Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-21
bribery Charges


| WAS THE THEME OF REV. n. n.
BIGGER'S SERMON LAST
EVENING.
TO A LARGE CONGREGATION.
At the Third Presbyterian Church
| He Thought That Treachery IL the
Most Hateful Element In This
Crime and That the Man Who Ac-
! cepts a Bri~e is a Worse Criminal
Than the Nan Who Offers It-In-
mate That Charges In Council
suggested the Theme and Urged
Tina the Mater Be Taken to the
Grand Jury.
Last evening at the Third Presbyter-
ian church, the pastor, Rev. r. K. Big
| ger, delivered a highly interesting ser
mon upon the subject, Bribery, TO a
very large congregation including
many prominent persons from church
es of other denominations. In the
| course OF his remarks the minister in
timated that the sensational charges
made IN council last evening had
served to suggest to him the theme Ior
his sermon and he took occasion to
urge that the committee of one hum
dred" who are organized in the inter-
ests of good citizenship make string
ent efforts to have the matter brought
before the grand Jury for investiga-
ton. The text Of the sermon was ac-
cording to Psalms 26:1O, Their right
hand is full Of bribes." His re-
marks in part were as follows:
81 need not tell you that these words
were spoken of wicked, INSCRIPTIONS
men. You know that sucn a charge
can not be %truthfully laid at the doors
of men of integrity and honesty. The
practice of bribery in every age has
been condemned is worthy of being
classed with the worst crimes. The
man who offers a bride is a criminal;
and the a. who accepts a bride is to
my mind a worse criminal. The most
hateful element in this crime is it's
t~reachery. One can forgive the open
blow of a declared enemy, but the
man who is entrusted with an Office
of public trust and honor, and who
Jared to sell his influence or vote or
~ecislon to the detriment of the peo-
pie he represents is a criminal of the
deepest dye, and shou-- be sent to the
penitentiary. Likewise the man w-o
offers a bride is a treacherous man, a
| man who would silently buy the pow
er to rob or ruin his neighbors in de-
fiance of law and order.
bribery means a bargain to betray
a solemn, public TRUST. 1t takes two
to make a bargain, therefore the crime
of bribery requires two criminals to
make the act complete. In these times
wnen the air is full of Ugly reports
that brides are being givun and tahen
in our legislative hal from the
United States Senate oo4Ih to our city
council, is it not time hat vigorous
means were being employed to bring
swift and sever punishment upon
these public traitors. The revelations
OF political wrongs which are brought
constantly to our attention are enough
o name every loyal citizen tremDIe
with apprehension. Elections largely
IN the hands of selfish and unscrupu-
louS Bosses; municipal miSrule too Of
len carried or by che mos. carefully
constructed machinery o. eXtortion;
and the papers full of ugly rumors
OF deals among Senators and Repre-
%sentatives and city councilmen, all
this is r%ottenness in the bones of our
country anu our city. The practice OF
robbery has attained such proportions
as to endanger public welfare and hon.
or.
The man who a money can do
about as he pleases now. He can
tamper with elections, with executive
officers, with juries. 1t is a common
saying Win us: 1T is money tnat
talks" in other words you can bride
your way through if you have the
money. 1t is reported that a recent
nominee in this county spent SIC, 00J
to get the nomination. Ii that is true
there is something wrong. If all the
voters of our country had the highes-
interests of our commonwealth at
heart, the man who would dare 20
spend money beyond his legitimate,
necessary expenses IN announcing
himself as a candidate, would receive
Lefeat as a TeDuke. 1t is just as Grim
inal to try to buy votes as it is to try
to bride a jury. 1t is as bad to trans
form Legislation into a brokerage, as
to run a gambling den. The scale is
different but the principle is the same.
The man who sets up" beer to get
voted at either the primary or election
is a briber and ought to go to che
Moundsville penitentiary instead of
the City Building. The man who Will
sell his vote for beer or anything else
is a bribe-taker and as a punishment
the State ought to take away his vOts
from him and never permit him to
vote again. The Constitution bestows
the vote, not for the voters private
benefit, but that fit men may be chosen
to office; it is a trust for the
ity. The man who violates that trust
is a traitor to his country and the
community. He commits treason of
the meanest, vilest type, as vile as
Judas, who turnd traitor to his Lord
and master and sold him for thirty
pieces of silver. Bribery is by no
means confined to legislative halls, or
executive Offices OR the jury rooms, but
the meanest kind of bribery is prac-
ticed during election campaigns. / am
in the dark with reference to one
question. Perhaps some of our Office
seekers or City Councilmen can en-
tighten me. l should feel greatly in
debted to them or any one else who
would kindly answer this question.
In view of the fact that there is no
salary or fees provided by law to the
offi0o of CiTr CorpoiI,oan WIZ, SC ~