Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-31

A1 ~ Ia OOuFSe 10 fuISue, on ACs
count of the Attitude of the Three.
They Want an Ante-Caucus Pledge.
No Call for a Caucus Has Yet Been
Circulated-Political News and
Notes.
To clean out the political filth in the
Augean stables Of the City Hall ring
is the determination of three members
OF Council. They are Republicans.
They exact an ante-caucus promise that
none of the present office-holders will
be retained. This is the price of their
acquiescence in the will OF the major
ity, and it is a price which the
followers of the ring are determined
not to pay. Without their support, the
Republicans cannot hope to elect a
single caucus nominee, because their
demand amounts to naught if they
simply remain silent and allow the
Republicans, with their majority of one
still remaining, to fill the offices. The
significance OF their pledge is under
stood. If the present Office holders are
renOminated, they will assist the Dem
ocrats in defeating the caucus nomi-
nees.
1t is a bold stand, made in the in
terest of good government, and for that
reason commended by all right think
ing citizens. 1t makes the situation
desperate. The bosses are biting their
lips, and heaping maledictions upon
the heads of the recalcitrants, but they
announce that they will not be sWerved
from their determination.
All the persuasive ability of the
bosses and s~trategists CD of the dom
inant side, has been brought to bear
during the past two days, but to no
avail. 1t is a situation which calls for
a coup d etat by such master hands as
Richards, Boyce, Caldwell, Maxwell ct
al. They have been manipulating the
wires TO deprive the Democrats Of that
voice in the conduct Of affairs in Coun-
Gil which the voters intended that they
should have. In this they nave been
successful, but now they are up against
a stone wall.
The three members who name the
unusual condition upon which they will
agree to go into the caucus, are Eu-
gene st. Meyers, OF the First ward;
Robert Marshall, of the Second ward;
and Matt S. Chew, of the Fourth ward.
They refuse to be bound by the action
of the caucus in choosing any Repub-
lican who is now holding an office in
the public building.
The ring" was never before given
! such a deliberate and sassy" slap in
the face. One of the gentlemen men
toned explained their attitude to a
Register reporter as follows:
eve have taken this stand, not as a
bluff, for there is not one of US who
is after anything, but because We be-
lieye the people demand a change in
the city offices, and we think it is
right. Everybody knows how the thing
has been going. If there is not an eX-
press agreement among the office
holders, there is at least a tacit un-
d~erstanding that they will stand by
each other-one for all, and all for
one!
whenever a change is made, the
new man comes from another office,
paying a smaller salary. They step
from one place to another, and want a
life tenure on public Office. Under the
ring rule no Republican worker has an
opportunity. The present men are to
be retained so long as the party is in
control. Once on the inside they step
from one position to another, While the
faithful workers have no incentive to
continue their service to the party"
The three Councilmen may acQuiesce
in the trite saying that public office is
a private snap, but they object to MAX
ing it a perpetual private snap. They
assert the principle Of rotation, and
are determined to stand for it, and small
wonder that they do. There are office
holders after every job in the gift OF
Council, and they are not all present
incumbents. The trio say TO the major
ity members:-Turn out the fellows
who have become fat and lazy in suck
ing the public teat. Let the other fell
lows, who are after their places, hold
on to the good things they have. Give
the rank and file a chance.
They say the Indifference Of many
old-time workers in the recent election,
and the open support OF Democrats by
many of them, is the legitimate and in
evitable outgrowth of the eXclusiveness
of the City Hall c~oterie, who arrogant
ly appropriate to themselves all the
spoils of party victory.
The position Of Messrs. Chew, st.
Myers and Marshall has led to a post
ponement of the Republican caucus,
which was never before deferred for SO
long after election. There was talk OF
holding it Monday. Tim there was
talk of holding it after the Council
meeting on Tuesday, and more talk
Of holding it last night. No call has
been circulated.
Last night many members were fav-
orable to meeting tonight, but were
undecided as to whether it would be a
conference OF a caucus. Everything is
b%efuddled, and the strategists CD are
kept so busy scratching their heads
that their pates are becoming bald. 1t
is a season of more or less delightful
uncertainty for present Office holders,
and the faithful on the outside are
~applaudirg Chew. St. Myers and MIR
shall-the triumvirate in whom are
~centered their hopes Of victory. Dem