Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-25
UP IN ARns.
The Proposed Change or Government
Temporarily Defeated.


The bill to change the form of the city
government went through the First Branch
last night, without change, bat in the Sec
ond was temporarily tabled.
At 9:35 o'clock, on motion of Mr.. Hill
dreth, the bill was takon up and read, as a
whole, before being passed upon, section
by section, for adoption or amendment.
At the conclusion OF the reading Of the
first section, Mr.. Davis moved to nom
concur. There was q hot discussion upon
this, whether or not there should be such q
motion before the whole bill was read
before the motion H. fon-concur should be
entertained and, it being decided in the
negative, Mr. Armstrong moved to strike
out this section.
This threw the matter open for discus
sion, wbereuFon Mr.. Kimberly took the
floor and prepared to launch out the ammu-
milton which he hadalready announced was
stored in his locker. He said he took it the
Council did not want such a change and
if they did, the people did not. This was
no new thing as the city OF Providence, q
little town up in Rhode Island, he believed,
had such o law and he was creditably in
formed that that little village was over
two million dollars in debt and il such a
calamity should befall Wheeling the peo-
pie would have adother variety meeting and
q howl that wouldlift the roof off the build
ing. But he understood this thing; he un-
derstood all about these blooded aristocrats
who worked up this feeling and he kne W
those two daily newspapers which had
helped it along and he knew the very re-
porters who quietly sat and listened here
tonight who had done their share. And
then QristO "a, was his cry, and he piled
into monied men in frenzy of eloquence.
His argument, when he finally got
down to il, was divided into two
lines; first that boards of COM
missiOIlers would be more expensive than
the present system; and second, that the
change would disfranchise the people.
and he wound up with the broad assertion
that if the mill owners could get the water
works into Il board of commissioners, they
would not care what became of the water
for the poor people on the high ground, so
their mill wheels went round.
Mr.. Hildreth replied to him: He said
the sneerS of the gentleman were not ar
guments and did not move him. He, and
every one else who had studied the pro-
posed system. knew it was best.
Mr. Walter opposed boards of commits
sioners on general principles, and so did
Mr.. Smith, the argument of the latter be-
ing that Councilman were not elected on
this issue, and that il would he defrauding
the people by robbirg them of their vote.
He spoke for great while and was sue
ceeded by Mr.. Scott, who replied to the
filings he said Mr.. Kimberly had made at
the manufactures. This, of course, brought
the Commoner back for long speech, who
gave way to short one from Mr.. Laugh
lin. This gentleman said he thought it
was useless to talk further, as he knew
every member had already made up his
mind. But Mr.. Armstrong wanted to say
why he opposed the change, which was be-
cavse his people were opposed TO it. lie
talked at great length, until finally Mr..
Burdatts thought il best to postpone fur
Their discussion and make this kill the Spe-
cal object for Friday night.
But the Branch refused to adjourn, and
pushed the question to vote, demanding
the ayes and noes. And here
a second grand controversy arose. Some
one said he wanted to submit to the peo-
pie, and tue point was whether itwould be
best submitted by voting aye or no upon
the motion to strike out the enacting
clause. Mr.. Kimberly thought aye and
Mr. Robinson thought no, and over this
was much animadversion, the vote finally
standing:
Aye-Armstrong, Commerford, Davis,
Grogan, Haberfeld, Kimberly, McGrana-
han, Smith, Warehouse and Walter-l0.
SO-Burdatts, Clark, Eschstruth, Halter.
Hildreth, Laughlin, Robinson, Wingerter
and Scott-9.
So the enactiRg clause was stricken out,
and the Branch adjourned, TO carry the
controversy out upon the sidewalk and on
to the members respective parting places.