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

treats Or uses money o. liquor to &C.
compIish his end, that Is the man
across whose name you should draw
your pencil when you enter the booth
to fx your ballot. Let his name be
held up to the public in contempt. He
is a traitor to the best interests of the
Commonwealth. If he is willing to
bride voters to secure his own election,
what a you expect from him should
he get the Office. He who holds out
any inducement to get votes. other than
his qualifications and fitness and merit
for the Office to which he aspires, is
guilty OF bargaining to betray a solemn
public trust, namely, the sacredness Of
the ballot.
Bribery powerfully corrupts public
morality and national character. For
patriotism and public spirit it
substitute greed and selfshness.
For honest, independent, disin-
terested conviction it substitutes
base disregard for principle. 1t de-
stroys the n of public honor; it de-
grades office by making the qualiica-
lions not fitness, but pelf; it puts the
making OF laws and the ordering of
justice in the hands of men who have
begun by breaking the law and insult
ing justice; it degradeS alike the giver
and the receiver. Luke says that when
Judas 1scariat was about to betray the
worlds Savior for money Satan en-
tered into him." That is a very good
description of all b~ribe-takers and
bride givers. The devil enters into
them. Judas was doing the devils
work, and if you will follow him to
the end you will find that he went to
the devil. sic semper tyrannis."
C'Thus ever to tyrants.")
ihe disclosures made in Council on
last Tuesday night, that brides had
been offered to two of our Councilmen
shows how desperate the saloon ele-
ment is to have its own way in our
city. But the most surprising thing
about the whole matter is that some of
u city papers have recently stated
that it has been pretty well known
that this kind of work has been going
on in the city building for some time.
What a horrible sentiment for the ris-
ing generation to become familiar with
is this. We teach the boys who are to
be our future officers and voters to be
loyal citizens, true to the flag, and to
the highest interests of their country,
m then shock their patriotism by
such public statements as this, "Brib-
cry has been almost open and notorious
in the present City Council There has
been no moral doubt in the minds of
people who are familiar with city af-
fairs, that bride taking and bribe So
Letting have become an established
custom with certain members of Coun-
Gil. During recent contests for pub
lie franchises, the atmosphere of the
city building has fairly reeled with
rumors and suggestions of improper in
f1uences brought to bear on members!'
Evening News, May 10Th, 1900. And yet
the same paper from which I have just
| quoted has been ~unreasonably severe
vocating that the city building needs
reform. Is it any wonder that the
Federation should fail to get a slot ma
chine resolution or any other kind of
resolution in favor of public morals and
decency through such a Council as this.
If the city building is "reeking" with
such corruption isn't it about time the
citizens of Wheeling should clean the
corrupt part out. Here is work for
the Committee of One Hundred" to
do. Let them go to work and let ev-
cry loyal citizen of Wheeling who has
any pride at all in the good name of
our city join the political crusade.
Give us faithful officers, true to their
sworn duty, and law-breakers will read
their doom in such an election"