Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-14
A PECULIAR SITUATION
Resulting rom the Recent Election in
Pleasant Valley.
Town Charter Says Councilman
Must be Free-Holders-Five Sue
cessful Candidates Do Not Own
ANY Realty in the Corporate
Linnits-A Lesson in Suburban
Politics.

Suburban politicians, especially those
who reside within the corporate limits of
the town of Pleasant Valley, are just now
quoting with much emphasis the phrase
made famous by Chimmie Fadden-"Wot
tell"
The community is in a dilemma. An
election was held recently, at which Is of
the SO voters in the town exercised their
provocative. And thereby hangs tale.
It appears that politics are ignored in the
town elections, but, as in many other COM
munities. factions take the place Of par
ties. In Pleasant Valley the line between
the factions is not an imaginary one.
They are divided b.. the National Road.
At the recent election there We're two sets
of candidates for Council. five representing
the east side of the road and five repre-
senting the west side.
After a contest i'm which il is alleged
that there was more wire-pulling than
appeared upon the surface, the west side
ticket triumphed with the exception Of
one candidate from the opposition. 1t is
further alleged that the west side poll
ticians made poll which gave them a
certain majority but i'm Il spirit Of mag
nanimity agreed TO give the east side one
representative in Council. Thus it hap
pened that Mr.. Charles seibert received al
most a unanimous vote.
1t might be remarked parenthetically
that the factions made their contest Tor
the purpose of directing the appropriation
of tax money for public improvements II
it were not for complications which have
developed since the election, it is fair to
assume that the $500 annual revenue would
this year be expended almost entirely on
the west side of the road
\ well known citizen of Pleasant Valley
animated by the laudable desire to become
familiar with the conduct Of public az
fairs began q study OF the town char
ter and made the discovery that none
but free-holders are eligible to election
as Councilmen. He communicated his
discovery to others. hence the present
dilemma.
The five members-elect of Council are
S S. Bloch. VIM. d. Johnson, Geo. Adams,
Bernard Horkheimer and Charles Seibert.
These gentlemen all have goodly share
of this worlds goods, and it would require
nine figures to express their aggregate
wealth. Strange to say. however, not one
of the successful candidates owns realty
in the town; and, stranger sull, every ore
i of the defeated candidates was eligible 10
the office The five Councilmen-elect oc-
cupy residences which are among the
handsomest out the pike. but they are all
owned by their better halves.
Rumor has it that the defeated Coun-
cilmanic candidates are now contemplate
ing securing some person to deliver a
lecture on the pernicious custom of pre-
senting suburban property TO women;
while it IS very likely that it will be nee
| essary to employ legal assistance to ex-
| tricate the community from the present
| mudde in which event a big slice will
be cut off the annual revenues, and con-
templated improvements will have to be
deferred another year.