The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-15
REV. SCRWARM'S COMMENT.
On the Mayors Reply to the Fedora
tion Of Churches Anent the Slot
Machine and the Enforcement Of

tion Of Churches Anent the Slot
Machine and the Enforcement Of
Lawh
TO the Editor Of the Intelligeneer
sIR:-The honorable mayor has now
had his say, and that at some length.
There are many things in his reply 10
the ministers that should be read and
re-read and reflected on by every father
and mother and taxpayer in this city.
/ am member Of the Federation Of
Churches, but 1t 10 not as q member Of
that body. nor yet as a minister. that ]
wish 20 call attention to a few salient
points In this reply. The Federation
ofChurchesis mot to be held responsible
for what may say; 1t will make It's
own reply In It's own way SO soon as It
deems Il expedlent.
The mayor explains that It 10 a con
dltion, and not theory" that contron.tS
him when he endeavOTB to enforce the
laws AGAINST gaming, prostitution, ille-
gal sale OF intOXicants and kindred
vices, He does not deny the existence
OF these vices In our city, neither does
he deny that the printed laws Of the city
and the state are apparently intended
10 prohibi. them. He says that Is the
theory upon which the ministers pro-
ceeded. and that was also his own opln-
ion at the time Of hiR election. But ne
has found the ide that the written ~"
IL to be enforced mere theory, ana an
Impractical and impossible theory 70
carry out In practice. And he does not
promise TO try to execute these laws ac-
cordlnR to their spirit and letter, but he
says he will do, as he has heretofore
done, regulate and control 30 as to re-
duce to a minimum the evils OF which
the ministers complain.
Now, what is the condition TINT con-
fronts the mayor and his department
when they undertake to enforce the
written LAVISH Why, 1t Is the fact, he
asserts, ibAt the city depends, and has
depended for years, on the revenue de-
rived from these very evils. he as
serts that the police department IS eA.
pected to raise $1,000 for this current
year for the expenses Of the city, by the
way OF fines and that not more than
n third OF this sum can be gotten
through the ,ordinary and legitimate
fines; the rest must be gotten from
these vices, and, OF course, IL they are TO
contribute towards the expenses OF the
CITY they must be permitted to exist tlTl-
der conditions favorable FOR such pur-
pose. This Is a fair deduction from the
Language Of the paper.
What follows? Why, It follows that
the police department, which we nave,
In our Ignorance, supposed was created
and maintained TO enforce the laws, ana
thus suppress and prohibit gaming,
prostitution, etc, Is expected to foster
these very vices In order to get
revenues to run the city government
or, In other words, the police De-
partment, the executive arm OF our city.
which Is ostenHlbly for the purpose OF
making vice and crime impossible, and
10 make virtue and honor possible, IS
expected to cultivate Vice and crime 50
rs to produce revenue to maintain u
self. Hence. suppose, the plea ior
more policemen means simply more Vlce
to maintain them.
And the mayor intimates that the
council, through Its committee on petit
lions and circumstances, and through
It's adoption Of the reports Of that COM
mittee. Is also engaged in fostering vice
| 10 getrayenua. And he also lntimates
| that our citizens, when called to act on
jirieS, have an eye, not to punishment
Of vice and crime. but for revenue, ana
the sentiment Of the public demands
this. It Is not necessary for me 70
| quote MIN 70 BuBIRln Iuese uSuAStAOtHh.Dt,
for they are so easily drawn that a child
could not fall to make them.
What Is the amount OF revenue az
stake? He says to adopt any other
course than as originally proposed
might result in serious financial loss 70
| the city. Now, how much revenue -
at stake in the enforcement Of the writ
ten laws? He says the police depart,
ment received from the houses OF Ill
fame for the year SS,5l7, and from gam
bling, etc, $1,61S IS; that would make q
total OF S5,0S5 is. For the purpose Of
raising the great sum Of $5OS5 Is IN
revenue, the police department, the city
council, the Jury and all the citizens OF
the city, must tolerate and, as It were,
cultivate Vice. How much would that
be per capita for city Of 5000 people?
LESS than IS cents per head. And so Tor
this paltryamount Of revenue we permit
our written laws 10 be trampled under
foot, our boys and our girls robbed OF
their virtue and subjected to endless
shame and intamy. Had we not better
pass the hat and raise this extra
revenue, and remove this condition. 40
| not believe there are many property
holders in the city Of Wheeling so mean
Il