The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-03
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Fdftors OF the Register. - - W -


the railroad iniquity and fraud.
Workingmen Of Wheeling, it is to
you l address myself There we're
but few of you present at the railroad
meeting of Monday evening, you there
fore do not know what was said. There
were several speakers present and spoke.
but not one expressed a doubt about
the road being paying road, but to
the contrary every one Of them asserted
most Justify that it would pay, and not
only pay but be one of the best paying
roads in the country. ''-
If such is their opinion why in the
name of goodness don't they invest
their money in, and build it without
coming TO US with an appeal to give
them authority by our votes to-day 10
delve their hands into the Treasury OF
our county for the lucre so much
needed before the road can be bulltf
1t would look like they had faith in
their own prediction, il Mr.. Pendleton
and Mr.. Apologize had come amongst
us with their subscription books and
called on us to subscribe what each one
thought he individually conld stand or
was willing to give for the building OF
this road. Suppose they had done so
and had called on say Mr.. s., Mr.. H.,
Mr.. p, and others who have "a
vored this project publicly. and
they had each come down literally
with a good round subscription, don't
YOU think we would have had more
faith in the sincerity OF their assertion
think 80.
But that don't suit these gentlemen.
They prefer that fifteen hundred or two
thousand votes THAT is as many as will
come out, in the county shall, because
three-fifths of them will 30 declare, say
that the Board Of Supervisors OF the
county can appropriate or pledge the
county's money or credit for the sum OF
S225 900 to this company to build the
road, and by that act yoi have no option
in the matter whatever. No matter
whether you are abe or willing to sub
scribe one cent for this purpose or not,
YOU are thus reached and compelled to
shoulder a burthen you are both unable
and unwilling to carry, just the same as
the enthusiastic individual who is both
able and willing. They talked about
the growth OF the city, its prosperity,
and many other things that were
pretty and sounGed well, and told US
that we wanted energy, enthusiasm. go
aheadativeI e,s, and all that sort OF
thing, to give US a fresh impetus. and
that we wanted railroads. So we do;
everybody knows that. But, Sir, if |
were to stop on a corner tomorrow and
gather q lot of day laborers, mechanics,
and working men around me who !
knew all had families to support and
had no means, except as they earned it
from day to day, and none Of them had
any real estate, and would talk to them
this way and finally propose that we
should wake up the Rip Van Winkleism
of the place by building rolling mill,
glass house or railroad, they would pro-
nounce me a lunatic and hs We me SAINT
to the asylum and my audience would
be apt to laugh at me and advise me to
90 where the money was to be found,
viz: among the nonied men and prop
erty holders of the city. 1t is they
that must do these things, and it is
they that must see to it that the grass
is not allowed to grow in our streets.
II We can and do feed and clothe our
families it is enough for US to do and
about all we can do. And | tell you,
Mr.. Editor, that of the tax payers OF
your city and county there are three men
who would and could cay that to you,
where there is one that could say to
YOU he had enough and to spare. |
here ask again, why compel by oppres-
sion this class to build railroads or any
thing else against their will, and in
the face of their inability to do it2 1t
is a pernicious and wicked fraud to do
anything OF the kind. let those who
want improvements OF any kind build
them themselves. Adopt the principle
once and YOU don't know where it will
stop.
Why, sir, a few hundred dollars ju-
diciously spent among certain elements
OF our society and community, and you
can carry scheme for building 9rall-
road up Boggs' run, or for making
slack water navigation on Caldwelrs or
Coal run. don't say anything OF the
sort has been done in this case; but
really it looks strange to see the people
forced 10 meet this question a second
time in less than year.
And then the effrontery Of some OF
these gentlemen It's really refreshing
TO hear them. You meet one Of them
and get into conversation with him on
the subject, and the first thing you will
hear upon his ascertaining your views
on this subject, and that you are op'
posed to the measure, will be why, |
am astonished, &c. didn't know that
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad owned
you" or something Of that kind. As if
a man could not have views OF his own
without being owned by some company
or individual.
No, sir, l don't belong to the Balti'
more and Ohio Railroad Company, or
any other company, and I want it dis
tinctly understood that L am taxpayer
myself and want the Baltimore and
Ohio company, and all other companies
and individuals to pay taxes on all that
they have in the shape Of taxable pro-
perry in the county, and will not be sat-
isied with anything short OF that.
will close by once more appealing
to the poor men, voters of the city and
county, to vote the measure down. III
you don't you surely will increase your