The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-18

Uow No. to Do It.

.,oOiuo tbe special committee to whom
V ,".,s -eSsrred tho ordinances to authorize IL
Dissertations of 100000 each to the "
.udI +. Railway Company and Bfluge
ranorted various amendments. BON OF
%IpSpees [gporsa arc printed in our Council re {.
mort as they would read il amenueu ~
-" Committee propose. The amend
.nOrts wv 10 the Bridge ordinance do mol
seem to bo important, The Railroad Or
5iDanoe Is largely remodeled. The amend
ments were drawn by Col. Allison Cn0iF'
man Of the Committee, and concuFred IN ,
by Mr.. Wilson, while Mr.. Blair tue 'n'Fa
msmber OF the Committee, dlssen'ea'
Thcv seem to Us to be an ingenious as'
,emDt 10 appear to do something with
ont actually doing 1t, There ss pIausl'
blo pretenco OF putting IN guards
and securities for the city, with
on, IN TACT doing So There Is
an o,tentstious show Of requiring this
that and the other, and yet no real guar
sn,se for any of 1t that Is worth the paper
n, written on. It isall to be secured by
whst' Why, by contract with the
Wheeling s Lake Erie Railroad Compa-
nv, which is ODE aolemnly signed by It's
officers and sealed with its official seal
And pray, gentlemen Of the Committee
and Of Council, what security have you
when you hold among your archives
,hls solemn official document as the con-
sIderation for your liability to the Com
nspy and its creditors for $0OO,OOO?
Wba, Is u contract with that Company
gor,hy What Is the Company worth ?
What could you recover ii its agreement
were broken? Whenever tho Wheeling
& Lake Eric Company will give a guar
suty for the heiulfllment of the conditions,
endorsed by party responsible for the
amount of money involved, then the matter
ofmakIug the subscription on those condl'
lions will be worth considering; but until
their agreement is endorsed by somebody
more responsible than themselves 1t Is
worthless; and no multiplication OF con-
ditlons with only this behind them adds
a feathers weight to the security OF the
city.
Mr.. WILSON repeated last evening his
emphatic declaration that the city must
have complete security before this sub
scription should be made We under
stood Mr.. PANNELL to concur in this
opinion. Mr.. ALLISON expressed the same
view at a former meeting. We suppose
that Is the feeling with most OF the mem
bers, unless it be few who are resolved to
vote the money at all hazards. We submit
to these gentlemen, in oil seriousness, that
nothing has yet been brought forward al
tOrding the security they profess to want.
Nothing can afford 1t which rests on moth.
Ing stronger than the unsupported obliga'
lion Of this ". s. L. E. Railroad Compa-
ny. Mr.. WILSON and Mr.. PANNELL are
sharp men ol business in the management
Of their own affairs. Col. ALLISON Is u
capable lawyer. Can either show how
ibis city could recover its subscription or
any part Of 1t from this Company II the
conditions Of the agreement were not
fulfilled! What Is a contract worth with
4 party that has nothing to make 1t good?
Would Mr.. WILSON subscribe money out
Of his own pocket with no better secu rity
Lhan this? Would Mr.. ALLISON, in
bis capacity as an attorney advise
a client TO do so! Itnot, how can either
In his capacity as sworn trustee OF the
city treasury, be less careful OF the clty's
purse than he would be Of his own or his
clients. ..
Twenty years ago this city subscribed
\ quarter Of million dollars to the Ma.
'istta road. That road had then bona
adO subscription Of three quarters OF q
million from the Pennsylvania Central,
aud three quarters OF a million from the
city Of Philadelphia. Our own quarter
Of q million made q million and three
quarters. And yet with such basis as
that TO start on, the enterprise totally
Jailed, though 1t had one Of tho most &C.
railroad men oI the times atits
head, We submit to the common sense OF
our citizens whether the status and pros
Peca Of tho W. & L. E. organization are at
all comparable, either in respect to its sub.
scribed stock or the ability OF its man
ayers, with those OF the Marietta Com
pany at tho timO our subscription to 1t
was made; and II a contract with that
Company turned out so dIsastrously what
may We reasonably expect from an unen.
dorsed contract with the W. s. L. E. Com.
pany for large, sum-with less ability in
tho management, with scarcely any bona
tdSstock, with construction contract TN.
DER which q New York ring can take com.
piete control Of tho Company OF any time,
with absolutely nothing that eau inspire
confidence Iu either the ability Of the
company or the integrity oil its manage
mentI