Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-02
THE RING,

A Fair Criticism of That Obnoxious Body.
10 the Editor of the Register.
Sir:-The communication in vesterda VS.
Intelligencer, signed Business Man. Cd.
the purpose of which is to approve of the
Tammany methods of the City Hall ring
is quite curiosity of it's kind, and which
would be more accumulated if it really
emanated from a man in business who was
not in some way interested in one or more
OF the ring personnel. What d. s Interested
citizen owning property, or in bus. ness. or
for that matter in any honorable employ
ment, approves of a close partnership of
public officials whose motto is ITO US and
US only, including our close political
friends and heelers, shall be distributed
the bulk of the vast disbursements of this
municipalty?' Their principle is that we
Shall dictate and not the tax payers; that
we shall run the city's revenues to suit
ourselves, and half the electors whose
taxes they manipulate shall have no more
to say in it than if they were so much
human chattel
Is it to the interest of morality. good
government and pro5ity in office that
such methods prevail? Is not the city
ring exactly like the Tammany ring and
all other political rings where a boss S
word is law, and which communities dep
recate and condemn as the worst curse
that can befall them? The personal hon
esty of any member of this ring is not
the question. 1t is the methods which
they pursue to accomplish their purposes
that are SO obnoxious to the public For
instance the custom has always been that
the Mayor and Chairman of the Second
Branch of Council shall appoint a Com
mittee on Committees. Now this is a
very important committee. because the
personnel of all other committees depend
upon its judgment. What do we learn
from the current talk? That this time
honored custom is to be abrogated at the
dictum of the City Hall ring. who sway
their councilmanic followers as the wind
sways the foliage, because the Mayor
happens to be anent them politically. If
the rule remains in force, there would
be an equal number of Republicans and
Democrats on that Committee-certainly
a committee from which the best results
would obtain for the public but not for
the ring
Hence its opposition. The ring proposes
that this committee shall he so lopsided
politically that all standing committees
must necessarily be likewise. Then what
does the public see as a result? That the
public business is run on political basis
The methods of the business man are i'm
possible in the City Hall, because the po-
Htical complexion of the committees are
so Overwhelmingly one-sided that all
sound business princrtes are subordinate
to political objects. Political friends must
be rewarded here; strong partisans and
workers must be rewarded there: others
who did not display active party zeal must
be snubbed. and others turned down for
some party delinquency; contractors and
business men and women who are known
to be of opposite politics do not get a fair
show and in fact the motto is "the public
be damned, = and what are we here for?"
Mr.. Editor, the above are a few Of the
reasons why 1 take exception to the bald
Statement alleged to have been written by
Business Man" and published in yes
terday's Iutelligencer.
ANOTHER BUSINESS MAN.
January 81. 1899.