Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-07

The expected deadlock in the Board
Of County Commissioners over the cleo
ton of the remaining county officers
materialized yesterday, at the regular
meeting of the Board, and there was a
prolonged and somewhat stormy ses-
sion, to very little purpose. When the
roll was called on the first candidate
toll keeper on the Fairmont pike-the
members lined up five and five, and
after a second ballot had demonstrated
that further proceedings were useless,
the matter was dropped, and the body
adjourned, with no solution of the trou-
BILE in sight. During this portion of
the session there was a good deal OF
plain talk between the members, which
only solidified the determination Of
each side to hold out, and as result
it is not impossible that the present
incumbents of the offices involved
may hold on throughout the life of the
present Board.
The matter was brought up after the
transaction of the routine business,
through a resolution by Commissioner
Charles Moore, that the Board proceed
to elect officers in the following order:
Toll Keeper, Fairmont pike; Superin-
tendent National Road, second division;
first division; third division; toll keep
ers, National Road, gate No 2, gate
No. 8, gate No. 4; toll keeper, Bethany
pike; toll keeper, river road; Superin-
tendent of the Infrmary; matron, and
engineer. This resolution was adopted,
and the five boiling Republicans, who
have refused to stand by the caucus,
felt things were coming their way.
The Office of toll keeper on the Fair
mont pike was accordingly taken up,
and Mrs. Driehorst, the present incum-
bent, and William Downs were placed
in nomination. The roll was called,
and the result was a tie, as follows:
For Downs-Messrs. Bowman, Hare,
Moore, McCurdy and Mr. President, 5;
for Mrs. Driehorst, Messrs. Fritz, Gut
man, McCulloch, Stanke, and
Tyson, 5. A second ballot
was ordered and taken, with
the same result, and then the boilers
gave up, and a motion to adjourn was
put and carried. There is a good deal
of feeling over the situation, naturally,
and there is no prospect Of a settlement
in sight.
The discussion, during the existence
of the deadlock, between the three reg
ular Republicans and those boiling the
caucus decision was at times spirited,
and only barely escaped being personal.
1t was started by Mr.. Fritz opposing
the Moore resolution, but it was never
theless carried, Mr.. McCulloch voting
for it, to get the matter before the
house. Among other things Mr.. Fritz
called attention to the fact that a ma
jority of the Republicans held a caucus
on Sunday at which they determined
to run things over the heads of him
self, and Messrs. Tyson and Gutman.
The Chair attempted to shut off talk
which was taking a dangerous turn, but
Mr.. Gutman succeeded to the floor, and
asked some very pertinent questions,
among them being an enquiry as to
why a second caucus had been called,
and accusing Elm Grove citizens, as
was long ago stated in the Register,
from Republican sources, as being at
the bottom of the trouble The Pres
ident said a majority of the party in
the Board had right to call a caucus
if they so elected, and this remark
brought both Messrs. Tyson and Fritz
to their feet with excited protests, and
the whole matter was pretty we'll aired.
Mr.. Fritz was finally forced to take his
seat by the President, Mr.. Fritz saying,
as he subsidized, that if he was not al
lowed to speak he could, at least, vote
as he wished. Then the balloting COM
menced, with the results stated-that is,
no result at all.
ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS.
All members were present when the
Board met, President McGregor pre-
siding