The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-04
For the Register.1
APersonal vindicati0n.

oUoiS, ho"SsSiIS We sAS -
remarks made by Mr.. Sweeney, Jr., a
the meeting of Monday evening, no
being in the Court House while hi
occupied the floor, nor had l an oppor
tunity of knowing what they were unit
they appeared in the report OF this
morning as per the IntelHgencer.
/ therefore crave your indulgence fol
lust a few remarks in reply to him anc
his structure on me, a taxpayer.
In referring to me taxpayer, he
says he ventures the prediction l an
not a laborer. In reply to that predic
ton allow me TO inform Andrew that
am a laborer, aud have been all my life
thirty.three years of which have beer
spent in this city. l have been g
laborer in every sense of the word, and
as a matter OF necessity have been com
PEELED to labor in order that livelihood
for myself and those dependant on mt
should be obtained; a laborer because
have always delved into that thai
offered most inducements for my labor
not even stopping to inquire whether
the labor was of that class that would
be called respectable by men Of
Mr.. Sweeney's cloth.
When position was offered me, the
only question asked by me Of myself
was "Are you competent, capable and
willing to undergo the hardship and
discharge the duties required for the In
ducements offeredY' If all was salts
factory, l took hold.
Iuaword, have labored since ! was
nine years old.
He also ventures that | never invested
a dollar in an enterprise in my life. Ii
| did not, it was because | had none to
invest.
Were | in the position to-day that
Andrew and his br hers and father
are, ! pledge you M word and honor
that ] would favor the building OF this
road (although l have not the faith o.
its paying so we'll as they have).
Butt would favor the building Of il
in this way: l would 60 down into the
depths of my pocket and into my strong
boxes in the banks; examine my secu'
rites Government bonds, and whatever
else had; l would ascertain just what
amount had to spare without Gripping
nv business too much; after which |
would hunt up Tom Scott, and say to
him: mr.. Scott, send on your sub,
scriptlon books or certificates Of
stock, / find that can spare
so much, say fifteen, twenty or twenty
five thousand dollars as the case may
be, YOU can have it all to build this
road with. | am satisfied if the road
don't make some money that will gel
this back in the enhancement Of the
values OF glass works, foundry, machine
shops and other property in North
Wheeling, which we own aud the grass
is now growing around"
/ would not ask the widow TO con.
tribute her mite OF taxes nor the hod
carrier nor any one else. | say hands
off, gentlemen, from the public moneys.
They are not yours and you have no
right to use them for these purposes.
As to my being Of use i don't know
whether / have been or not. | will
leave that to the neighborhood / live
in to decide, if by this he refers to my
charitable nature and disposition.
The charge about employing men
the first part of it reply to by inform
ing A. drew the Hon. that | never
patched house in my life that | re
member OF. | did build one new ont
that | know Of to my sorrow, which
will now sell to the Hon. Andrew very
cheap if he wants it, notwithstanding
the prospects of future greatness wher
this road is built, &c.
The latter part of this prediction
leave to the forty.seven able-bodied an
muscular men now in my employ, ant
my payroll Of $1,000 per month t
answer, some of whom are Mr.. A. j. S.
neighbors, and have been in past time
in his employ. Although ! feel tn
necessity of getting down on my maj
row bones and pleading poverty in tn
presence of the august A. j. S., ye
for energy, enterprise and goaheadativt
ness, | leave it to those men now in m.
employ, and who have heretofor
worked for A. j. S., to say which make
the best boss and who comes neares
being the workingmen's friend, he or |
Workingmen, he tells you car
nothing for the community or for an
ones interests but my own, and so m
taxes are kept down, it is all | care fol
What kind of logic is this? If m
taxes are kept down, won't yours an
your rent be? Most assuredly the
will. own but one house and liv
in that myself, and therefore hav
no chance to get them bacI
in the shape of rent. don't know
whether he owns more than the one h
lives in or not. | rather expect h
does, however; and now will make
prediction. Some Of you workingmel
probably live in some of his houses,
he has any to rent. If he has none
you can apply to some other LANDLORD
in his place. Build this road or an,
other at the public expense, thereb,
increasing the taxes on houses and lots
and my word for it, for every dollar o
increased taxes put on the house YOU
rent from A. j. S., or any other proper
ty holder, you will have two dollars il
the shape Of increased rent to pay
Stick a pin there, now, and remembe
that prediction.
Once more, workingmen of Wheeling
| / have no doubt this iniquity ha
received three-fifths Of the vote cast a
the polls yesterday. 1t has only gon,
through the first stages, however, as
am informed it waits some Legislation
before it can be fully consummated. L
is not too late TO nip the thing in tn
bud yet. l would advise that tn
proper steps be taken to prevent tn