The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-05-16
..CIRCUMSTANCEs ALTER CASES"

w are SIdi W llHu thAt Ott III Sh'
bor of the Iateligencer is convinced Of
the desirability of the railroad and the
bridge and is persuaded that such
undertakings, If consummated, would
be worth to the city all it is proposed to
contribute for that PURPOSE The only
question that now agitates him III rela-
ton to this matter and causes him to
hesitate before advising the subscrIp-
ton, is the alleged untrustworthiness OF
the City Council and the consequent
danger of our bonds being spirited off to
some improper use; "gobbled up" or
otherwise disposed Of; through the negli-
gence or criminality of these terrible
Councimen.
The MtsNigencsr, as the organ Of the
anti improvement party, seems to think
that the members OF the City Council
are of such doubtful virtue that they
cannot he trusted with six hundred
thousand dollars, and that there is great
danger that a large portion OF the
sum voted in aid Of the rail-
roads would stick to the fingers
of '"the City Fathers A column and
q half was devoted yesterday morning
TO what, view it in whatever light we
may, is neither more nor less than a
direct insult to the City Council and an
impeachment of the integrity Of its
members. The objects Of the proposed
subscription are admitted to he good ;
the railroad and the bridge are admitted
10 he worth all they are expected to
cost; but the people are exhorted to
consider, before voting authorityto make
the subscription, whether their conf.
dence in the present Council is equal to
this demand upon it, The Council is
accused of fraud, jobbery and favorlt"
ism, and it is gravely intimated by this
exceedingly high toned reformer that
the city mr,st forego the advantages of
the road and the bridge because, for
sooth, the Council is not to be trusted
The condemnation is sweeping one
and every member Of the City
Council is directly and grossly
insulted by such suggestion. The
ordinance in relation to a subscription
TO the capital stock of the Wheeling
and Lake Erie road was passed by
unanimous vote in both branches of the
CITY Council. The ordinance in rela-
ton to the bridge was passed unani-
mously in the Second Branch and with
only two dissenting voices in the First
Branch, the only two adverse votes in
the whole body. In assailing the pro-
visions of these ordinances as not az
fording sufficient safeguards to protect
the city against the stealing Of the funds
by the Councilmen themselves, the
MtslEgcnccr is impugning the honor.
integrity and good name Of every mem
Der Of the Council, because all voted
for the measures which, it is now inti-
mated, were so framed on purpose to
give the Council an opportunity to
steal.
We don't believe there is anybody
outside of the L,tSA;geacer Office who
entertains any such unworthy suspi-
cions The opponents of the impor-
tant public enterprises now pending are
certainly hard pressed for pretext
when they resort to such an argument
to influence the people of Wheeling to
vote against the proposed subscriptions.
These gentlemen were not always so
suspicious. There was a time when
their confidence in the present Coun.
cil' was equal to any demand that
might be made upon it-provided the
Wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley rail
road was to he benefited thereby. On
the second of last February, only three
and a half months ago, the present
Council being then in Office, the fol-
lowing resolutions, prepared by Gov-
ernor STANTON, who is now chief among
those who demand guarantees OF the
integrity of Councilmen, were offered in
the Second Branch:
|. Rssolcsd, That the Legislature of
this State be requested TO pass an act
authorizing the city Of Wheeling to
subscribe sum not exceeding 100000
TO the capital stock of the Wheeling
and Tuscarawas Valley Railroad Com
pany, containing substantially the fol-
lowing provisions: First, that the
question of making the subscription
shall first be submitted to vote of the
people Of this city after ten days notice
Second, that if a majority Of the votes
cast at said election shall be in favor OF
such subscription, it shall be the duty
OF the City Council to subscribe sum
not exceeding 100000 to the capital
stock of said company, upon such con-
ditiOnS as may be agreed upon bctwcen
the City Council and the said railroad
company and provide for the payment by
taxation or issuing bonds for such sum,
payable at such time and bearing such
rate Of interest as tie City Council may
prescribe.
,. Resolctd, That inasmuch as the
City Council and the people OF Wheel
ing may be presumed to be capable OF
managing their own affairs, it would
be insrpsdient for the Legislature to pre-
scribe anu conditions IA tn the time when