Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-04-07
UNITE on MIDDLE GROUND
AND GET DOWN To BUSINESS, -
MAYORS SUGGESTION TO
COUNCIL.
THE LICENSE ORDINANCES
Should he Passed This Week-No
Liquor License Applications Can
BE Acted Upon Until the Comnait-
tees Are Named-Conference Com
mittee Will Report.

Although more than ten weeks will
have elapsed since the municipal cleo
ton was held, Council is not yet or
ganized and ready to proceed to bust
ness. This deplorable situation has
developed an unmistakalble public SEN
timent antagonistic to the further ne
glect of the public business for parti-
san political advantage. Most of the
business of Council is done in commit
tee rooms, and the committees have not
yet been named. The reasons there
for are familiar to all who have
watched the proceedings of Council.
At the meeting tuesday night the
conference committee of the two
branches will present compromise re-
port Inasmuch as the political COM
plexion of the committee was equally
divided it is hoped that the report will
be adopted.
Another important matter which
should be brought up at Tuesday
nights meeting is the annual license
ordinance. The saloon license tax is fix
ed by Council, and the applications are
presented after the ordinance has been
adopted. They must go to the commit
tee on petitions and circumstances,
which has not yet been named, before
final action by Council. Inasmuch as
the licenses date from May list, the
necessity for prompt action must be APP
parent.
Mayor A. T. Sweeney, in discussing
the situation with a Register reporter
last night, said:
when the result of the last city cleo
ton was announced 1T was evident that
on account of the complexion of Coun-
ell, politically, no business could be
successfully accomplished unless a
basis of operation was first determined
upon. In my position of presiding Off
Ger, and having been chosen by ma
Jority OF the votes of all the citizens, /
deemed my duty to he one of media
ton, and approaching the fact that any
attempt to organize and proceed to
carry out the purpose and intent of the
people would he retarded and handi-
capped by the personal appeals and in
fiuence of those persons having only
In view personal or political prefer
ment, | have exemed my efforts in the
direction of ameliorating the conditions
by appealing to the better Judgment
and sense of right of both parties, de-
string to gain some middle ground on
which both parties could stand
my efforts have resulted only in
possibly wider breach, since the line
of demarkation is no longer that of
party, but entirely one of personal ag-
grandizement and self interest, any
thing to win and every concession to
further selfish ends. The city ordi-
nances and rules of Council, and the
statutes from which the ordinances
emanate, were framed to avert rather
than encourage dilatory tactics result
ing in the retarding and emibarfass-
ment of public business, but under lat
ter day constructions have been so dis
torted as to rather uphold positions en-
tirely untenable
The business of the citizens of
Wheeling is being made secondary
consideration to the distribution Of Of
fees and political greed, her creditors
are clamoring for the money justly
due them, her public works are suf-
fering and her various offices held by
men uncertain of much longer tenure
OF Office cannot be conducted in the