Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-03
|NSURGENT Capture
is NOW BEING PLANNED.
RErpnLICANs MUST GET ONE TO
CONTROL CITY ctS BOARD.
A CONFERENCE LAST NIGHT,

-
Al Witch the situation Was Dts
cusscd-Mr. Buchanan VIII Be Sac
riaeed ~ the Deal l. Consnmmat-
ed-rhe Agreement Hctvcr. Demo-
Gratis and
The regular Republicans in Council
are in a sad predieament. The date az
which the annual election of n city gas
board takes place is rapidly approach
Ing, The regulars have eanvassed the
situation and have counted noses. They
realize that Republican control OF this
important municipal department Is In
jeopardy. The Democrats and insur-
gents will overthrow the present re-
gime through force of numbers, un-
less
A great amount of stress should he
placed upon the word unless II
means that there must he some sort Of
a dicker TO KIT one of the insurgents
into the regular camp long enought
to fix him 20 vote for the Republican
slate, A refusal TO go into Joint session
for an election has been suggested, but
some decent Republicans are growing
tired OF blocking business for partisan
politician gain. and those who are not
hurdened with deeency have a whole
some respect for public opinion which
has already been outraged in the board
OF public works muddle.
II has been apparent that the only
hope for a continuance of Republican
control OF the gas office and It's patron
age lies in the capture of an insurgent.
Accordingly. when 1t was whispered
about that one OF the insurgents was
ready to enter into a combination upon
certain conditions. the regulars took up
the report and pinned their hopes to IT,
The Register has no positive knowl-
edge that any insurgent has made q
proposition, but the general pubic
knows Of the existence OF an iron-clad,
oath-bound agreement between the
Democrats and Republican insurgents,
which would be broken IL such a deal
az has been mentioned were consum-
mated.
1t is evident that the report has been
given eredence by the regular Repub-
leans. II was the cause for a confer
ence which was held last night In the
rooms of the board of county commits
s%ioners, owe which Capt. w. IL. Otto
presided. ID at which there were pres
ent Councilman Henry Beu, Philip
Maurer, Scott Fair, VIII Brown, John
Cummins, Hermann Zwicker, John
Beckett. DIR. w. p, Mcgrail, Carl Ham
ilton, Otto KalSitzer and William
knoke. there we're a number of alb
s%entees. but whether or not that fact Is
significant only the future will tell.
The situation was presented to these
regular Republicans as a certain loss OF
the gas board unless al insurgent vote
Is secured. and the lnsurgent offer was
discussed as II 1t were a verify. Mem
bers were urged to accept conditions
named by the insurgent as preferable
to the alternative Of losing the board.
"rhe gas board must be saved ut any
cost was the watehword. The fact
was brought out by implication, IL not
directly. that the acceptance OF insur-
gent terms was dlstasteful to the regu-
lars, but this was treated as a mere
matter of sentiment.
The price of insurgent support was
said to be the decapltatlon OF Emanuel
Buchanan, who has been a member or
the board for six years. h insnrgent
who Is mentioned In the deal is un-
| dersIood to entertain feelings toward
Mr.. Buchanan which are the very anti
thesis OF friendly. The insurgent. so
the story goes, demands the privilege
of naming a Republican In place OF Mr..
Buchanan,
So far as could be learned, no definite
action was taken at the conference,
the time being spent in mere discus
sion.
Buchman's friends, as a matter OF
course, are exceedingly wrothy, n
some OF them are threatening recall
citration. Mr.. Buchanan himself is UNI
derstood to be Indifferent as to his re-
election. He once before declined TO
make a fight for a place on the board,
but accepted reelection when IL was
rendered. Mr.. Buckman's friends un-
derstand his position, and but for the
fact that a fight Is being made against
him, would probably allow the matter
to 20 by default. Their fighting blood
has been stirred up by the events OF
the pas. few weeks, however, and they
are disposed to insist that If Mr.. Buck
man must be sacrificed in the interest
Of party harmony, he and his friends
shall at least be permitted to say who
his successor shall be.
Meanwhile the fight wakes warm and
developments are awaited with inter-