Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-02-27
Strickland Talks
On New Charter


Tuesday evening at the Odd Fellows
hall before an audience of about 200,
mostly Socialist, but with a fair
sprinkling Of non4Socialist advocates
of the proposed city charter, Rev.
Frederick Guy Strickland, of Dayton,
graduate Of Hiram college, and for
years a national Socialist lecturer,
minister of the Chrictian church,
spoke on the Commission Form of
Government from a Socialist View
point"
It was perhaps the most pleasing
address ever given in Wheeling. Men
who understand and appreciate the
art of lecturing, declared him "a mas
ter" Said one, Zone hundred dollars
has often been paid in Wheeling for
lecture far inferior TO that" He
kept his audience laughing most of
the time and happy all the time, while
he interested them and pounded home
his economic truths.
A collection was taken up, as Gus
tomary at Socialist meetings, and
$14.14 was realized, which came with
in about Sc of covering the cost of
the meeting.
The Speech.
He said in part: 'aThe Socialists are
in favor of anything that makes for
progress. Therefore, we welcome the
present agitation for better municipal
government because almost any cOndi-
ton is better than the corruption,
| inefficiency and even criminality from
Whihc we now suffer.
'eThe pure commission form of gov
eminent is not the ideal. 1t may be
much better than what we now have.
But it is the adoption of the board-of-
directors arrangement which obtains
in most business corporations.
"The commission plan wipes out
the ward system and offers no aother
plan of proportional representation.
The small group of commissioners are
also given almost arbitrary powers,
4 being both legislators and executives.
To correct this concentration Of pow
er, the voters are given the initiative,
referendum and recall. The Socialists
were pioneers in advocating these
! modern instruments of government
Since the friends of commission gov
eminent have already taken them
bodily from our arsenal, we have rea-
son to hope that they will also adopt
i QIOpOI 4VpA S0SAPfAs
"The non-partizan ballot is not fav-
I ored by the Socialists, because it does
not eliminate the old parties; it only
hides them 1t gives the Republicans,
Democrats and Progressives fine
chance to get together to defeat the
Socialists. And yet the only party
that can hold itself together under
the non-partizan plan is the Socialist
kparty. So if our friends, the opposi-
ton, want to get together, we welcome
the clean-cut fight
"The Socialists are proud Of their
record in the governing of cities.
Where we are not in power in the
cities of Europe, we still have ire
mendous influence in their manage
ment. Only the multiple system OF
voting keeps us from actual posses
sion. Our short reign in Milwaukee
is admitted by the experts to have
been fine showing Of efficiency.
Even II you cannot see that 1t IL
safer to elect a great and responsible
movement to power rather than 9
good man. we can furnish good
and efficient men. Honest and con
stfuctive work is the best character
builder. So we have the men, good
land efficient, tried and true
: In answer to q question ct the close
REV. Strickland said that the Social