The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-05

we uTC informed II II COulcHIlhtou W
some of those who are pushing this meas
ure to buy an eligible and expensive cor
ner lot and erect quite large and Splen
did building, which shall not only affort
city offices and council chambers, bu
contain fine opera house above and I
basement of store rooms On this plar
the building would cost large sum o.
money, scarcely less than fifty thousant
dollars. Whenever a new city capitol Il
built on any plan we need no! doubt Il
will cost enough-iar more than II woult
cost any private party.
1t seems to us that it Is not the approprl'
ate function Of the municipal government
to build and rent opera houses and store
rooms. 1t Is better to leave such enter
prises to private capital and energy. Il
these do not find It profitable to engage
in them at this timo, we may be sure Il
would not be profitable for the city.
Is there urgent need OF new quarters 7
The city building Is not very splendid
structure, but It Is sufficient, and will an
swer the real need of the city for several
years yet 1t IS fine enough and good
enough for those who occupy It, and is
better In keeping with tho financial condl.
ton Of It's owner than a $50, 900 or $75,.
900 opera house would be. 1t would be
pleasant all round 10 have larger and
grander building If the city could afford
II, but can sheY Look at the miles of
streets aud alleys yet to be paved, and
many not yet graded; Of sewers yet to
be built; of water pipes yet to be
laid. Look at the present con.
lition Of the best streets in the
city, which cannot bc adequately repaired
for want of funds. There are the Gas
Works for which we have just gone In
debt, which needs enlargement If not en-.
tire renewal There Is another basin that
ought to be and will have to be built
Here are places where money is needed
most urgently. There are some other
things the city greatly needs. One Is a
city prison or house OF correction into
which It would not be m offence against
decenCy to inCarcerate criminal, and In
which II would not be q crime 10 put
youthful offenders as 1t is now 10 put
them in the basement Of the court
house or In the county Jail. An.
other Is public hospital, where
strangers or INDECENT sick might be
lodged, nursed and treated like hu.
man beings. There Is Il private hos.
pital, but there ought to be a public one;
and It Is not Credltable to city Of $4,000
people, who have q million dollars invest.
ed in splendid church ediflces, that there
Is none. We have recently had some
smallpox in the city, and have, perhaps,
case or two yet We may at any time
have great deal more. Yet there Is not
in 4he city any place the patients can be
taken, so as 10 Isolate them and protect
the people Of the city from the contagion,
We may have cholera in few weeks,
and certainly will have next season.
What kind Of city government Is that
which makes no humane provision for
such eXigencies; or which, indeed, totally
neglects at all times the duty Of providing
public asylum and refuge for afflicted and
and suffering humanity?
Then again the business interests Of
Wheeling require the construction Of two
railroads, and they will not bo built TN.
less We help. Don't we need railroad
quite rs much as a new city hall What's
tho Use ola city hall II the city 10 to bo
given up to the bats and owls!
If we have twenty, or forty, or sixty, or
seyenty.ilve thousand dollars to spend,
cannot We make II more useful by apply.
Ing II 10 some Of the urgent needs pointed
out than by putting It into kind Of real
estate which the city can very we'll do
without for some time to Gomez Indeed,
we are constrained to suggest whether II
wouldn't appear more consistent to ap.
proprlate a very small sum to be spent In
ascertaining what real estate the city
now possesses, that being at present one
orSeveral profound mysteries.
WCdO not know whether there ls Job
in this measure and a ring behind II or
not. That might be worth inqulrlng into.
I3nt when a measure Of this kind Is urged
with so little apparent reason in Its favor,
there Is some room for suspicion. II II
Is to 90 on we should like very much to
know where the money is TO come from.
That Is all. 1t will be very little use ever
to inquire where II went, aner the job Is
completed; for It Is a pecullarity Of the
little Tammany here, rs It is of the great
Tammany at New York, that their nc.
/ Nka-.