Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-20
San Elective MayoraI,y" &c.
J6fts Editor:

paragraphs ofcertain pretended dear lovers
Of the good people, in their weak and puc-
rile attempts 70 enlightcn this same pco-
pie as to their wrongs and their gIievan-
ccs, their rights and their duties. Why.
one might suppose that "the people" are
really too ignorant and uniformed toun-
derstand plain matters of fact touching
their own and the public welfare, and need
the benign enlightenment ofsome self-con-
stituted Mentor TO guide them in the paths
OF interest and duty. How thankful ''the
people" ought to feel for this self-devoiion
and sacrifice; for it must be devotion to
their interest, and sacrifice of personal
ease and comfort, that could impel these
amiable scribblers TO come before the pub
lie with such elaborated and crude absur-
ditics,-all rpublic emil ghtenment,-
subjects perfectly familiar to every intelli-
gent school boy in the town,who has given
passing notice to current events for the
last few years. Any mere tyro could take
the facts OF the case, as they are universally
known, and COMPUTE and confound the dis
torted assertions and fimsy arguments of
regiment of these devotees, who have
voluntarily thrown themselves, Curtius ike,
into the dark, deep abyss, which, in their
distempercd Imagination, is yawning to en-
gulph the dear people Will not the
grateful people reward them for their la
bours at the coming municipal election
1t would be unkind, indeed, if they do
not.
lam. no apologist for any man or set Of
/ ltr lntla 4
to all, and especially to those DISTINGUISHED,
amiable ones who have voluntarily taken
up the sword and the helmet Of the re-
nowncd knight Of La Marcia to fight a
Sainst this fIightful windmill that is grind
ing so 'many tax payers" to death. Their
-suferings rs indeed too intolerable to be
borne y; and "the people, grateful crea-
lures, ought to be condescendingly thank
tul for being reminded of the fact Per
haps these same ignorant people do not
now remember that they, in public meet
ing, assembled at the Univcrsalist Church,
gravely resolved that they would petition
the Legislature TO pass an Act authorizing
them to guaranty per cent interest on a
sum, not exceeding half million of dol
lars, to certain Stockholders in the Lynch
burg and Tennessee, now the Virginia and
Tennessee, Railroad Company! They do
not now remember that, IN answer to their
petition, that act was passed and submitted
10 them fl their adoption or rejection,
when, by an overwhelming majority, they
accepted IT'S provisions and instructed our
Common Council to consummate the guar
anty, thereby securing the charter for the
Railroad, and insufIng TO the town of
Lynchburg incalculable benefits, which
years ofincreaslng and profitable trade and
commerce will but partially develop, and
forever blotting out the gross and gratuit-
Gus charge of"selishncss, !" brought against
her Tor selfish purposes, aud making her
the cynosurc of all the great internal I'M
provcments, not only of the State but of
sister States, not to say of the United
States. These same people, noiwithstand-
ing many of them are Stockholders IN this
same Railroad, and regularly collect the
interest on the stock paid in by them, do
not know, poor souls, that they have only
pad forty dollars per share on the amount
subscribed by them, which, on the five
thousand shares guaranteed by the Cor
poration, would make two hundred thou
sand, and not "half million dollars"
the interest on which they are lugubliots-
~ told they are so much burdened to pav.
These people do not know that, although
they have agreed to pay this guarantee, they
receive part OF II back, in the shape Of
interest and that, in the course Of few
tnonths, portion Of this railroad will be in
operation, when the Dividend will come to
their aid and relieve them from cores
ponding amount of taxation. This fiipbt
anl bugbear of"taxafion" has long broodcd
ms a horrible nightmare over the magma
tlons OF dcmagogucs, and been fruitful
theme with them when appealing to the
weakness, the passions and the prejudiccs
OF ''misgoverncd and down troddcn poo
pie, as they are pleased to call them; but
we hive IN an enlightened age, when thtl
masses understand that, under all geaeirn-
mcnts,ltis necessary that Northumberland
contribute, rateably of their meaa.,so carry
on the machinery of governpasiiiff,is promote
the public good and sccysdihS peace and
comfort of the commussltfii which they
live.
Perhaps this slime oppressed, humbuc-
cd people do not remember that the sub
.jcct of an elective Mayorahy has been one
at strcet-discussion for many months, and
that, SO far as public opinion could be as
ccrtaincd, it was the general wish Of the
intelligent, order-loving portion of the com
munity. 1.-The people" have notread your
paper OF the 9th snst., or they would knoa
THAT the Common Council has "not' di
rcctcd the Sergeant to open a poll for the
election of a Mayor by the people on the
LIST Tuesday in April next, without pub
l'slnng the Act Of the Legislature, author
ising and directing such election. If "the
people had only been SO fortunate as to
read that aforesaid Lynchburg Virginian.
of the 9th of March, Ammo Domim 1851,
what deal of mental anguish and iabo-
nous composition it would have saved
some wcll-meaning souls. They would
have seen who it was that made applica-
ZION to the Legislature for authority to the
qualified voters of the town to elect Nav
or. They would have seen that there was
no provision in the Act ofAssemblv author
Using the Common Council "to direct the
speiS'"I' W op'H d pom, HrSt 10 take the
sense OF the voters. whether they are in ia
yor ofharing Mayor with salary of
$500 quartcred upon them or not" Had
''the people" read that aforesaid paper they
would have seen, what is so much coveted
for them to know, precisely "what duties
he Che Mayor would be required to per
form, and the mode of paying him." and,
perhaps, they would have been enabled
to."votc inteligibly even on this question:
Atany rate they would have seen that '.the
Peacc-lovlng portion of the community"
can not 'be made to pay for controversies