust at its contents. The article
referred TO is as stale As il is untruthful,
the trial having been going on nine days
before the publication of the issue which
contains the publication of Justice"
IL is true that two so-called detectives
were brought here by the counsel, said
70 be from PittSburg. in August, and
again in October, and that they again
appeared here as witnesses against per-
sons charged with selling liquor, about
the 9th of December, and testified TO
the effect that they had each imbibed
sufficiently, on different days Of both
visits. 10 make even a half dozen in
veteratc bummerS drunk.
Prior to the installation of the pres
ent Council there was an ordinance TO
the effect that il should be unlawful for
any person 20 DC intoxicated 10 such an
extent as 10 be annoying and bOiSterOuS.
This ordinance has been considered
sufficient since the town has been incor-
porated. IN January. 1916, but it did not
suit the faStidiOuS taste OF Justice,
who seems 10 mould the sentiments and
direct the movements of our present
piOuS City Fathers, and at his ca dicta-
ton they have passed an ordinance
making il punishable to be drunk, how
ever inOffenSiVc and secluded the unfor-
tunate one.
Our best people have been in quest
OF some reason 10 satisfy them why Mr..
HesSey, aIiQS Mr. Mead, or the other
many Mr. alias, and his chum, were
not arrested and tried for the violation
of the blue law ordinance.
1t IS most frequent occurrence to
try, condemn. fine and impriSOn our own
people, who are much less guilty oil
violating this ordinance, for an intrac-
lion OF It's sacred terms.
Justice" even arrogateS to himself
the privilege of rejecting upon counsel
for the defendants, in the cases men
toned. and much gossip has been ahoat
in regard To them Is such attorneys
MeSSrS. ". w. Branuon and &. NJ. Chi
deSter. These reflections are wholly
without foundation, aS all conservative
and sensible people viii admit. Some
of our most representative and trust
worthy citizens were made witnesses,
and because they happened not to i'm
bibe any of the ardent, and consequent
Is knew nothing, We're subjected 10 the
most severe calumnieS and unfounded
aSperSionS.
Merely because WV. BrannOn, when
he was Mayor, endeayored to enforce
the whisky as well as all other ordinan-
ceS, the privileges to defend these men
were. by few few people, denied him,
but this criticism of his course in the
practice of his profession, a any other
LAWYER would. was confined TO a few cX-
tremiStS, whose ultra and fanatic views
on temperance has done more harm in
the line of temperance than all other
canSeS combined.
Mr. BrannOn is truly temperance
man. aud repeatedly declared in the ar
gumcut of these eases that he advised
his clients there and then publicly, as
we'll rs ne had privately, that the laws
and town ordinances, whisky ordl-
nanceS rs well Is any other, ought and
must be respected, and that they ought
not 20 sell without license, or if they
have a license they ought TO sell in
strict compliance with the statute.
As 10 Mr.. Chichester, he has uniformly
defended these men. both before the
Council and in the Circuit Court, where
all the cases recently tried have been
removed ia some way, and consequently
no apology is required from him COR his
actions a. attorney in these cases.
Suffice ii 90 say, that MeSSrs. Branuon
and Chichester were little more than
equal TO the occasion in the trial of
these cases.
No previou, Council, or temperance
deyOteeS, have ever deemed it necessary
TO import Mr.. Detective, Mr.. Alias or
our own local affairs.
We believe in domestic home govern
ment and local self rule, and the tmpor-
tatiou of these emiSSarieS, nicknamed
detectives. is an insult 10 our grand jury
system aud fragrant infringement on
the honest taxpayers Of our city.
The town authorities eVince wonder
ful thirst for money, in the trial OF these
eases.
The whole Council. through its attor-
ney. as many as three times made offers
90 compromise all the cases they had
against the saloon defendants, and even
invaded the rights of the defendants
attorneys. aud argued deliberately and
appealing y ou their behalf, to show how
profitable 10 would be to them to pay
The modest SUM of five hundred dollars
each and thereby Doc relieved from all
the cases auain>t them.
The chief argument thus adduced
was that this neat little sum of 5000
was but little over two-thirdS OF what
the license would have cost them. there
by i'm substance aud effect granting Il
retroactive liceuSc.
This. your correspondent claims, is
unconstitutional. Ia their quest for
money they offered % take $500 each
from the defendants, when they have
already been assessed $1,000 IN fines
each. with large amount of costs. and
thereby rcpudiating and rejecting the
well established doctrine that town
authorities can not act beyond their
jurisdiction. l believe the lawyers
would call il ultra rirCS.
The reader will remember in this con-
ncction that this same Council Is oppoS-
ed 10 license in advance, thereby rem
dering the willingness OF our County
Court to grant license powerlcSS.
The query OF our best citizens is: II.