Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
April 8, 1906
Bluefield Evening Leader
Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
The United Citizens Party in Bluefield holds a meeting to pass resolutions endorsing their previous platform, criticizing corruption, saloon influence, and ring rule in city government, and calling for reform by nominating honest, non-partisan candidates.
Merged-components note: Continuation of the United Citizens Party resolutions and platform; text flows directly from one to the other, forming a single story.
Clipping
OCR Quality
88%
Good
Full Text
United Citizens Party Passes Resolutions. Also Adopt the Platform Adopted By That Party Last Year.
At a recent meeting of the United Citizens party, the following resolutions were adopted, and the platform upon which they made their fight last year was endorsed. By request we publish the resolutions and also the platform in full. They are as follows:
WHEREAS, the United Citizens Party came into existence last year for the purpose of effecting much needed reforms and correcting certain grievous abuses in the administration of municipal affairs in the City of Bluefield which have justly caused widespread dissatisfaction among our citizens, and
WHEREAS, notwithstanding the fact that the people rallied loyally to the support of this movement, yet the removal of two of our men from the city gave the petty politicians in alliance with the saloon ring the opportunity to practice their methods of trickery and fraud and again subvert the will of the people, and
WHEREAS, the saloon with all its accompanying evils is still protected and encouraged in its nefarious work; the laws for the suppression of vice and crime are not enforced; the will of the people on moral questions is flagrantly disregarded, the majority now in power have shown unmistakably that they are allied with the liquor interests and are determined at all costs to perpetuate the saloon while questions affecting the highest interests of the city as to its progress and general welfare are manifestly of little consequence to them as compared with the liquor interests, and
WHEREAS, a persistent effort has been made to lay the blame for this mal-administration of affairs upon the minority composed of good men and true, elected by the United Citizens Party, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that we deem it more necessary than ever to reform the city government and cleanse our municipal affairs from the corruption of ring rule which has brought so much reproach upon our city's good name.
Be it further resolved that we nominate good business men and true men, irrespective of party affiliations, for the city offices and bend all our energies to secure their election and call upon all, both white and colored, Democrats and Republicans to unite with us in this effort.
Be it further resolved, that we re-affirm the principles which we set forth last year as our platform which is as follows:
1. We stand for liberal, intelligent, yet economical administration of the city government. We take just pride in the rapid growth of our city, we have confidence in its future, and we believe that a vital factor in our future progress is the administration of our public affairs by men elected solely for this purpose and fully competent to do it. We stand for the election of men of sound business capacity, men of integrity and honor, who will tell the truth and represent the people, and in their public acts be unbiased by party spirit.
2. We stand for the suppression of the sale of intoxicants as beverage in the city of Bluefield. The saloon is a direct cause of crime and immorality, and the liquor dealers, with some others, have for a long time exercised a most pernicious influence in our municipal affairs, seeking constantly to dominate the council and govern it for their own selfish interests, and by machine methods have so controlled nominations, the elections, and thwarted the will of the people at the polls as to disgust our best citizenship, and arouse them for their overthrow. We stand for honest elections, corrupt and iniquitous rule.
3. We stand for a faithful and energetic administration of the laws of the city for the suppression of vice and crime of all kinds, and especially the unlawful sale of liquors, gambling and bawdy houses.
4. We stand for the administration of the city government by its moral, intelligent and capable citizenship, as opposed to 'Ring Rule,' 'Liquor Rule' and 'Machine Politics.'
In the matter of public franchises under the control of the city council we pledge ourselves to take care of the interests of the people.
On this platform we urge all good citizens to unite. The people can govern themselves if they will solely blind adherence to party, and govern it they will. It is wholly and being led by party spirit that makes the political boss possible. Only by the people asserting their independence can bad leaders be put down, and parties lifted out of mire.
5. We pledge our support to those already in office who have stood with the people against 'Ring Rule' and assure them of hearty public endorsement.
At a recent meeting of the United Citizens party, the following resolutions were adopted, and the platform upon which they made their fight last year was endorsed. By request we publish the resolutions and also the platform in full. They are as follows:
WHEREAS, the United Citizens Party came into existence last year for the purpose of effecting much needed reforms and correcting certain grievous abuses in the administration of municipal affairs in the City of Bluefield which have justly caused widespread dissatisfaction among our citizens, and
WHEREAS, notwithstanding the fact that the people rallied loyally to the support of this movement, yet the removal of two of our men from the city gave the petty politicians in alliance with the saloon ring the opportunity to practice their methods of trickery and fraud and again subvert the will of the people, and
WHEREAS, the saloon with all its accompanying evils is still protected and encouraged in its nefarious work; the laws for the suppression of vice and crime are not enforced; the will of the people on moral questions is flagrantly disregarded, the majority now in power have shown unmistakably that they are allied with the liquor interests and are determined at all costs to perpetuate the saloon while questions affecting the highest interests of the city as to its progress and general welfare are manifestly of little consequence to them as compared with the liquor interests, and
WHEREAS, a persistent effort has been made to lay the blame for this mal-administration of affairs upon the minority composed of good men and true, elected by the United Citizens Party, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that we deem it more necessary than ever to reform the city government and cleanse our municipal affairs from the corruption of ring rule which has brought so much reproach upon our city's good name.
Be it further resolved that we nominate good business men and true men, irrespective of party affiliations, for the city offices and bend all our energies to secure their election and call upon all, both white and colored, Democrats and Republicans to unite with us in this effort.
Be it further resolved, that we re-affirm the principles which we set forth last year as our platform which is as follows:
1. We stand for liberal, intelligent, yet economical administration of the city government. We take just pride in the rapid growth of our city, we have confidence in its future, and we believe that a vital factor in our future progress is the administration of our public affairs by men elected solely for this purpose and fully competent to do it. We stand for the election of men of sound business capacity, men of integrity and honor, who will tell the truth and represent the people, and in their public acts be unbiased by party spirit.
2. We stand for the suppression of the sale of intoxicants as beverage in the city of Bluefield. The saloon is a direct cause of crime and immorality, and the liquor dealers, with some others, have for a long time exercised a most pernicious influence in our municipal affairs, seeking constantly to dominate the council and govern it for their own selfish interests, and by machine methods have so controlled nominations, the elections, and thwarted the will of the people at the polls as to disgust our best citizenship, and arouse them for their overthrow. We stand for honest elections, corrupt and iniquitous rule.
3. We stand for a faithful and energetic administration of the laws of the city for the suppression of vice and crime of all kinds, and especially the unlawful sale of liquors, gambling and bawdy houses.
4. We stand for the administration of the city government by its moral, intelligent and capable citizenship, as opposed to 'Ring Rule,' 'Liquor Rule' and 'Machine Politics.'
In the matter of public franchises under the control of the city council we pledge ourselves to take care of the interests of the people.
On this platform we urge all good citizens to unite. The people can govern themselves if they will solely blind adherence to party, and govern it they will. It is wholly and being led by party spirit that makes the political boss possible. Only by the people asserting their independence can bad leaders be put down, and parties lifted out of mire.
5. We pledge our support to those already in office who have stood with the people against 'Ring Rule' and assure them of hearty public endorsement.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
United Citizens Party
Bluefield
Political Reform
Saloon Suppression
Ring Rule
Municipal Corruption
Honest Elections
Where did it happen?
City Of Bluefield
Story Details
Location
City Of Bluefield
Event Date
Recent Meeting
Story Details
The United Citizens Party adopts resolutions to reform city government, combat corruption and saloon influence, and reaffirms their platform for economical administration, suppression of intoxicants, enforcement of laws against vice, opposition to ring rule, and support for honest officials.