Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-28
TBE NEW council
TO MEET THIS EVENING AT HALF-PASI
SEVEN O'CLOCK.
Both Sides Held Conferences Last Evsning-The
Republicans Said to Be Plotting to
Secure Complete Control Of
Council.

ed IN tle hEGlS Ihh3 yOS9CAu"J HOAH
ing, with more than ordinary interest.
The unexpected defeat Of Mayor Sea-
bright alone made the scanning OF the
returns a matter of much moment; but
when there was added to that event the
long list Of surprises along the line OF
candidates for Council, enough mate
rial was found for half days gossip.
As to the other offices, no one was as
tonished AT the result, save a
few over-sanguine Republicans. for
experienced city politicians ex-
pected Messrs. Thoner, McNichol
and Crockard to pull through
all right. AS soon as the figures pre-
scented in the morning papers had been
digested the scores of citizens who take
more than the usual amount OF interest
in city politics broke for the City Hall
TO talk matters over, and they crowded
the offices during most OF the day, offer
ing more or less plausible explanations
as to chow IL happened" and how it
might have been some other way II they
hadn't done so much good work and
given so much good advice. Between
times they congratulated Chief Nc
Nichol and Clerk Thoner and made
guesses as to who would get the offices
in the gift of the new Council.
Mayor Seabright called at the build
ing during the morning, and issued
call for Council at half past seven o'clock
this evening for organization, stating
that he fixed the time in the evening
at the request OF number OF bust
ness men, who could not well leave their
affairs Saturday afternoon. The Mayor
took his defeat philOsophically, and said
that, on the whole, he was not sorry IL
turned out the way it did.
While the ordinary multitude was en-
gagged in aimless talk about the voting,
the Democratic and Republican leaders
began to get together and consider the
problem of how TO organize the Second
Branch, where each party has fourteen
members. Mr.. j. P. Maxwell, who
seems destined to be the Republican
leader in the lower house, consulted
with a number of his fellow members,
read up the record Of two years ago,
and then arranged conference OF Re-
pubicans for last evening TO
take steps to get control OF
things, II possible. Coincideht with this
arrangement it was announced that Mr..
Charles Van Keuren, defeated for Sec
ond Branch in the Third ward by Mr..
Allen Brock by one vote, would demand
a recount, and also that Mr.. Theodore
Roller, defeated in the First ward by
Mr.. J. j. Kenney by two votes, would
do the same. Mr.. Van Keuren person
ally confirmed this report, saying he
had heard enough to make him decide
upon that couse. If these recounts are
persisted in, others will doubtless
be demanded, an example being
Mr.. John NJ. Birch, in the Third
ward, who was only defeated by two
votes. 1t was rumored last night that Re-
publicans had scheme TO give them the
Third ward Councilmen by insisting
that Precinct No. 1, in that ward, which
gave a Democratic majority OF about %,
should be thrown out, on the ground
that two of the election officers were
under age. This would tie Council on
Joint ballot, and the vote OF Mayor Cald-
we'll would dispose OF the city offices
to the Republicans. No one acquaint-
ed with Mayor Caldwell will believe he
will lend his aid to any such scheme
as this, but the Republi-
can leaders spent some time
last night in going over
these plans, and perhaps some others.
The conclusions reached were not
made known. The Democratic Coun-
cilmen also met aud took steps to pro-
tect the interests Of the party in this
matter. A good deal OF misinforma-
tlon having been published last night
as toCouncil, 1t is, perhaps, we'll enough
TO say that the new Council is the abso-
Lutte Judge of it's own members, and that
the old Council has nothing in the
world to do either with the election re-
turns, recountS or anything else. Coun-
Gil doesn't stand "23 to 25 on joint bal
lot," either, but 81 to %.
Last night Clerks Thoner and Fee ex-
amined and tabulated the election re-
turns for this evenings session, and the
members who appear to be elected on
the face Of the returns will be placed on
the roll by the Clerk and notified to be
present at to-night's session. When
the session is convened these members
will qualify and the returns for city Of
fees will then be read in Joint session.
The questions of recounts will come up
later, as each Branch is the Judge OF
the election and qualifications" OF its
members. An inspection of the law
and of the records make it appear that
tha reception of the election returns and
the declaration Of the result and the in
auguration OF new Council has not
heretofore been strictly according to
law, but to-day things will probably be
done in strict compliance with the stat
ute and ordinance.
In justice to the election officers at
precinct No. of the Eighth ward, 1t
should be stated in explanation of the
non-receipt of the ballot box at the City
Clerks Office Thursday night that Mr..
c. Viewig telephoned the correct re-
turns to the building at half past ten
o'clock, and the gentleman who
received them said he would
give the result to Mr.. Thoner. This
was not done, for some reason, and it
thus happened that about hundred
men waited for an hour on these re-
turns, sitter midnight, while the election
officers, imagining they had sent their
figures all right, went to bed and slept
the sleep of the just.
About twenty-five Third ward Demo-
Gratis are claiming the credit for the
election Of Mr.. Brock to the Second
Branch Of Council. Some OF the stories
told about ''that extra vote" which
snatched victory from the Jaws OF de-
feat would make interesting reading, if
1t is pretty certain that the lobby at
the City Hall, tonight, will be limited
only by the capacity Of the building,
and that the proceedings .in the joint