Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-03-20

--- I'VE WILL NOW HAVE
"A FelU Remarks

BY WALTER B. HILTON

they have until persstently Denied triumphanty
pointing to the seeming inconsistency of the Majority sup
porting proposition that is also supported by some
enemies of the Labor movement They pay the Majority
the compliment Of familiarity with it's back files and say
There, how you be with whom you heretofore
branded enemy of Labor?'
II we considered only personalities, as they do we
would say that the most charitable view take of man
who had been bitterly antagonstc toward Labor and
had been friend of corporations but who was now for the
new charterwoud be to say say of the thousands
who hit the trail at the late Sunday revvas-that he had
been converted -
But really matters not at all whether these men are
still or whether they have changed their
views This has nothing whatever to do with the position
Of Labor in this matter The Majority on occasions in
the past has opposed who actively advocat
ing the charter probable nay it is certain that there
will be occasions in the future when the Majority will
again oppose the views of present charter advocates The
Majority published in the sole purpose of getting the
product Of the worker into the hands of the worker and
any person system that opposes this must be fought
by the Majority.
The only question then Isl, How can the proposed
charter be favored by both the capitalist and the worker
There many things favored by both Sunshine
for instance In fact all Of this life want the same
thing we differ only to how to get them. Two prize
lighters agree as to the rules which both will observe
Two nations at do the In fact the republican
form OF government under which live is merely the
rules OF the game of Life
The proposed charter is simply new rules. The old
rules are out OF date and they against the interests
the worker They made for time when there was
no industrial Development when there gigantic
trust Or public service corporation The new charter
recognizes the existence Of these forces lays down
the rules under which we will fight it out.
It must not be imagined that the capitalist class is
Wheeling is unit in favor of the charter The big
business interests at heart opposed to it. Most them
favored it at first for the reason that they had some
vague idea that would take out Of the hands
OF the great unwashed and put in the hands Of bus
ness men, They did not realize that is exactly where it
has BEEN Others than their fellows thought that
by having their own people in these places of power peo
pie who bought the same as they did, that would not be
necessary to bride them and that corruption would die
because there would be need for it when the officials
OF government had the ideals as the interests that
forced for business reasons to take part in poll
tics And to get this centralized and business govern
ment they willing to throw in the initiative referen
dunn and the recall.
And that is where the mistake was made bv big bust
ness Some OF them have already this The rest will
after it becomes law The people once with
these tools In their hands, will and fashion out gov
eminent for themselves in which the private profit Of in
dviduas at the expense of the many will have no place
That is as inevitable as the sunrise
And that is why the Majority favors the charter No
matter what else OF progressive nature might be the
charter if the initiative referendum and recall were not
there the Majority would oppose it. And no matter what
flaws be in the proposed charter the fact that the
initiative referendum and recall is in it ustifies the vote
OF every workngmann the city of Wheeling
Had this principle of direct legislation been part of
the organic law OF this city years ago. does any one
imagine that the Wheeling Traction company could have
secured franchise for fifty yearsa franchise worth AT
least million dolars-for nothing? And in face of the
fact that competing company had certified check be-
fore council of 100000? Does any one imagine that the
Natural Gas Company would have been allowed to raise
it's rates arbitrarily from II cents to 27g Or that the Ma
tlonal Telephone company would have been granted
franchise as competing" only to become an
added burden to the people of Wheeling and make mil
lions for the pirates Of high finance? Or that New York
capitalists would have been given the right to sell cleo
trcity exclusively to Wheeling people while our own
plant idle IN the commercial field and not allow
ed to sell to ourselves? ~ |
The initiative, referendum and the recall would have
prevented these grabs and many others Millions Of dol
lars would have been saved to the people of this
ty IN the last decade millions that have flowed into the