The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-21
DIR. GLADDEN. TALKS.
On .The influence Of Public Service
Companies On City Government
NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

1907 II y ~. ~ ..,lc q
- : 9 n q -------- Il
lNtTIONiJ NtjNiPiD.Js tEIcIIE
lthi tlli'!h7iiL- tioil!UiIiL LLhoSL
2. *. Y.
LISTENS 20 a Learned Discourse frola
the Noted Columbus Diytne-Dis-
cusses Bribery in City Councils.
Believes in the Municipal Owner
ship Of Public Franchises.
NJ -" n $4,000,
MILWAUKEE, WIS, Sept. 2e.-Ti,e
Nat,on,, nun,c,n,, I t. =, o, ! conv.nt;o,
MAS VA, allow in ,n,sssmb,ins ,o.doy CHARLES
7 10, ,nor,, "a po,,,r,oc,5. nros,aod
No renortod = :tbo 900, :, arda,,on NJ,
Tho 4 a,oo,.,,,s' E ~, ,,,,,aa ~ ,hraa
am and mani. i tha ~. ,.rs nh 1 =, IL
c,naI ona ,,,,,cd !, ~, .o,,n..,,,rt,o, =,
tbe eyec,,,iys ,nrn,.,sa ,nd nroyide.
~. N'ts!' s .
LOT the election by the board OIL dele
gates, OF eleven or more members OF the
executive committee instead OF eleven
only. me ne amendment was ADOPTED.
Ghafses hlchafeson, OF phiiadelphla,
wee president OF ths league was the
ilrst speaker on to-daEs programme.
Does me moaei ciiarter confer DANGER
Gus powers on the mayor" was the IT,
tie OF his paper.
1,.a, .,,,,,,o, r. 6, ~, : :, ,,,.,,.
'sN' =. "
WIS. secretary OF the wisconsin
League OF MunicipalitIes, read a paper
n, .1,b,. vod., f;b,-,nr =, sr,,,i ~
80, = - - $3.50 (. -.
les. Ia
John A. Butler, president OF the Mu-
nic,naI Association a, N{I,wou,,ee fol.
-, !. ,,, -. ~ 49,.
'o"su pApei ~ eo.se 81 the 20
OF New York City. entitled An essen
tial safeguard to executive RESPONSE
h,r.,., ,,a,.d ~ i, ,s-a.o.. .ags,a.
.''s AsoH a'o -
Inc importance OIL the einclent rules
for the administration OF civil service
proy;s,ons wac tho +nnic discussed In
tha paner, which Was rpnd nv tho soc.
rrtary in tho absence az its ai,tho-
81 S5,- - u 4
eat ti VI tne LAY.
a feature OF the afternoon session
was paper On THE Influence Of Pub
lie Service Companies on City Govern
ment," by Rev. DR., Washington Clad
den. Of Columbus. O., who is member
OF the Columbus city council.
In the course OF his remarks he said:
"Some OF the relations OF public SER
vice companies to city governments are
open and lawful. but Il Is generally be-
Iieyed that relations Of subterrancan
and Legitimate character are often
maintained between Representatives Of
the city and representatives OF these
companies BY which the public Is plum
dered. Such Illicit relations do not nj.
ways involve the payment OF money by
the corporations to the municipal Off
GERS; the money Is often paid 10 those
who control the councilmen, and other
methods Of Influence are employed. The
election expenses OF candidates are Of
ten paid. Along with these secret
methods there is much direct bribery,
many who occupy high positions in So
ciety are connected more or less closely
with this netarious business. Mayor
Swift, of Chicago told the precise truth
when he said that most OF the bribery
OF cityt councils was the work of repre-
sentative citizens, a1,.R
Aeerma Br,barp ~ 10 1ret;fab1a
- - - ~ - -
Those who practice these yillaIpous
arts Justify themselves on the ground
that man nnust nrotect hjs nronartv
49, ;'.i.,,,' 49, 'S
so. vnnr G hard s e son t hv
robbers?. 1t seems to be assumed that
bribery, 10 prevent the spoliation OF
p,up. tses 20 LUZ ,.'au d u t Ter ,ne
There is really very little distinction
between the coward who is bullied into
Dtioery oy me PUBIC spoilsman.. ana
initiative. - The one LET'S the bnndits
make tool Of him and the other uses
the bandits as his tools. Which Is the
more honorable? On the whole. I have
more respect for the aggressive briber.
The real criminal is always the man
who pays the money.
"The greatest danger to American IN
situations arises from The relation OF
public service corporations to city gov
ernments. What Is the remedy? Some
thing might be done by stringent state
legislation. The state ought to enforce
complete publicity In the accounts OF oil
these companies: to limit the cnpitaII-
cation to the cost Of the plant; and TO
require franchises to be submitted to
popular vote. But these measures Will
not probably be found efrectual. Moth
ing is likely to reach the case except
public ownership OF municipal monopo-
lies.
Ars pr,va+a rSonono1;..
- -
We may reason as we Will about
the inexpedltncy OF such ownership:
~ ,,,,,o.,I ~. H., :,
'hs.AHt1e"'i'e14s"i thSs 10 'Hhe ~ % ic-