Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-30
A QUIZ
PropOunded by DIR. Sooy to the Pc
lice Department..

lice Department..
TO the Editor of the Register.
Sir:-Why is it that the police de-
partment has not raided the slot ma
chimes lately? The time is fully I'D.
Last year raids were made in May and
December; but the first of August is
| near, and no raid has been made thus
| lar during this year. Is it because
| another Judge Jackson has been dis
covered who has decided the law
against these machines "unconstitu-
tlonaP'? | tried hard last winter to
lind all the Jacksons, but the city Off
Gals may have one in hiding some
where. Or, is it because the slot ma
chimes are all gone, and the chief of
| police cannot find one in operation?
Perhaps five or six of the councilmen,
| who are saloon-keepers will loan him
their eye glasses.
Or, is 1t because the chief imagineS
that the Federation of Churches think
| they are all destroyed, and he does
not deem it expedient to raid them
now, and thus excite the preachers in
such hot weather? Well, the weather
is hot, and no telling what the dis
covery of machines still in operation
might bring upon the ministerial
nerve.
Or dsr it Because there is to be a
city election in the near future, and
the present city government will need
the votes of the slot machine lovers?
Yes, votes will be needed!
Or, is it because the chief himself
wants the votes of the church people,
| and is simply waiting to make a big
| raid near election time, and put out
temporarily all the slot machines, thus
deceiving the ''elect" into the belief
that he is suddenly regenerated, or
angel-ized? A school boy was once
asked to write a sentence, with the
word "oblate" in it. He wrote the
following: John was oblate at the
polls" When asked his meaning, he
said he was "fattened at the polls"
Yes more than one man has been
dattened at the polls in city election.
Or, finally, is it because the mayor
| and chief are taking a much needed
| vacation? This is the time of vaca-
tons. | take one myself during Aug
! ust But if certain city officials will
| only patiently wait, perhaps a long
suffering people will reward them,
later on, with a good long vacation.
Now, the fact is, the situation is a
| serious one. The public will recollect
that, in a long paper addressed to the
Federation of Churches, some months
| ago, by the mayor and chief of police,
| it was pointed out that in raising the
| revenue of the city, the police depart
| ment were required" to produce up
wards of $1,000, from fines and fees in
| police court" And we were told, fur
thermore, that "the slot machine mat
ter is one which will regulate ITSELF .
and that cts relation to the revenues
of the city, under the present condi-
tions and customs, makes the question
one of carrying out business arrange
ment."
Now, has the slot machine matter
regulated" itself? Is there an official
understanding that without fines" or
pulls" it is to be henceforth a perma-
nent institution among us? Or, can it
be possible that our officials are neg
lecting the business arrangements" Of
the city in not pulling the operators
of said machines? Is there not great
danger of a crisis in city finances if
these sources of revenue are to be neg
lected? In solving the problem, the
assistance of the Federation of
Churches which was so very accept
| able to orr city officials last winter
and spring, is still offered without
! money and without price"
j. L. SOOY.