The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-02
jx-zE-1fA KURE (skin food SOC
E-ZE-df4A KURIS {soan} ESQ


brought about. 1t Is just as great an
evil to try to Influence voters by giving
them moreyito buy beer, Us to try to In
tluencei them by giving them money d.
rect for their Votes: yea, greater. for in
the former case they are helped for
ward on the rond to drunkenness. Very
few people hnye any Idea Of the num-
Der of club houses therec are In this
city. l p see them on our principal
streets. sometimes two OF them; side by
,side.iI see them along the creek and
river. banks. on the hill sides, in unex-
pccted hooks, corners and alleys. Il 81
No Idea rs to Exact Number.
u Il have no idea as to the! exact num-
Der, but I should Judge. from my own
observation In going through fthe city.
that there must be from nifty TO hun
dred of them, may be more. Some OF
these clubs. of course. are not organiz-
ed TO bleed candidates, but many Of
them were organized for that very pur-
pose, and the most OF them do i little In
that line during election times. Some
ofsthese clubs that work the candidates
have but few voters. The most OF their
members are boys, some quite young.
And many Of them are not scrupulous
as to whom they pledge their support.
A key Of beer will make the most OF
them pledge themselves to the cnndi-
date who gave it, for the time being
And when the election comes they can
support but one man for each office.
Who shall it be? They have consumed
every candidates beer, and pledged
themselves toievery one, SO cdch votes
after all, as he pleases. ..5
Very few persons have any idea either
Of the burden this habit OF bleeding the
candidates has become upon the can
didates themselves. Four years ago,
this fall, l was up Wheeling creek one
day and met there a prominent can
didate> for one OF the prominent offices
of the county. ] said to him, what are
you doing up here? Il am hiding" was
his reply. II have been here for II
month. had to leave the city: they
were bleeding me to death. I Just could
not stand it." / was told afterwards
that the man had actually mortgagcd
his home and would be financially ruin
ed II not elected. He was only one Of
the lot of candidates. The others were
bletl In a similar manner in degree
corresponding to the Importance Of the
Offices for which they aspired.
Expect to Live Off Of Candidates.
/ was told by one of the canddntec,
for a position on the county ticket at
the late Republican primaries, that he
knew OF men, young men, who had ac-
tuully quit work and expected to live
by bleeding the candidates OF the par
ties during the campaign. also heard
an attorney, who was partner of n can
didata at tile late primaries, say, I'VE
nre SO besieged by buns, ward-heelers
and saloon-p politicians that I cannot do
business. have lost five hundred dol
! lars worth of business, ndethey are
Just bleeding my partner to death. They
are going to ruin him. and their IN
nuence IN his favor will not amount to
Il pirch Of snuff This prophecy was
correct. for the candidate wis badly
left. ! know OF another candidate who,
when he refused to buy beer. was ask
ed for money to buy meal tickets, flour
for poor women and shoes for children.
But when he refused and said: I will
not buy You any beer, Or give YOU any.
money, but II you fellows nre hungry go
home with me and ] VIII see tbat you
get all you can eat" They left him.
the election. And yet that man was
tiles, although he had two opponents
who set UP the beer freely. ~
But the candidates nrc not the only
ones TO BIG considered In this matter.
The dcmoralizing effect upon the young
men, and old ones. too. ought to be
looked at. Kegs of free Beer on tap In
these club houses. free beer on tap In
almost every saloon, during these cam
pnlGns. Is the beginning of Il drunk
ard's life and q Grunkard's death for
mahy II young man.
A Great Public Nuisance.
do not know but what this method
Of campaigning is almost. us great a
public nuisance and evil. IL not greater,
than the fake hotels. / was told by Il
prominent man of this city, n man who
holds a position Of great responsibility,
that the origin OF the failure OF our
municipal and county government was
In the present method OF campaigning.
The candidates." he said, go into
these club houses and into these sa-
looms and set 1t up for the boys, and
promise them immunity from molesta-
tion and good times, for their support.
These men nre thereby encouraged TO
drink nnd carouse and the candidates
come Into the offices with the shncklcs
of these promises on them Hence, In
stead of our officers being terror 10
cvil-doers, they encourage them and
arc the means Of their complete ruin.
Il especially noticed the evil effects of
ms method or campaigning ut one OF
the late primaries at one of our polling
places. noticed many men, young
men, ana especially colored young men,
/ ., NJ