Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-02-06
[FOr the wheeling Intsllgeneer.l
The Editor of the Wheeling
Timaa---HiS troubles

In his paper of the goth of January, he in-
forms us that, by the courtesy of the editors of
the IateUigencer, 'he laid before his readers the
financial report and also that Of the ExPlanato-
~ Committee, and that to this latter report he
would dsvote few paragraphs specially as
its surpassinq beauty was not to be seen on the
first reading" and added these notable words,
that it was as oHe-sided as it was possible to
conceive" What did you intend in regard to
Mr. List by this?
In his paper of the oath of January-Satur-
day before the election,-he publishes a long
editorial, condemnatory of the water tax, with
many letters from distant correspondents, to
show how extrayagantly high water was in
Wheeling; and in another editorial leader of the
same day, headed "Facts to be remembered
from the Explanatory Report" he alleges that
he has proved that the Explanatory Committee
or Council, or both, are guilty of many errors.
He insists that he has proved shat the Council
of 1856 had paid debt of only $780, 600, while
they raised 800, 900 from sources from which
the Council of 1865 derived nothing; that the
Council of 1856 had left burden or debt on
their successors of $1Ss,97l and 81 cents; that
the Explanatory Committee were in error in re-
gard to the expenses of the Fire Department
and Lamp Posts; that the Explanatory Com
mittee's report, unjustly compared the costs of
the enlargement of the Water Works of 1855
with that of 1855, and, that this Committee tried
hard to make the people believe that the water
tax was not too high-he calling upon the voters
'to have a special reference to speedy reforma-
tioa Of the exhorbitaht water rents, - and alieg-
ling, in the same breath, ''that it was owing to
the beneficial measures of the american C0un-
ell of 1855 that the finances Of the city c0ntia
Lecl to imprOrs."
His paper of Monday, tho 2Gth of January
the day of the electon,-was filled with editori-
ais condemning the Council of 1856 and its
measures; and if any one doubts the truth of
this statement, let him look at that number of
the paper. Speaking of the Explanatory report,
he informs his readers ''that he experienced lit
tie regret at bidding adieu to the figures and
FAxc1Es OF that rare clectiOneering documents
In it he repeats the charge, that the Explanatory
Committee ''tried hard to make the people be-
lieve all was fight-that its conduct, or that of
the Council of 1856 twas subject which ought
to alarm the people"-''that the people of Wheel
| ing paid higher for water than almost any COM
munity in the Union, and that it was time econ
omy was introduced into that departmcnt-that
last years Council increased the pay of the Su-
perintendent of the Water Works tseO hundred
dOtLdTS-that the water tax was Onerous; Cp.
pressice and iaiquitous," and he called upon the
people ito speak language at the polls in re-
gard to the price of water, which neither this
present nor any future Council could fail to
understand or dare to disobey."
In the same paper, issued on the day of the
election, is another long Editorial, headed Sire
Department" which argues to prove "that the
City Council of 1856 left the city defenceless, to
great extent, in case of fire. In it he also re-
newed his attacks on the Explanatory Commit
tee, saying their "report was unfair" and that
it Showed the utter inefficiency of the present
Council" If this report unfair, it is not
probable it proved the ineficiency of the Coun-
Gil But the Editors Inconsistencies are not my
business, at this time. My present purpose is
to show, by his own Editorials, that he attacked
aud condemned the late Council and its meas
ures-financial and others,-and not once or
twice, but thrice, and thrice repeated, and for
weeks upon weeks before the election.
I'm the same paper of the day of election, we
have the following beautiful specimen of truth
and fairness:
Gerry DEBT TO BE PAID THIS YEAR.-Not-
withstanding the present council have compell-
ed the collection, by the addition of an OnerOuS
and oppressive tax of ten per cent if not paid
within specified time, of nearly all their reve-
nue. let it he remembered that they leave a debt
to be paid off this year, by the council to be
elected to-day amounting to one hundred thtTty
I eight thousand nine hundred and sereHty-One
dollars and eighty-oae cents"
These are few, and butte few, when compa-
red with the whole number of his Editorials
abusive and condem9atory of the Council of
1856, taken from such odd numbers of the Times
as could lay my hands on; and yet, when re-
minded the public of this, and charged that he
had for months been opposing and abusing the
Council of 1856, and its measures, he had the
hardihood not only to deny, but also charged
me with falsehood for saying so. Does he not
know, or is he too stupid to understand, that to
abuse men, and to single out their leading
measures, and heap opprobrious epithets upon
them, and to call upon the people to put them
down, is to oppose them? And when remind
cd him of it, we find him foaIning and fussing,
and, like silly fellow, demanding the author,
and quarreling with the Editors because they
would not crafty him, notwithstanding that
only a few days before, he acknowledged him
self debtor to their courtesy.
But am departing from my purpose, which
was, not to waste words on such a one, but-as
no will have it, or break the peace,-to show
what he had published concerning the Council
of 1856. The second day after the election, he
thus discourses to the public:
we have no disposition, in this thehour of tho
realization of our hopes, and while our banner
still floats in triumph upon the breeze, to exult
unduly over our fallen foes. We have met them
upon fair fell, and ''smote them from Dan
even unto Beersheba."