Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-02
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.
The Situation in Kanawha County
Points aMoral.
Are the People Themselves to
Blame for the Increasing FIRE.
quency of Shady Transactions
in Official Life ?-Some Thoughts
and Reflections Which Will Re
pay Reading.
Special to the Register.

6peclal to the Register.
Charleetcn, w. Va, November L.
Listenir., &c a casua. talk OF group
of local law-givers and battle-scarred
statesmen congregated this evening in
the lobby of prominent hotel, your
correspondent picked up some remarks
Rnent prevalent official corruption that
may just now interest the public, in
view of the investigating epidemic
now raging here and extending to
some other counties of the State. One
of the group said:
GAS long as corruption was restrict
ed to an occasional injustice in the ex-
IRENE upper circles and was clothed in
any decent garment of pretext, it
didn't signify so much to the reputa.
lion of the community, but now that
1t has reached the bottom of the mass
and exhibits itself in unblushing
nakedness, it grows dangerous and
must be stamped out at all hazards.
AS the English Duchess said abouC
,onjugal immortality, If it once reaches
and spreads among the masses, the
country is lost
1.-THE time has come for the people
TO arouse themselves to the necessary
effort. 1t must be made known in
the most emphatic manner that the
interests of the community are above
those of any party, and that no party
Bervice-no amount of party ZEAL will
be received to excuse or palate per-
sonal dishonesty Unless this is done,
we might as well throw up the sponge
ut once. If we ourselves are incapa-
BILE Of stamping out notorious corrup-,
ton in a small clique of local officials,
how can we expect to have any in
fuence away from home? With what
claim to be heard can we ask for a
leading place in the States affairs,
when we have made suchfa deplorable
botch of our own? If il were not
question Of the Ntue and honesty of
the people, sell Interest in the most
Eaterial waywould point to the abso-
necessity for redeeming the COM
" frfm its present extravaganza
Gent government.
said another of the group,
ble themselves are mainly the
the state of affairs, at least,
= No body of officials can be
to rise much beyond what
We to be the requirements of
c0n1ni uhitX-aNd certainly for sew
years the body Of the people has
manifested an indifference about the
character and fitness of the local Off
Gals that would fairly lead to the
conclusion that little is expected of
them At any time on the streets
you may hear respectable people boast
! of acts in politics that would be in
famous in other walks Of life, and
this without evoking any signs of dis
approval or reprobation among the by
Sld0UeIS. Hcll, t.iC DCoI VI tilC pOOpiC
vote their party ticket like sheep,
without reference to the qualifications
OF those on it, and the others make
the campaign SO expensive for the
$50 that he goes into office with
IL ~ legitimate profits of the posi-
ton virtually mortgaged to defray
election expenses. He naturally feels
that he has bought and paid for the
place and is entitled to all that can be
krung out of it by any device that
bps short of the penitentiary. He
lows that notorious bribe-
kers at elections escape pun
hment, and he may fairly
bpe to be equally lucky in nibbling at
lblic funds. He realizes that no
ount of efficiency and honesty will
itRlf insure his reelection, and that
1t Nepends, not upon the people who
are Selfshly Indifferent about it, and