The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-07
WARMED IllM UP.
A Connecticut Mayor Forced to Call n
Meeting In Behalf OF tho Sufferers.

A Connecticut Mayor Forced to Call n
Meeting In Behalf OF tho Sufferers.
MERRIDEN, Conn, June 0.-Mayor
Miles, who gained an unenviable noto.
riety by his refusal to call public meet.
ing TO organize relief fund for the sui.
terers by the Johnstown flood, hastound
himself forced by public opinion, and a
and unanimous vote OF the Common
Council, to do that which he could have
done OF his volition.
He has isaued call for q meeting OF
Meriden's citizens at the City Hall, ito
give practical expression to our sympa'
thy with the distressed people OF Johns.
town and ylcinity.n But even in writing
his call Mayor Miles mani niiested his op.
position 10 and lack OF sympathy with
tho general feeling that nado such
action on his part obligatory. He was
careful TO say that it was done "by re.
quest Of the Common Council" as II
anxious to shield himself from any sus.
piCion Of being affected by the Charita.
bic impulse that has found expression
in every Connecticut town and hamlet,
and WHICH moYed the Legislature to ap'
propriate $4,000 on behalf OF the State
for the relief OF the afflicted.
When Mayor Miles was first asked II
he intended 10 do what every other
Mayor in Connecticut was doing, his re-
ply was that Charity begins at home."
He said that Meriden had her own poor
to attend to, her high school, her town
hall and her ELECTRIC lights to care Tor.
Suppose" he said, 70 wealthy citizen
loses h child We meet him ON the street
and express our sympathy, but We don't
give him q IS bill TO pay his funeral ex.
penses. Pennsylvania Is able to buy and
sell Connecticut. 1t is one ofthe richest
states in the Union. Timely aid TO It's
child, Johnstown, In the way Of i'm
mediate available succor, is all right, but
the sending OF money should be left TO
thegreat State OF Pennsylvania, which is,
or ought to he able TO take care OF Johns
town and it's other children"
i would appear that The Meriden
ldRY RepVblicdI is dflposed Ia sympa.
thiae with Tue feeling OF lack OF feeling
manifested by the Mayor. In an editor.
ial on the action Of the Legislature It
does not exactly express dlsapproval,
but it seems to find relief in the fact, as
1t says, that "the $25, 900 appropriated is
not necessarily TO be used unless de.
lnand seems TO exist for H." And Then,
as Il 10 encourage Itself into belief that
such demand might not be made, 1t
says: "As a practical, cold question, the
larger the number oil the dead the fewer
there are 10 care for, and their present
needs have been promptly provided by
the generosity glSeadY eXtep9eaM II
also further consoles itself Tor the action
OF tho Legislature by coming 10 tue con-
clusion that It "relIeves the town from
the necessity Of local meetings to aid the
sufferers" and adds a monitory remark
to needless generosity by giving them
tho advice that discretion should hS eHE
Srcised," . NV y
& Fortunately the prompt action Of the
Connecticut Legislature, OF the Official
In its towns anu villages, anloi itf GIti
gems generally, aRplyproves That neither
the Mayor Of MeridOn nor the Merider
Daily RCpuhliCdn Is 10 10 accepted % rep
reSentatfve Of the people ol the State
That they do not represent the teelinI
prevailing In Meriden Ia proven by thI
unanimous action Of the Common Coun
Gil and leading citizens looking 10 70
lieving the homeless, griei.Btrlcken peo
pie OF Johnstown.