The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-29
AGAINST USE
OF BEER in
CAMPAIGNS.
Aspirants From Both Parties for LO-
cal ohacss to arupple With
the Problem.
BALL AND PICNIC TICKET EVIL.
The Candidates VIII Confer Shortly
to Draw Up Agreement for
Better Conditions.

II is said that candidates Of both par
ties ON the county ticket and prospec-
tive candidates for the city primaries
will, in a few days, come together in
conference to decide the rate Of the fes-
tive beer keg in politics, and form an
ironclad agreement for the elimination
of this Objectionable feature in CAM
paigns.
Candidates in recent years have suf-
fered greatly as a result of the contin-
ued Fostering of alleged committees
from the Happy Dick" Jolly Row.
ers," merry Ten" and many other
clubs that spring up like mushrooms in
campaigns, their purpose being to bleed
the candidate or raise the price Of a
drink from an ofice-holder.
The question of buying key beer and
ball and picnic tickets, as well as treat
Ing In saloons, has been serious OBJ
stncle for every candidate to overcome.
The practice has grown to such pro-
portions that many of the candidates
are almost bankrupt at the close OF a
campaign. The continuance Of this
campaign method is daily demoralizing
many of the young voters. and degrad-
ing them to inebrlates who at the pres
emit time Of summer stops at the mills,
have opportunity to take advantage Of
this method of getting free booze"
suckers" from every ward In the
city conEregate about the city hall dis
trIct and lay in wait for the candl-
dates from councllmen to sheriff and in
search of the price for wet goods. Re-
Gently a prominent attorney overheard
the conversation of an alleged COM
mltteo of Influential citizens" in the
corridor of the court house and the
conversation went like this:
you 70 see - and bleed him for
a s. bill. He'll cough up. II he don't,
give him de bluff. strong. Ill go see
and make him come up with
1--WE. You see. you've got to work dis
ting with q system, $40 will be plenty
for DIS weeks booze"
This is only a sample of conversa-
lions and plots arranged to raise the
price from the ambitious candidate.
While the booze end of the campaign Is
considered the heaviest financial out
lay, yet the ball and picnic tickets must
not be overlooked. A young man was
seen at the city hall every day of last
week with a handful of picnic tickets to
unload on the attaches desiring re-elec.
ton. The candidate is not as lucky as
the average man who generally gets
off with the purchase Of one ticket; he
is required to purchase four and some
times six, and then he is considered a
very bad man II he offers a protest.
Another evil that is also to be consid-
cred is that of the saloon campaign,
which is a serious item to the average
candidate.
The movement for the meeting of
candidates of both parties on this sub
ject tending towards the publication of
local politics in this respect assumed
tangible form yesterday, when several
Of Ohio county's influential party wor-
kers volunteered to take a hand and
bring about the desired end.
An ironclad agreement is to be drawn
UP and signed by all the candidates,
with certain rigid requirements, bind
ing themselves to keep the agreement,
which will be efrectual not only In the
coming county campaign. but the city
campaign also. AS soon as the news
became known to the candidates, their
faces bore n broad smile Of approval.
The coming meeting OF the above ques-
tlons will be conducted with the secrecy
of a "Klu Klux Khan" Previous
movements of this kind, however, were
not successful.
AS an example of the good that n
beer campaign does for the candidate,
well known politician stated that
certain candidate at recent primary
election did not give key of beer nor
buy ball ticket, yet was nominated by
more than 1000 majority. The above is
given as sample of the good beer
campaign is to candidate. The var
ious clubs work both political parties
and then vote as they please. Most of
the permanent clubs in the city neither
ask nor wifi receive beer from candt-
date.