Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-11

TIE ST. CLkIR STREET RAILRoAD.-Elitor
Leader: In previous article 1 mentiOne;
that the ordinance now pending before the
City Council should be SO amended as t,
state clearly and fully as to the kind O.
rail to be used, and the mode Of eOnstrue
ton and claiming that the road between
the rails should be plank; and that there
should be either paving or plank outside o.
the rails, of suitable width, and sloping Sc
that the street could be made up on to it
and that the rail should be fat, and at least
three inches wide inside Of and below the
shoulder Of the rail.
The champion of this proposed horse rail
road, and who is also tbs genius of the Kins-
man Street Railroad,) attempts to meet
these points by impuguing my niotiUes, charg-
ing that an Influenced solely by the inter
ests of the Gravel Road. It is a matter Of
no importance as to what my motives are
and I only notice it to refute, once for all,
the argument that this mode of construction n
Is asked for by the Gravel Road interest,
and not by the public.
1st. The very ordinance now before the
Council binds the Railroad Company to keep
ten feet Of the roadway in repair, which is
Of itself full answer to this argument.
End. The Gravel Road company have the
same interest that the public have in this mat
ter, and no other.
The public want good road for wagons
and carriages to go on, and this is the only
possible interest which the Gravel Road Com
pany can have. There can be no difference
between the public interest and that Of the
Gravel Road Company in this matter.
But these charges and imTutations are
made to mislead and cover up the real ques-
tionS at ISSUE These questions are /:
1st. Shall the Council, in granting the fran
ehise the right to build this road-proEide
for and specify the mode Of construction,
and the kind Of rail to be used, or leave it
open to be fixed hereafter2
End. If the kind Of rail and mode Of con-
struetiOn are to be specified in the ordinance,
what kind Of rail and construction should be
required
I claim that the Council should do this.
It may be asked whether this present COun
Gil, or q subsequent one, are not fully COM
This question can be answered by asking
whether the Council is not competent to de-
eide aolU? The Council are not only cOmpe-
tent to decide no,5, but they are, or ought to
be, more competent than a subsequent Coun-
eli. The Council now have the whole mat
ter before them, and arc presumed to have
fully Investigated it in all its bearings, and
should be, therefore, better able to decide.
Suppose this whole matter be Ieftopen. When
Is it to be decided2 And how are the public
to know when these matters are to be passed
upon, so as to have hearing? The agents
OF officers Of the company apply for COM
mittee, who report to the Council, and the
Council adopt the report and thus, the whole
matter would be put beyond the reach Of the
public and the Council. I am not sEpposing
that the Council, or any committee would be
disposed to do anything out of the way, but
they might act honestly upon the statements
of the officers Of the company, and uninten-
tionalIy do the public great injury.
Again, it is not ssfe to the public to Gepa-
rate the mode Of making the road, from the
granting of the right to mako it. II the
Company over get the right 10 build it, of
how much importance is the control Of the
Council after that? Let Kinsman Street an
swer this question.
As to what the rail and mode Of eonstruc-
ton should be, say what every one knows,
that nothing short Of good stone or plaak can
prevent cutting down beside the rail IN hot
1reatheT and that aay mode Of construction
which permits that, is a nuisance.
In conclusion, passing by the personalities
and imputations Of the communication refer
red TO, should like to have the 4" factotums" "
this proposed railroad, tell the puplie what
they regard as 8 suitable rail, and mode Of
construction and why they are so exceed
ingIy afraid to let the Council provide IA de
ordnance granting them the right to build
the road, as to these things.
FAR PLAY.