The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-14

machines in our city, and to take meas
ures forthwith for granting the prayer
OF this petition, and we hereby pledge
you our hearty cooperation and sup
port In enforcing the law"
This petition is signed by 1,116 citi-
The Reply.
The reply of Mayor Sweeney and
Chief clemans was handed to Or. sooy
Tuesday night, and yesterday after
noon 1t was considered at meeting
Of the federation, at which 1t was de-
clded to give ont the correspondence
for publication. In compliance with
an agreement entered into with the of
ficlals, DR.. soOy and other ministers
declined to discuss the answer. Mayor
Sweeney and Chief Clemans, too, de-
cllned to talk. Their reply, in full, is
as follows:
Rev. j. L. sooy, City
DEAR sIR:-In pursuance Of our
promise to your committee to submit
| at an early date, written reply TO
your committees request for the sup
preston OF certain evils, we are pleaSad
| TO not only comply with our promise,
| but take this means OF expressing 70
| your federation our appreciation OF
| your kind expressions Of confidence ana
esteem, and our belief that your press
ent efforts are directed, or have for
their object only the publication ano
hetternent OF civic conditions. and q
consequent and lasting beneft to the
community.
We appreciate that in the solution OF
any economic question, the primary
] and vital point to be considered Is the
fundamental or practical side. In oth-
| er words, II there Is a condition, why
does II exist? We nre equally cogniz.
\ ant that there cls0alMays q thebretiefE
view which does not stop to consider
| static elements or causes, but taking
the high ground possibly without well
verified or intrenched bvidencel that no
violation or evasion or existing laws
natural or civil, can or should be toler-
ated, entirely disregardlng the prlnclple
I which makes the formulation ana en-
forcement Of laws possible and posi-
tive.
AS before expressed, we accord to
your association the full evidence OF
your convictions, and while not desir-
| ing to indulge In any criticism or to at-
tribute to your association Interior mo-
tlves, we have. from your expressions,
been forced to the conclusion that not
wlthstandInG your desire TO be fair
your lneNperience In the matter OF en-
fOrcemeht OF the laws against Offenders
has nllsled you to the very plausible
conclusion that the written law Is abb
solute. positive and lncontrovertable. II
seems to us but fair and equitable
proposition, both IN justice to your as
sociatibn and ourselves, that we should
state to you in entire franknesS that
we. upon our induction into Office, being
imbued with the same theoretical view
OF the proper enforcement OF the law as
outlined above, Proceeded to enforce
the ordinances as laid down. But we
soon learned that no law. however wise
and tust, can be enforced unless II mas
the support Of n healthy public sentl-
ment In favor Of It's enforcement, be-
cause ultimately It rests upon the YER
| dict Of Jury. To make such sentiment
Is your province, not ours.
4 careful study Of the conditions eX-
Istlng at that time led us TO the con-
clusIOn that there was in our midst an
evil emIncntly more pernicfous than
all others, a condition which traded
upon virtue. and by the alluring OF
young and inexperienced girls INTO
plnces licensed by the city, accomplish
on a path with but one terminus
Proceeding upon our earnest intent 20
eradicate this evil, we proceeded to obs
tain evidence with which to secure con"
victiOn, selecting the places best known
To be-in violation. Upon trial, It was
proyed to the mind OF your police court
Judge that the ordinance had been
clearly violated and in each instance
the court imposed the extreme penalty.
. / amman Lad tn
the criminal court "a right absolutely
granted by the statute) and upon trial
before n Jury. the first case, and the one
deemed the strongest, was declared by
the Jury to be mot Guilty"
In mnny other instances Of cases np-
neaIed from the decision OF police
court, where the evidence seemed to be
conclusive, the jury in the upper court
did not sustain the city's case. In TACT,
we know Of no case appealed from po-
lice court since We assumed cnarse,
, me upper court All Of which con-
yInces ~ that in this city, public sem
fiment IA not in favor Of extreme OF
radical reforms. but rather content
! with a judicIOuB regulation OF the evils
complained Of
THE existing conditions are not Of our
I making. They nre rather the femainS
Of a form OF civic government NHlCn
: has been fostered and built up because
me very persons who should have "a
ken an interest in municipal anairl
neglected their duty, and made polsi-
bic the practices and custom9 OF which
: YOUR association now complains. a
. condition once permitted, becomes TO
worry great extent a fixture and per
! manency, and might be liltened to the
growth OF tree, which in lt3 hral
stage can be easily uprooted. but az Y
I gains In years, so its strength IN
sreases. until Il Is deOp-rooted and ~
removal becomes q serious ana diiAculi
Z problem. , 49,,
9 edge OF the efforts made In the. past oy
=. moro capable men than ourselves, tC
Y bring about within this city the 70.
: forms sought by your association, anC
2 nj 4 time when the public sentiment
{ was more uniformly In favor o. suet
Q action, and remembering that the eL'
: forts then excrted, enrneSt though tncy
! were, resulted In failure. we have DseI
. led 10 one Of two concluHiOns' hituel
/, the present laws, which aeem 70 y
n =