Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-01
SOME CHARTER QUOTATIONS.


To the Editor of the Register.
( Sis:-It is a good thing that the new
| charter is within the reach Of the people
at last. 1 do not understand how any
body is to blame for the delay but II
/ seemed a long time TO wait-that IS TO the
man who wanted TO see and judge Tor
himself.
! / see the new charter has preface tell
| ing how il got started. and how the COM
mission was appointed The method OF
appointmcnt was so reasonable, making
representative commission, and the mem
bcrs of the commission themselves were
! SO competent and fair that it VIII take
/ evidence 90 sustain any charge OF Unfair
ness or j0bbey in getting up ,he charter.
have seen charges that the charter
movement was for partisan or personal
purposes. but have seen DO specifications
or proofs ANY person Who makes that
/ charge without producing evidence 20 sup-
port 70 is boz danger of being himself sls-
r,.ted of prejudice or unfllrne-s.
Many o. t.ctions have b.sn made on tho
Streets and even iu the nrvsl peers. that
AFRO found upon examination not 90 Do
just or true.
Their. u.s. nothing 600 the new charter
providing for asses went- upon property
owners for improvements 90 -he middle of
,He s,rO.t aunoulh there are such pro-
visions OBJ the old charter. The provisions
n the now charter about paving side-
walks by tEc owners are rtirer than they
are Boo the old. Tae city must II the new
is adopted grade the Sidewalk space.
/ noticed. in ODE opening sentence Of
communication m the Register last Fri-
Gav. % statement that Certain elements
appear determined TO force the charter
upon he people Of the city, whether ma
-1ritv cf the voters and taxpayers want il
or not" 7 wonder who thu writer means
lv certain elements" ] suppose he
meant the Charter Commission, but that
cannot be-. for / End I'm their report pub
Ushcd with the new charter, that they
unanimously recommend Council to sub
init it to "a vote of the people; and not
only that. but they suggest that the CUES
tions about which there seems to be the
most difference of opinion shall be SUBJ
mitted separately from the rest of the
charter. That doesn't look like deter
mination TO force the charter upon the
people whether a majority Of the voters
] want il or not. 1t shows. rather desire
/ that The people shall have the fullest pos
,eible chance 90 say what they wish in the
matter The writer quoted above cannot
mean the Chamber Of Commerce for the
only action that body took OF a pubic
nature seems to be the sending of letter
to Council urging that they allow the
/ charter to- be submitted to the people.
Who is it. then. that wants TO keep the
people from having a chance to see wheth-
or they want the charter or not? The last
/ sentence OF the same communication i'm the
( Register tells us exactly. That sentence
is: Let the First Branch of Council
chuck the whole thing into the waste bas-
ket. and they will receive the thanks OF
majority of the people What is the name
of this guardian of the rights OF "a ma
iority of the people?' All, 1 see. He
/ signs his full, true name, Anti Charter
ANTI Charter is said to have written
the ablest paper on the new charter that
| has vet appeared. 1 have read Anti
Charters" objections, all divided off into
| heads. and ] have read and reread the
| charter. If assertions We're proofs. and
opinions were all like his. Anti Charter
would carry the day.
His objection No. is: Il am opposed to
/ a board system. Officers elected by the
| people. and who are responsible to the
/ people. are good enough for me-
Certainly. Who doubts it? The caucus
of one party or the other always desis-
mates the officer who is to be elected
ring. or combine usually designates to
/ the caucus who shall be named for i'm
\ If naonIp
neglect their duties at the primaries, and
! from that day an power of selection eN-
| cept between two. is gone from them.
But Anti Charter is satisfied to have
! officers responsible to the people. When
| have the people i'm Wheeling required an
| officer to DO his duty? How are the peo-
| pie prepared to call an officer to account?
| I am speaking of an administrative officer
one whose duty TT is TO enforce law.
Anti Charter says that under the
| proposed plan of a Council of twenty mem
! bers. it viii be possible for six men 10
| control legislation. If our voters should
! take their opinions Of the charter from
| such writer's MS Anti Charter they may
| have themselves to blame for defeating
! what is really for the good of all the peo-
| pie of our city.
The new charter provides that: Sec l6.
! The Council shall not appropriate any
| money or enter into or authorize any
| contract on behalf of said city. or enact
| any ordinance. unless two-thirds of all
! the members of the Council. when the
/ question is put shall concur therein, or
unless such appropriation, contract or or
! dinauce. having at one meeting received
! the vote of q majority of all the members
| Of the Council be concurred in at the next
succeeding meeting, held on different
day. by majority Of all the members
thereof No member of the Council shall
discuss i'm the Council or vote upon any
question in which he is interested other
wise than as a citizen Of the city
! There Is no possibility, under that char