The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-14
ANSWER OF CITY OFFICIALS.
fcontinued tron Iir.t pasa.l


annie ana capable. are impotent; Or
nnblIc sentiment as expressed through
me Jury box, Is not 81 favor 81 their el-
torcement.
BEING unncQualntsd with the iihan-
.,,, requirements ana conditions Of the
c;ty government, ana holding only z
."1erHcinl or theoretical view gained
SSon n possible curSoty, or for that
natter studied examination Of the city
Hrdlnances, and without having per-
Sonai knowledge or experience Of the
Evidence necessary to prove violations
=, ordinances, we do not wonder that
s,aur association has concluded the 20.
intIon OF the question an easy one.
The finances Of the city are made up
=, the estimated receipts from the sew
Sral departments, based upon those Of
,be year previous. Each department 10
sypected to provide the amount eBtiIna-
ted. In this manner, the police depart
ment was last year required to produce
5000 from fines and fees In police
court, q requirement surely not cAlcn-
lated TO improve the moral welfare OF
the city.
AS IL means OF arriving at an actual
Droportion OF the fines and fees derived
rom the police court. we have gone
carefully over the records from Decem-
nor /, 1898. to December /, 1883, and
and the total receipts to have been
SSH 60. This we have subdivided into
three general heads; First. ordinary
violations, comprising drunkenness,
dlsorderly conduct and such other Yio-
Satlons as would be OF natural occur
renee. Second, houses OF III fame. and
third, gambling and saloon violations
We fnd the results TO be as follows:
First, ordinary fines
and fees 1856 IS 36.03t9S
Second, honaes Of III
fame ................. a,blf w 44,6e07o
Third, gambling etc.. ISIS is 1s.2ss9S
--------
E7,sEl 60 100
From tn. ahoVe statement It win be
seen thas almost 66 per cent OF the to-
taI revenue derived from the police
court was Of necessity drawn from fines
imposed upon offenders Of the class OF
which you complain This - not new
situation. 1t has existed for years, and
can only be bettered by some means
other than now at hand. We are not to
be understood as defending the policy
OF raising revenue by imposing fines at
stated intervals on this class Of Offend
ers. But 10 reform this policy is not
within our power. as It involves the
raising OF revenues from some other
source, for instance, Increased taxation.
The most profitable source Of income.
rs shown above, Is now almost beyond
its ability to pay, those SAN IN exist
ence being hardly able to support life;
and II would seem an absolute injus-
tCe to impose any further burden upon
these unfortunates.
Our effort to eradicate the worst evil
having failed because the 1uries de-
Ciied against US, acting upon the ad-
vice Of competent counsel that the bet
ter means Of procedure would be to
strike ut the root Of the condition. and
that the proper plan was to object to
the issuance Of licenses to persons who
had not needed the citation Of the or
dInnnce as expressed in section is,
Of the ordinances In relation to comee
houses and ordinaries. we appeared be-
fore the committee on petitions and re-
monstranceR, and entered objection to
their recommendation of licenses to
certain persona At leas: one Of these
applicants had in previous conferences
with II asss.t.d his inability to con-
duct his buslEeSB In accordance with
the provisions and intent Of the ordi-
nance. and upon our assurance that It
was our desire and purpose to enforce
to the letter the requirements con-
tanned In the ordinance. he voluntarily
stated that he would not make appllcQ-
ton. Notwithstanding this, he did np-
ply and despite our objections. all the
licenses applied for were recommended
favorably TO council and granted by It,
the point being made that II applicants
were refused, the revenues Of the city
would be reduced.
We note that your appeal to us rs
especially directed toward the opera
ton and maintenance of what are
known as slot machines. We respect-
fully submit that in our opinion. these
are the least pernIcIous Of the evils we
have to contend with. Their tolera-
ton is only another instance OF the
impotency and inefflciency Of present
ordinances, or rather the ability of the
proper authorities to enforce them
when their legality is questioned and an
appeal taken to n higher court.
We cannot entirely agree with yonr
expressions as to the fnr.reaching and
deleterious influences OF these devices.
Granting that there may be some per-
sons 10 weak as to allow themselves to
be allured by them, there Is no law,
moral or divine. which can entirely con-
troll the disposition of men to spend
their money as they desire We are
firmly Of the opinion that every man
has In his makeup certain amount of
desire for speculation. The desire is
only limited by his means. Certain OF
our wealthy citizens daily gamble III
the stocks Of the various trusts and
corporations. True, this form Of gam
bling Is termed Speculation, but It is.
nevertheless, gambling ~ 81
The city by actual license, permits
certain forms OF speculation to be car
rfcd on tn her midst, which are much
more pernlcioua and far-reRching in
their effects than the slot machines Of
which you complain, and making posai-
BILE the loss OF large sums OF money.
And II the amounts readily paid Tor
such privileges are any indication, the
profits must be excessive. The fact
that licensed places OF this sort have
flouriShed for many years would seem
to establish beyond reasonable question
that they are q source Of large revenue.
Your reference to the prnntice OF
young men and boys being led into
rulnous paths by reason Of the entic-
ing influences OF the slot machines, app
peals TO US. and we beg to express our
sincere and hearty cooperation and ac-
cord with your disposition and intent to
safeguard and direct the early habits
OF young men that they may be LED In
to Just and honorable ways. and thus
become good and substantial citizens.
But here again. comes the question OF
difference between theoretical and
practical condition. It IL q we'll estab-
llshed truth that experience IL the best
teacher. and we firmly assert that
many Of the better class OF citizens In
our midst have been made better by
experiences Of which they are not only
heartily ashamed, but would not for
any consideration allow themselves to
be again guilty Of. While on the other
hnnd - Tho rrrnnt.NNirliN. for lhnEh exc