Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-28
The Republican members of Council,

The Republican members of Council,
who have frequently demonstrated
their incapacity for proceeding in a
decorous and business-like manner,
went to the limit last night, when
they gave such a puerile exhibition of
partisanship as would have been in
excusable in an assemblage of ten
year-olds.
The spectacle of a hasty and undig-
nified fight to gain mean partisan
advantage was presented during the
consideration of a proposition to fill a
vacancy in the representation from a
Democratic ward.
Mr.. Caldwell, member of the Second
Branch from the Sixth ward, made a
motion to declare the seat of Mr..
Gaus vacant, and to proceed to an
election to fill the vacancy. He called
attention to the fact that Mr.. Gaus
it had been for three weeks without
it's full representation.
The Chair made the gratitious and
wholly improper suggestion that Mr..
Gaus had not offered his resignation.
Mr.. Caldwell-"Mr. Gaus says he
handed his resignation to you three
weeks ago."
Mr.. Caldwell, after his motion had
carried, named Henry Balzer to sue
coed Mr.. Gaus. Mr.. R. p. Chew NOV
ed to postpone action for two weeks.
Lost. Mr.. Marschner moved to adj
journ. 1t was evidently a preconcert-
ed movement on the part of the Re-
publicans. The motion was lost, and
Mr.. Chew and Mr.. Marschner started
to leave. Other members on the ma
jority side did likewise. Officer Nc
Guigan was stationed at the door.
Mr.. Haley-"I ask that the officer
be instructed to prevent members
from leaving the Chamber. (To the
sprinters) Don't act like school boys.
Act like men"
Mr.. Marschner, (plaintively),-"It
was all right when they started to
leave a while ago."
President Maxwell instructed the Of
fcer to prevent members from leav-
ing. The order was not obeyed. Mem
bers brushed past him, or climbed ov-
er the ratings, and none were turned
back. If he made show of stopping
any member, he was pushed aside.
Word was sent to the First Branch,
and that body helped things along by
adjourning.
Mr.. Chew renewed his motion to ad-
journ.
There were protests from the Demo-
cratic side, and mad rush of Repub-
lican members for the door, and in
the confusion member of the First
Branch conveyed a message announc-
ing that the body had adjourned.
Mr.. Fox was not as nimble as some
of the others, and had not succeeded
in squeezing out. He looked about
him. He found that he stood on the
deck when all but him had fled. Mr..
President" he said, ''Id like to be ex-
cused. 1 amt feeling very well"
The entire Branch was probably in the
same boat, the indisposition dating
from Saturday night
Mr.. Healy-'If ever I saw school
boy exhibition, this is one"
President Maxwell, Every innocent
ly).-"Let's see, have we got a
quroum?"
The roll was called. Mr.. Balzer re-
ceived II votes.
President Maxwell (as the last coat
tail disappeared through the door, and
amid the clatter of retreating foot
steps in the corridor .-"This Branch
stands adjourned for want of a quor-
um.''
There was chuckllng and merri-
ment down stairs, and Republican
Councilma2 fell upon each others
necks and wept for sheer joy over the
success of their strategem CD