The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-20
TO THE VOTERS OF WHEELING

, poration or business in the ry owned
and operated by one man is onducfd.
and II this method Of operatin contin-
ues for m indefinite time, 1t 3 just as
certain TO result in q. grosswaStc off,
funds. even absolute theft, q the sun (
is to shine.
Another portion Of this pamhlct con-
tains a hyppocriticAl boast OF the inn
proved moral condition. OF Wheeling. Tho
claim, for instance. Is made tht the red
light district is closed. Every nan who
krow. anything about the city affairs.
and particularly about the so oiled red
light district, knows that II Is not
closed. II is matter OF Ecnerl know
ledge that houses are running more or
less openly and especially thos whose
propretors have some particular stand
in: but worse than this. it Is a ntter ~ :
common knowledge that the vie cle-
mcnt has been distributed all oer the
city. instead OF being. as formeri- con-
centrated. Today there, are ova ono
hundred of so called bed house in
, Wheeling. There arc from eigh TO
thirteen or more on the island. a seeion
formerly kept clean Of this evil. n =
very few cases slich houses nave een
raidcd. but citizens will observe hat
there have been no raids during the psf
| four or five months.
They Heed The voteL
Because the city election Ii coming n
and the Big Five" needs votes.
It is also claimed that gambling has
! been stopped In wheeling, Any nc
afternoon between Eleventh and Sin
tenth street on Market there can o.
seen anywhere from ten to twenty vel
known professional gamblers. men who
have no occupation except the shufflinG
| Of the cards. Flies gather around sugar.
Gambling is going on IN DOZEN di1-
| fcrent places in wheeling regularly 10
fGSn
/ force. At the same time that the NOR
alists of the Big Five" get out in the
open and loudly proclaim their excessiy"
virtue. One councilman at least, n
member of the Big Five IN his own
ward protects. encourages and patron;
| ICES n gambling house, opcraleo ny ee
| tain Of his friends. a
what The People Think.
W tho late primaries the citizczns OF
Wheeling gave pretty distinct cri::
dcncc Of what they think or the Big
| Five" Ono OF them was dereatcd ior
| nomination in his cwn ward. receiving
only about onc-sixth Of the total vote
cast Another, the present mayor. was
! nominated By a narrow margin. out re-
| ccived onE about onc-third OF thu NUM-
her OF votes that the leading candidate
| in his ward received. In only ono ward
| did any ono on the Big Ffe iee1 n'e
opposition and in that ward X was by
! yerI, narrow margin. and that candidats
received about half the votes he received
] In tho urinary Of two years ago. IN tn,
| Third ward where one Of the member.
| ~ the big Five" was not a candidate
for rc-election. the candidate represent
inr tho '"Bic Ffvcs" interest and with
their endorsement ran. poor second In
rho dispairing rffcrt Of this discrcd-
tied bunch Of arbitrary and high handed
| civ bosses ~ create the impression that
| thcv have been faithful public servants.
| instead OF servants Of private interests
| Is not likely to avail much at this late
day. The voters have their numbers and
viii vote on Thursday to establish city
administration that will De IN touGn
with the people OF wheeling: that Will
be IT. responsive to public demands: that a.
will protect public property instead o.
giving il up to private interests: that
will Establish a decent method OF &C:
counting OF publis monies; that VII 40
bunch Of mon. and. in fact. aini.to make
a populsr and useful city administration:
wI ss1nasas uDzrz1D1zT .voz1aI
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