Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-25

ever. - 10 WIN tue -t4NN- tNtis -'"t 49,
his brother seek the Office OF Council
man, which pays nothing at all. To
bring the charge OF nepotiSm in this
case is the extreme height Of abSurdity.
Again, the Intelligence says: The
President Of the Water Board has his
son as Secretary of that Board This
is simply a bare falsehood. The Presl-
dent of the Water Board has no son in
Wheeling, nor is any relative of his in
any way connected with the Water
Board.
But, since the issue Of nepotism has
been raised, let us look back at the I
preceding Republican Council. 1t has /
not been so long ago that the recollection /
has faded from the peoples minds. That I
Council was rank and rotten with /
Il, and the scandal raised by the appoint /.
ment Of the two sons of a member Of the .
Gas Board. one as It's secretary and the I.
other TO an Office In the gas works, was +
an ofIense even in the nosirils Of Eepub- .
Leans. for there was no excuse for IL. /
And uuder that Council the City Clerk .
appointed his brother 90 position in .
his ofice-a ycrtiblc siuccure-that had
% D. created Tor him.
But that is not the reason Why the .
pcoplc 20 Wheeling broke down party
lines and threw the Republican Council
OUT body aud brceches They did not
care -o much whether or uot rcla-
tIou 90 "a Councilman or an official vas
appointed toa city office 10 he was able .
% fil Che position. bat they did decided
IN object to the RECKLESS ,quaudering OF
Che people. money. and to thc open
violation of tho lau. They objected Co
Counrumen voting themselves into oi-
ices. which they had uo lawful right Co
hold while they acted as Couuciimeu.
and sitting as judges of their own acts.
A member OF The last Republican
Council. with the AID of other Repub'i-
can Counciimou had himself appointed
Market Master. Aud when the REGI>-
TER called attention Co the law forbid
ding q man to hold any other city office
while acting as Councilman and called
upon him 10 resign one or other OF
the positions. be refused 20 do 50 and
the Republican Council refused % Gust
him. Aud ne sat as Judge OF his own
official conduct.
Another member Of the last Repuoli-
can Council with the aid Of other Re
publican Councilmen had himself APP
pointed City Assessor. And when the
REGISTER called attention to the law
forbldding a man to hold any other city
Office while acting as Councilman and
called upon him to resign one or other
Of the offices he refused to do SO, and
the Republican Council upheld him in
his fagrant violation of the law and re-
fused to Dust him. And he sat as his
own judge.
Another member of the last Rcpubli- |
can Council with the aid of other Re-
publican Councilman had himself APP |
pointedaCity Solicitor. And when the
REGISTER called attention TO the direct /
violation Of law involved in his holding /
that Office and also acting as Council
man and Judge of his own official con-
duet. he refused to resign and the Re
publican Council refused TO GUST him.
And he sat As his own Judge in Council.
Here were three direct, open and
gross violations Of the law. When Coun-
ellis attention was called TO them it inn
pudcutly refused to correct them, and,
like the present Republican Congress,
feeling secure in its position il openly
deticd the law and public opinion. And
to make its position more secure it
passed an infamous gerrymauder of the
city.
Then. on this record, which we only
partially quote, for lack Of space, it
went before the people of Wheeling.
1t met the same fate the present similar
ly corrupt, extravagant and incompe-
tent Congress has Just met. Gerry
mandcrS, political lines, barriers and
everything else went down like corn
stalks before a cyclone and that COun-
ell was swept out OF power root and
branch and the present Overwhelmingly
Democratic Council substituted.
Now, what has been the record Of the
present Democratic Council? Let the
Iatclliga,ccr. ifit can. name an instance
wherein IL has been corrupt, or extra
VACANT, or dcrelict in its duty or in any !
way unfaithtuI 10 the trust repoSed in it /,
by the people of Wheeling.
Its first act was to cut down the eX-
pcnSes Of the various departments OF
the city government which the pre-
ceding Republican Council had piled up
by increasing salaries solely for partisan
purposes. thousands OF dollars Other
like abuses were also Immediately cor
rected in conformity to the wishes Of
the people.
We do not mean TO say that the pres
ent Council is perfect, for there is no
such thing as human perfection, but we
do say that under its supervision, the /
city government in the departments Of
which Council has the appointing pow
err and control has been ADLER, more /
wisely and economically administered /
than it ever has been i'm the history Of /
Wheeling.
The present Democratic Council can
well afford 10 20 before the people OF /
Wheeling ON its clean record.
STATE NEWS.
Referring TO the SpcakerShip OF the /
House OF Delegates the Parker>burg /
Sentinel says: That office will bc levied .
ON and duly appropriated. when the
proper time comes, by Hon. William