Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-09-20

occurrence III ElllsDuiS as al CAdMp4S.
He thought the present system was the
best under the sun, and the rea, trouble
was that good and competent citizens
did not take an interest IN public af-
fairs. Wheeling had been very free
from scandals n It's municipal business,
and the Wheeling Councils were, per-
h2ps, On level with others elsewhere.
Mr.. Davidson WIS In favor of the sys-
TEN % it stands. Out OF his experience,
re was satisfied that q smaller body
would be better for the city.
Mr.. Hamilton said he had listened 10
Mr.. Tghe's remarks and failed to note
that he had made one point against he
report. It was radical change, Il was
true. but 1t was one in the interests CT
better administration of the public
business, and one surrounded with all
! possible safeguards. It's central
thought was TO break down ward lines
and have legislation looking to the
greatest good for the number of people.
He had been a member of Council for
three years. and about all that had been
done was TO pass bills and liquor l.
censes, and go home.
was that ii there should be incompe-
tence in the proposed new body, the pso-
PIE could not root 1t out so easily. He
would be as willing TO be governed by
three or five good men as by twelve or
twenty, but under the proposed law ras-
Gals would be !ntrenched.
Mr.. j. W. Bodley strongly defended
The draft of the ordinance, providing for
enc Branch. and said he wanted 10 take
Issue with Mr.. Tighe. The two Branch
system had signa!iy fai!ed TO protect
the interests OF the people or be a check
on each other, and said the rule YVES
that II a measure went through one
Branch, it was pretty sure to go through
the other, If not at the same meeting
then al subsequ 1T one. He quoted a
number Of instances when one Branch
had aided the other to rob the people.
The Second Branch tickies the First.
and the First the Second, and they are
both god fellows Everyone who
reads the papers knows how it is" He
believed the people would DE better sat
isfied with the one Branch system, and
would get a better service.
Mr. Tighe said he was surprised at
the opinions he had aroused, and also
said he had heard no good reason ad-
vanced for the new measure. Mr..
Bodley had referred 10 some things
which had gone through the TWO
Branch Council system, among them
the free concerts, the purchase of the
picture of the siege OF Fort Henry, the
increase in the price Of natural gas, and
some others, and sad he was not pre-
pared TO say there had bsen corruption.
Some mistakes had doubtless been made
but the other would be no better, be-
cause it would be made up OF the same
clements There would be no change
for the better until better men took a
greater Interest in municipal matters.
Mr.. Tighe was replied to by Mr.. Bod
icy, who said, speaking Of corruption,
il was sometimes cheaper to buy two
men than it was TO buy one. AS 10 the
two Branch system, it had been tried
many years, and had proved itself 10 be
q failure. He was in favor OF trying
something else, and 5. eng if there could
not be an improvement found.
Then Mr.. Hamilton took the floor.
He said Mr.. T.ghe had lugged in some
thing about the natural gas Increase.
He had voted for that increase, and ne
WIS willing to defend MS vote al all.
times. and would 90 so, if he would be
INDUCED. He believed the one Branch
system would be The bsst, that it would
do business better. and there would be
q more d.rec. and strict Accountability
10 the people than under the present
system.
Mr.. Paul spoke in the same strain,
defending the one Branch system al
some length, and was seconded by Col
Miller. who said the present system had
been condemned for years, and the peo-
pie we're tired Of i. He illustrated his
poirts by a citation Of how the thing
worked and how improper legislation
cot through, from the lack Of RESPONSE
billy and the feeling II one Branch,
that as one body had passed measure,
the other might do 50 with proprety,
and 50 II went. He cited the Board OF
Education and County Commissioners
as single bodies who got along We'll
He thought there might be change, n
the direction of having all the ward
members 90 out Of Office ct the end OF
two wears. instead of having half OF
them hold over. but at the SAM time
he thought there should be some eX-
narienced men. and therefore members
AZ large might hold over for four years.
Co. O'Brien said he was not partcu-
larly welded TO one or two Branches,
lint he was in favor OF system which
would enable the people to sweep things
ont. # things did not go right. he
added that he was happy TO notice that
whatever reflection has been cast upon
the present or past Councils, had come
from members of Council, and not from
outsiders.
Chairman Ha2lett said the draft had
been made after considerable study ana a
feeling that all over the country there was
\ tendency 10 take up the one branch Sys-
tenn in preference TO the existing method
He thought the safeguards thrown about
legislation. in future sections, would be
found such as 70 make the proposed sys-
tenn preferable to the one now in effect
Mr.. Tighe referred TO the citation OF the
Board Of Commissioners, and said: III
NAYS men to leglslate when they are paid
well for It. It has not been long since
saw \ statement from a Commissioner
that he was the lowest priced man on the
Board and he had made 5000 out Of it.
Proceeding. he said the comparisons were
not fair. because the business Of the city
was much more complicated than that OF
the BOARD Of Education or the Board of
Commissioners. He said some reference
had been made 10 the character ana aoli-
itv of the men IN Council, and desire to
secure q higher degree of talent and
warned the Commission that the eiIor'