Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-29


defeat of the refunding ordinance by
the people of Wheeling, Saturday, the
newspapers which attempted to fasten
this costly and unnecessary scheme
upon the people of the city, are still
lying to their readers with persist
ence and unblushing effrontery worthy
of a better cause.
For instance, the Sunday edition of
the evening Republican sheet, came out
yesterday with a series of bald prevari-
cations, among which was that false-
hood of falshehoods, that "the bond
holders had defeated the ordinance.
The statement was just as truthful as
any other this particular paper has
made regarding the matter-that is to
say, there was not scintilla of truth
in the assertion. No holder of bonds
OF the city of Wheeling had anything
whatever to do with the defeat of the
ordinance, save and except that one,
two or three individuals holding one
or more bonds, may have cast their in
dividual votes against the measure,
while other holders of bonds may have
veted for it. If any bondholder by any
chance voted no. that was the extent
of the bondholding opposition Any
other statement is wholly and entirely
false, made for purpose, and with
due prior knowledge ON the part of the
writer that it was falsehood. No
bondholder was consulted, in amy man
ner. shape or form, directly or in
directly, as to the defeat of the ordin-
ance. The people were consulted, but
not the bondholders. AS a matter of
fact, the Register does not know of one
individual in this entire city who owns
1t does not know who has the bonds
and it may be added that it does not
care. The question did not enter into
the fight at all, and any statement to
the contrary is bald lie.
The proposed issue of bonds was not
a good thing for the people of Wheel
ing, and it was therefore deservedly
defeated, and it was decisively defeated
into the bargain, by the largest vote
ever cast at bond election. Almost
twenty-three hundred voters voted
mo" Two thousand more would have
voted the same way, had it been neces-
sary, but the election was lost to the
refunders almost as soon as the polls
were, open, and everybody of ordinary
intelligence in the city, who cared to
ascertain what was going on, knew it
Icing before noon on Saturday. The dog
is now dead, and the carcass will be de-
Gently inferred. The people have pro-
nounced for the old order of thing-for
a continuation of debt paying, through
the calling in of outstanding bonds as
fast as they become due, with the re-
sulting saving in interest charges, and
they have demanded with no uncertain
voice that there shall be the closest
economy in the administration of city
affairs. The times demand this, and
the people will have it that way And
any deviation from this policy at the
City Hall will result in another express
sion from the people at the first oppor-
tunity and that opportunity will come
at the next city election. On which oc-
casicn, in any event, number of more
or less distinguished statesmen will
lose their heads Three years of ere
form" have been quite enough for the
average Taxpayer.
The same paper referred to above
contained one other notable false
hood in the issue of yesterday morn
ing. 1t was statement that the vote
cast on Saturday was only one-fourth
of the voting strength of the city. AS
practically four thousand votes were
polled, this would give the city vote
of SIXTEEN THOUSAND and a pop
ulation of NINETY THOUSAND,
Shades of Ananias, And this is the
sort of stuff newspaper readers are
fed upon in this community, and this
is the reward of busy citizens who
take an alleged newspaper for the sake
Of the information it may contain. 1t
is little wonder that, in this COM
munity, such a subterfuge as the re-
funding ordinance could poll sixteen
hundred votes, when on its merits 1t
should have had no votes at all. The
fact is, that about two out Of five
voters who went to the polls Saturday
represented the readers of the evening
Republican organ and the Intelligen-
Ger, and were the innocent victims of
a bunco game The Register alone was
true to the interests of the people, and
this fact saved the city from being tied
up for a generation by the schemers
who, having run things in the ground
at the City Hall, sought to save them
selves at the cost Of the people. No
wonder the promoters of this conf
dence game went about Saturday night
and yesterday with their heads down.
They did their utmost, and yet all the
newspapers Of the city, outside Of the
Register, could not give their scheme
a rasnec ahle standing before the r)po-