The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-11
GOOD CITY GOVERNMENT

a ,go-Municipal Voters League Or
punized-All Credit Due It.
10 the Editor of the Intellgencer.
.s1R:-9ir. Edwin Burritt Smith. law
Yer. professor OF law in the Northwest
eTn University, and an active worker in
political reform movements In Chicago,
writes In the juno Atlantic Monthly,
and is quoted by the literary digest of
June 9. the following story of the clean
ing OF the city council. To show the
magnitude of the work that confronted
the friends OF honest government, he
says:
"The city government of Chicago
touched bottom In 1895. when fifty-eIght
OF Its sixty-eight aldermen were or
ganIzed into a gang for the service and
blackmail Of public service corpora
tons. Within that year six great fran
chises Of enormous value were shame
lessly granted away, in utter disre-
gard Of general protest and the vetoes
OF the mayor. Most Of the members OF
council were without personal stand
ing or character. The others were
The people scarcely realized that the
council contained an element represent
tatlve OF public interest That was
worse than Wheeling!
Longed for Better Things.
There was general desire for bet
ter things, but the outlook was very
dark, the task of correcting the city
government seemed almost impossible.
The city had a registration Of 100000
voters. three.fourths OF whom werefet
foreign birth, and mnny OF them nd
not understand English well, II Mt all.
And nearly all seemed to be too much
bent upon their own private pursuits, 70
give any attention to the city AFFAIRS,
Could they be united to rescue the
city from the spoilsmen2 Few belIev-
ed It.
"The first step towards remedy
was the organization in January Of 1895
OF a municipal voters league from
various clubs and former organlZa-
tons. This league chose an executive
committee and gave the members Of
the committee power to choose their
own successors; and this executive
committee has carried on the work
from then until now without calling an
other meeting Of the league. The COM
mIttee's work has proved eminently
successful and no substantial newspa-
per support can be secured for candl-
dates whom 1t opposes.
Furnish Facts About all Candidates.
THE Fundamental purpose of the
league is to inform the voters Ct the
facts about all candidates. There is
nothing that the city statesman of the
ordinary spoils variety so dlsllkes as a
campaign In which the Issue is upon
the facts Of his own record. He alb
hors such an issue as nature abhOrs q
vacuum. He prefers a campaign con-
Quoted upon broad national issues. He
regards the discussion of the tariff and
money question OF much greater educa-
tional value than the facts of his own
modest career. In this he Is much mis-
taken. The league has demonstrated
that there Is nothing OF such interest
to the voter, on the eve OF a municipal
election, as an authoritative statement
OF these suggestive facts.
zone of the results Of this campaign
has been that party managers in many
wards find 1t necessary to success to
submit names Of candidates to the
committee in advance OF their an
nouRcemeRt.'
"The net result of the five campaigns,
conducted since the organization OF the
league is that of the fifty-eIght gang
members of 1895, but four are now in
the COUNCIL
Quality Of Membership Improved.
1.-THE honest minority os ten in 1895
became two-thirds majority in 1899.
The quality of the membership has
steadily Improved. Each year 1t is
found easier to find good candidates.
To-day the council contains many
members Of character and force. A
considerable number Of prominent cit
liens have become members. The
council Is organized on q non-partisan
basis, the good men OF both parties
being in charge of the committees. 1t
is steadily becoming more efficient. No
general doodle ordinance" has passed
over the mayors veto since the first
election in which the league particlpa-
ted. Public despair has given place to
general confidence In the early redemp-
good investment for public service cor
poratfons TO expend large sums OF
money to secure the reelection Of no.
torious boodlers. II is no longer profit
able to pay large amounts to secure
membership in a body In which alder
manic business has ceased to be good.
1t is now an honor to be a member Of
the Chicago council.
League Deserving Of Credit.
1.-THE Chicago Tribune says that the
league deserves all the credit Mr..
Smith gives it; and the Times Herald
says: There can be no doubt in any
ones mind that the league has per-
formed a great service for the people.
1t has given them the organization and
the information that they needed to
tircumvent a wretched political system,
and while 1t Is not representative like a
Doodle convention chosen at Doodle pri-
marles, the facts show that It is thor
oughly representative Of public senti-
ment' And the Chicago Record re-.
marks that Chicago has been SO long
accustomed to look to other cities for
object lessons In municipal progress
that It is especially a cause Of pride to
be able to present to others some fea-
lures In which We excel and are de-
serving In imitation
II have taken the trouble to copy the
above for the benefit OF the committee
OF One Hundred and others who may
be interested In good city government.
/ need not point out the features that
might be used here with hope OF sue
cess. SAMUEL SCHWARTZ"