Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-14
4 good many Of his party leaders IN
This respecf

may be brought into their appropriate
/ prominence in our municipal life.
| Nevertheless, we are not by any means
| at such level of civic virtue that
we can afford to boast or permit our
selves to be held up as an example.
/ What we are now to think about, there
fore, for a short time is of common,
| everyday virtue and the duties and
! rights of citizenship in this, our city OF
Wheeling.
Another thing that is properly ex-
| cluded from the discussion is not our
political relations in general so much
as partisan politics. 1t is the purpose
| under the present movement that par
tisanship be left wholly out of consid-
Grafton, and that as citizens who also
| recognize their allegiance to the city
invisible, we give attention to what
| we should do to stop the infraction of
law with it's inevitable leniency to-
wards immortality.
political adherence is matter Of
far less Importance in our city life than
in the politics of the State or nation.
The city is our home; our mutual con-
tact is intimate and continuous, and if
our ordinances, which extend no far
ther than our city limits in their eff
feet, are permitted to be invaded or
broken in open defiance, the result is
disastrous.
political bands are less strong than
those that are made out of the fiber
of our deper moral natures, and when
the situation of our city government
and affairs is such as to make such an
effort necessary The mere attention
to the fact should be all that is re-
quired to rally those whose first and
strongest adherence is to the doctrine
of christianity. 1t is most familiar
teachingthat morality is the only real
safe guard of a people and the instruc-
ton does not lose Its truth when ap-
piled to municipal affairs. To take an
illustration of the unanimity with
which the people in general can act,
apart from considerations such as those
named, we will recall the universal
sentiment favoring quarantining the
city when a few years since, it was in
fected with an epidemic of smallpox.
The present effort to effect aunion of
the christian people of our city, is to
defend not themselves alone but the
entire body of our inhabitants, nay,
the very strangers who may from time
to time happen within our gates,
against incubation from a virus much
mere deadly in it's effects.
eve are long suffering people, dis
posed too much to put up with the ills
we have, lest in endeavoring to get rid
of them we bring upon ourselves 9TH
ers that are worse. But the situation
tonight now presented in our munich
pal life is felt to be such as to require
such a protest as is begun tonight.
This union of effort is also necessary
as well as practicable. If party lines
be followed within our city affairs at
all times, we but array ourselves
against one another in matters of far
less moment than those now directly
concerned. Our city life is our first
consideration in our political relations,
just as our home life is first in impor-
lance in relation to the city"
But it may be asked, How are we
to unite, and how is the united action
to make itself felt?' In the first place
we unite sentimentally, by letting it be
understood that the Christian element
of the community does not owe such
fealty to the various political organiza-
tons that it will be content with such
an administration of the laws Of the
city and State as barely comes within
the limits of liberation. The public
conscience is in large measure de-
termined by the Christian element of a.
community, and it therefore becomes
us to see that our attention is not
diverted or perverted by other
pursuits to such degree as to obstruct
or obscure our moral vision"
After the remarks by Attorney Nor
rison, announcements were made by DR..
j. l.. Sooy, D. D., and the meeting was
brought to close with benediction by
Rev. c. B. Graham, pastor of the
North Street M. E. Church. Among
those present were many members of
the various local churches.
The meeting to be held by the Asso-
citation at the Fourth Street M. E.
Church this evening will be addressed
by Rev. j. T. McCrory, of Pittsburg.
Judging from the interest manifested
III last nights meeting the present
movement Of the association will GER
taiDly meet with success.
DR. McCrory is pastor of one Of the
prominent United Presbyterian church
es of PittSbug: is forceful intelligent.