Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-28

q cry Ol4GItul OlcsllOs
The estimate placed upon the report
of the special Council Committee APP
pointed to investigate the Gas Board
by the Register met with the almost
unanimous approval of the intelligent
and fair-minded public Of Wheeling.
The Register said that carelessness'
want of proper revision of accounts
and an improper and complicated sys-
tenn of doing business had been shown,
but that there was nothing TO indicate
personal dishonesty on the part OF Off
Gals or employees.
This view of the matter has appar-
emily met with the endorsement Of our
citizens.
Few believed Wednesday, after read
ing the report. that there had been any
thing iusufying the harsh name OF
robbery: yesterday nobody could be
found who thought that either members
of the Boards. or the staff of officials
under the Boards, had profted to the
extent of a penny by the errors ana
irregularities listed tn the report. the
nublic is prepared to demand diner
emit business system. greater care, ana
complete system of audit; but II Is
not willing to charge criminal conduct
on the part of any Oue-at least IN the
light of the facts so far made pubic.
Indeed. the public is disposed, apar-
entity. TO go farther than that and TO
discredit The whole matter OF the IN
vestigatiOn. unless a much stronger ar
ray OF facts shall be brought TO light
bv the Committee. The fact OF the
matter is. the whole investigation pro-
ceeding has been something other than
what it should have been, and people
are beginning to realize the tact very
forcibly. The idea from the start APP
pears TO have been that there were
lot of criminals somewhere about the
gas office and that this idea still eX-
lists is shown by the tenor of the re-
port. which. read between the lines,
betrays q tendency TO righteousness out
of place i'm such a document. The Sc
cret meetings OF The committee, held
after night. at times unknown to any
one. i'm room i'm which the blinds were
drawn down and the transOm covered
with material impeTviOus to light. was
entirely wrong in principle. and tended
10 discredit the proceedings from the
start The matters to be Investigated
We're public matters, the money alleged
20 have been embeZZled stolen, wasted
or misapplied was public money, the
officials discrediteG End put under sus-
piciOn by the mere fact of the inaugU
ration of the investigation, were public
officers. responsible TO the public. and
there was every reason why the en-
Quiry should have been an open one
and no reason why it should be secret.
NO one knows what testimony was
taken, what methods We're used who
was called before the Committee and
who was not called, or. indeed any
thing about IT, save and except that
report was made which bTeathed a de-
cidedly malicious spirit. 10 is TOO near
the twentieth century for this sort of
thing 10 happen. and even members of
the Committee have acknowledged.
since the report was written out. that
the method pursued was wrong i'm prin-
ciple and should not have been adop-
ted
Another feature may be touched up-
on. A daily paper OF the city, anxious
for daily sensation. and apparently
wholly unmindUi of private reputa-
lions or public interests so long as
something can be found savoring of
scare heads and double leads,
seized upon the report of the Committee
with the avidity and want of Judgment
characteristic of "a mouse bent on
nibbie of trap cheese. and shouting
aloud its claims of credit for the eX-
posures, subjected the report TO a total
eclipse i'm the cry of robbery and
asserted that it used the term "adyis-
ed'y. This glory reflected from be-
smir"hed regulations was enVod by
nobody. and was short lived Yester-
day a change came over the ghoulish
spirit of the paper i'm question. and it
asked for suspension of public judg-
ment. What it said Wednesday. with
all the emphasis of double leads. and
what it said yesterday upon the same
subject. are best presented thus
THE CITY PUMA QUESTION or
DLl,LL RESPONSIBLE
TTY.
The substantial Wlue the News
fact Presented cordially approves
strongly ana creamy az taa diligence with
chat duIiUs he @n9i, which the Council
space ul about u,-..nNer. icatlng CONF
wears. o. space tndt l7 ui-.ee has pushed
covered los The tvth The work Of irvc-t-
ol office OF aAe rii--e Salln- The affairs of
.....I...r tr4r Gas itI.Hl /