The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-06-04
The Register and the Railroad Com.
miRaioneHg.
RARRouR COUNTY, MaY 81,

DAhbOGH NpUN4A 1. uANy ~ AS'S'
10 tho Editor ofthe IntelliGencer.
We see in recent number Of the Reg.
iSter, a sort Of lett hand compliment to
the gentlemen appointed by the Board Of
Public Works 10 assess certain railroad
property in this State, Of companies who
have failed to comply with the 9th sec
ton of the. 29th chapter OF the Code OF
West Virginia. H..
tits TO the effect, that II the object was
to select three gentlemen who know moth
ing OF railroad affairs and property, then
this appointment was carefully and judi
ciously made by this Board OF Public
Functionaries. "l5E s-
Il must be conceded on every hand
by those Of our citizens having capacity
Tor statesmanahiprRs, contradistinguished
from the iulsome pretensions OF parttsans
merely based upon q hunger and thirst
after Office, 90 notorious, engrossiDg and
universal that the developments and In
situations OF wise laws and rules for the
regulation Of theae giant mOnopolies,
whose chartered rights and easements are
spanning and extending athwart our land
10 every direction, so as to make them
properly subject TO public utility, VIII De
held among statesmen q grave matter Of
national consideration and importance,
for several ensuing decades OF our public
progress; and 1t therefore follows that the
duty on the part Of these commissioner
whose action In the premises t8by law
made final, to apply the same judiciously
10 these delinquent corporations u BY no
meang slight or contemplate public
service.
This commission Il composed Of ]. Ed
gar Bower, of Tyler county, from the
First Congressional District; 8. Dayton,
OF Barbour, from the Second, and G. g..
Burgess, of Wayne, from the Third.
As TO the fitness OF these gentlemen ior
this task, we entirely concur with the
Register, that they are probably unac-
duslnted with, and lack initiation into
the methods Of discharging public duties,
current at this time among the dominant
spirits affecting and assuming control
over the affairs Of this State.
Doubtless through sheer dullnesS, OF
from tho inculcated teachings Of earlier
wears, which smarter men would shake
of so very easily, they will be found
wanting in that electrical apprehension
which circulates so freely around the
RtoiIST ring Of choice spirits, and VIII
think It their duty to diligently invesu,,
gate and ascertain the taxable assets and
property Of such roads in each county
where located, and carefully make out
and report 10 the constituted authorities
their assessment of the same, for the slen-
der pittsnca Of compensation provided ~
law, not adequate indeed TO pay their
necessary expenses while In the perform
Suce Of this service, except upon very
economical management
If 90, how refreshingly green on their
part, will such conduct appear to the
Camden and Davis, and Baker and
MAKER mSgnStes. We beg pardon
Of led. and John ]. Davis, protest.
Ing that we intend not the SlighteSt
AliuSion TO either in this connection.
How nice, and discreet, and wise 1t would
have been, II instead Of such commission.
ets a. these, We could have had men like
the great Democratic prototypes to whom
we do allude, who, after the example OF
the rich mans steward In Scripture,
would 'tVrlte down fry" per cantum OF
The lust valuation Of the taxable property
Of t6ese railroads, and thereby coolly and
considerably provide few hundreds for
themselves, and their partisan adherentsr
instead OF being ignobly content with the
miserable perouisites OF q bare and bar
rem account, through the State Auditor,
upon a Treasury already depleted pY
their gross fraud and extravaganza.
How such 0 choice as this indicates,
and which would have secured the I'M
qualified and hearty support Of the Reg
iSter, would have also received the unan.
imouS sanction and support Of six out Of
seven attorneys OF law In this county,
who persistently sustained and voted lOr
the present Lawyers Constitution" and
are such pillars Of strength in the money
changers' temple Of the ever glorious
Calhoun Democracy.
How appropriately would this position
have fitted the hne financial figuring and
lingering Of the ex. Constitutional Conven
ZIONIST Of this section, who was last yea
so SAtiSiactorily subsidized out Of thu
Camden ring.iund stealiugs, for In
forming our people that his printed
expedition Of the new Constitution
vas wholly unanswerRble; that ne
Republican or Jacob Democrat IN the
county dared meet him In argument; ant
That Barbour county was safe and surf
Tor At least six hundred majority against
Grant and Jacob. Though by the way
We must sorroWtully admit that Erne8t
duncan, the audacI0uB young scape grace
did meet him 10 his sad and sore dIScom-
uture, and that no other adverse speaker
wa procured 70 do 10, because Of q FAC