Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-09
IHE EXISTING CONDITIONS
or THE CORRUPTION AT PRESENT
WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE
MUNICIPALITY.
a TALK By THE REV DR. soOY.
In which He Condemned the Of
ficers of the City Government for
the Present Condition of the City's
Morals, Delivered at the Fourth
Street N. Il. Church Last Night.

The foregoing text was the subject
DR.. Sooy last night at the regular eve
ming service of the Fourth street NJ. e..
church. During the past half year the
Rev. Mr. Sooy has been very promi-
nently identified with the movement
instituted by the Ministerial Associa-
ton to endeavor to put an end to the
existing condition OF the public NOR
ais, and his talk last night was one of
series on that general topic. A large
congregation was present.
In beginning his discourse he stated
that he believed in partisanship, and
was partisan where national politics
were concerned, but the municipal
elections were entirely different and
apart The condition of the morals OF
any community depended for the most
part on the character of the men who
were in Office. Some would think it
too early to commence talking of the
city election, but in the speakers mind
1t was never too early to commence
righting wrong. Even at the present
time there are men holding public Of
flee in our city who ought not to. He
would not mention the name of the Of
fee but the case he had in mind was
a man whose Office placed him in the
authority to enforce the law against
the general practice of Sunday selling.
He did not exercise the power given
him, even to the violation of his oath
of Office. This same man, now on the
eve of election, comes before the people
with the excuse that the laws could not
be enforced, and expects them to ac-
cept it.
The speaker went on to review the
general situation in the city, even after
the fake hotels had been refused
license. A very broad statement in this
connection was that every policeman
was for a protection to the fake no
tells. The hotels are closed now, but
only for the time being, as it can cas-
lily be seen that the members of the
City Council are gradually being swung
around into line, Notwithstanding their
stand taken on the matter only few
months ago.
Who cannot see that the Second
branch has been influenced to take IA
vorable action on the applications for
license? Who has not heard of the
talk of bribery? Are the voters in ia
vor of reinstating such men? The
people in the city want man of back
bone in its highest judicial chair They
want for Chief of Police, not man
OF nanby- pamby turn of mind, but
man with the back bone to enforce the
city ordinances.
It is not too early to commence to
correct things and begin to sweep out
the corruption. The law abiding cit
liens were never able to carry many
elections from the fact that the time
they wasted in wildly denouncie; the
corruption of city affairs, the polite
ians devoted to working for votes and
the latter were victorious.
According to DR.. Sooy, our law abid-
ing, model citizens are one of two
classes. One class waits until the cleo
ton is over and then starts to buster
about the corruption of municipal gov
eminent. The other is what is known
as the Christian element This latter
class means the existing condition of
affairs and get UP in prayer meetings
and pray God to do the work of clear
ing out the corruption for them.
Every year the best citizens hold
meeting. They appoint one of the'best
citizens president. BY one of the
best citizens,-Dr. Sooy said he meant
one of the men who went to church
and had plenty of money. Then the
president appointed a committee COM
posed of some of ''our best citizens"
whose duty it was to call mass meet
ing OF the best citizens. At the
meeting it was customary TO have two
VI sAASS Vi Jul DcSl ClliZeQS make
speeches condemning the corrupt man
ner in which the city government was
conducted The next thing on the pro-
gramme was to secure enough money
to buy one of the city papers, no mat
ter which one, to take their stand.
This was all it ever amounted to. In
fact the best citizens did not belong
to any political organization. and
when the election day came around it
was generally necessary to cart them
to the polls in order to got their vote.
In conclusion, DR.. Sooy said: Every
thing you or | want we can have if
we only make the sacrifice. The evil
that men can hinder or correct, if they
do not it they are as guilty as the
evil doer themselves. l, for one, am a
politician. have right to be. and no
ministerial robe shall rob me of that
right"
Caused by Hot Weather.
CHICAGO, July S.-The suicide of