The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-29
The Railroad Meeting Last Night.
How Not 10 Do 10,

The Railroad Meeting Last Night.
How Not 10 Do IL.
The railroad meeting at the Court
House last evening was fairly attended,
but judging from the tone Of the meeting
m indicated by the lack of enthusiasm, we
should say that no very large proportion
ofIhose present were ardent subscription.
iIu. A dozen or fifteen gentlemen from
OhlOWere present, and four Of them spoke.
The tenor Of their speeches was discus.
sion Of the general question Of the desira.
bility Of a railroad TO Wheeling and to tho
country 70 be trAYersed, and the many
advantages one would conier-A stage Of
the diScuSIlon the people OF Wheeling
have long since passed; but there was a
remarkable lack Of information In oil the
speeches about the actual progress made in
local subscriptions along the route. A
few points were named where subscrip.
tons had been actually made and one or
TWO others where subscriptions were to be
voted on next month, but even the voting
OF these 1t was said by Judge ORR would
depend on whether Wheeling voted sub
scriptlons next Saturday. As report Of
progress, the meeting must undoubtedly
be set down as total failure. With near.
ly all that was said-And some Of It was
well said-on the.generAl question Of rail.
roads from this city into Ohio, we can
cordially concur but the speakers did
not appear to be aware that our people
no longer need to be persuaded THAI rail.
road into Ohio is thing to be desired, nor
even TO be persuaded that the city ought
to subscribe literally to aid one. Men
said to us last night, and say,tO lis every
day, that they arc willing to vote million
dollars to build bridge and railroads into
Ohio, II they can only hare an absolute
security that he payment Of The MONEY
'cW bring he improvements. But they
have not yet had the evidence, as we have
not, that the voting Of the money pro-
posed to the organizations asking for it Is
the way TO accomplish this result. 1t
has not yet been shown that these
organizations can under any circumstan.
ces give such guarantees as the city
ought to have, or that they will be able,
even to reasonable certainty, to complete
the works proposed, 1t has not yet been
shown that the Wheeling Il Lake Erie
Company has the ghost Of chance Of
raising the immense sum required along
the line or that il It were raised the city
would or could have any sor; of security
for the completion OF the road to this
point II our subscription is made under
the existing arrangements entered into by
that Company with the New Workers.
On these points-the very points which
must now be cleared up It cver-nothing
was said. The only Rlusion to these dilll.
cullies was made by Mr.. BELL, who,
noticing the ISTELLIGENCER's criticism
on his letter, that the contractors would
get control and have thilgs their own
way, said:
~ would say in reply that in the nature
Of things that is impossible. The con.
0Han1nra T,tli ,,nN have tho ola nf 0hnir
share stock until the road is entirely
paid for. The stockholders OH tho con.
irary are able to have their entire stock
from the first. Every man that makes
subscription In that road will bO able to
vote his stock from the first, us long as he
Is not delinquent on any part called for.
Therefore it is utterly impossible for the
contractors TO out vote the stockholders
until after the completion Of the road"
This is partly Illogical and partly uu-
true. Under the provisions OF the con-
tract reclted by Mr., BELL yesterday in
our columns, monthly sums are TO be paid
to the contractors, half in stock and halt
in cash. The cash Is to be called by the
campany on subscriptions and stock will
10 delivered to the subscribers as the cash
thus called for is paid. Nobody will pay
cash on subscriptions faster than thus
called for. Thus 1t will happen that the
stock delivered to the contractors, and
that delivered to subscribers, each month
will be equal anu from tho time the first
stock Is delivered the contractors will
have half Of 1t and need have no trouble
in controlling the directory Of the com.
pany.
We do not see any escape from this I'm.
der the contract as stated by its own
friends; and this being tho state OF the
case, 1t is a fatal objection to the whole
proposition. We surely are not going to
vote 100000 into the hands Of two or.
ganlzatlons Of which the contractors
would have full control, and wherein, as q
stockhOlder, the city would be utterly ut
their mercy.
VIII the gentlemen asking these suO.
scriptions meet these difficulties now, or
will they continue to cvadc them and
denounce all who are not willing to be
thus victimized as opposed to building
these improvements and. to all improve.
mentag
A PAPER signed by nearly all the Coun.
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