Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-02-08
THOSE COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
Tho Rules of Council Grossly
Violated.
The Law Says the Membership
Shall be Chosen Equally from the
Two Branches This was Vio-
lated in Almost Every Instance.
What will Council Do About It?

lated in Almost Every Instance
What will Council Do About It?
Now that the Republican Council
has completely organized, and has
nearly all of its committees in work
ing order, the Register desires, with
the purpose Of again demonstrating to
the people Of Wheeling that the ring
rule at the City Hall, now entering up
on two years term, is no better, if it
be not worse, than the regime just con-
cluded, to call attention to the
fact that the Council after appointing
its committees in an illegal manner,
and apparently rectifying the blunder
at eleven o'clock last Tuesday night,
is still all wrong, and that not more
than three or four of all the standing
committees are legally constituted.
The members of Council, on taking
their seats, took an oath to administer
the law according to their best skill
and judgment.
The existing circumstances and facts
show that they have blundered most
lamentably, even before getting fairly
started.
Section "a of the Rules of Council,
among other things, provide that all
committees of six shall be chosen
three from each Branch of Council. and
that all committees of eight shall be
chosen, four from each Branch and one
from each ward.
The Republican Hog Combine, in its
eagerness to shut out the Democratic
minority and make all the important
committees solidly Republican at
the most, only giving the
Democrats meager represen-
tation on the committees of
| lesser Importance, made up the COM
mittees without regard to the Rules of
Council, which is an ordinance OF the
city, which members Of Council have
taken an oath to support.
We will prove the proposition.
The Committee on Cemeteries is a
committee of six, and should be cho-
sen three from each Branch of Coun-
ell. The membership is made up OF
| Messrs. Halter. R.; Mcdonald, R.; Hoe,
D.; BUGGY, r.; Kaiser, R., and Miller,
R., one from the First Branch and fiye
from the Second
The Committee on Claims is a COM
mittee of eight. One member comes
from the First Branch and seven from
the Second.
The Committee on Elections is con-
stituted right, as regards the division
between the two Branches, but all the
members are Republicans, which is
grossly unfair.
The Committee on Equalizations and
Appeals is composed of three First
Branch members and five from the
Second.
The Committee on Finance is made
ND of six members of the First Branch
and two from the Second, which is con-
trary to ordinance, and is solidly Re
publican, which is opposed to all pre-
cedent.
The Committee on Fire Department
is composed of six First Branch mem
bers and two from the Second, which
is a violation of law, and is solidly Re-
publican, which is a violation OF decen-
cy.
The Committee en- Health is compos-
ed of five First Branch and three Sec
ond Branch members, which is unlaW-
full.
The Committee on Lights is COM
posed OF one member from the First
Branch and seven from the Second,
which is a strange perversion or the
law.
The Committee on Markets is entire
" made up Of members Of the Second
Branch, which is all wrong.
The Committee on Ordinances Is
right, which is a strange oversight
The Committee on Petitions and
"Reminiscences is made up of one mem
Der of the First Branch and seven mem
bers of the Second, which is not at all
contemplated by the law.
And so it goes all along the list OF
committees. Not more than three or
four of these Council Committees have
any right to transact public business,
under the ordinances of the city, and
Council has no right to refer business
to them nor accept business from
them. The whole business is mes,
from start to finish. yet it is about
what we should expect, probably, from
grossly unfair partisans and from peo-
ple who could hold caucus when
controlled the caucus which controlled
Council in the matter of the election
of officers and knocked deserving pubic
officials out of jobs.
VIII the Hog Combine Council set
about rectifying this gross blunder!
Or will it snap its fingers at the law,
nc II hae at public opinion?