Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-16
A RAY OF LIGHT FROM
Mr.. FORGEY.

To the Editor of the Register.
Sir:-Mr. FOrgey has at last con-
sented to throw ray of light upon the
city debt statements, in the particular
of payments upon principal of the
debt, and the result is just as | eX-
pected it would be-though "a little
more So" The debt is not only be-
ing decreased at the rate of 100000 per
year, but this year, according to Mr..
Forgey's official figures, the decrease
will amount to $37 500.
This being true-and I am bound to
believe 1T is SO, because Mr. Forgey ID
a city official having access to figures,
and has given them to a cent de-
sire to earnestly ask what Mr.. Forgey
meant, or what was he trying to do,
when he iterated and reiterated, over
his own signature, in his favorite
newspaper, that the city debt had been
reduced but $4,000 per year for the
past fourteen years. Was he trying 10
deceive the public? l hesitate to i'm
pugn any such motive to him, yet he
stated repeatedly what he must have
known was untrue, and when | gently
chided him about it, and most re-
specially asked him, half-a-dozen
times, for a few figures, he was as
dumb as an oyster. And, Mr.. Editor,
he was not only dumb, but deaf into
the bargain, and this about a great
public question which the people must
go to the polls and pass upon in less
than two weeks, and concerning which
he himself raised an issue. | cannot
but remark that my friend Mr.. Forgey
has appeared to decided disadvantage
in this matter, and he has handicapped
his cause very badly, through creating
the decided impression that the people
at the City Hall have made a series of
| mental reservations in this refunding
| matter, and that it is something very
different from what they would have
the public believe.
| Perusng the discussion before the
| Trades Assembly, Sunday, l find the
| following pertinent remark, also from
my friend Mr.. Forgey:
Mr. s4seFgey admitted it would be
cheaper to pay off the Indebtedness OF
| the city under the present ordinances
| than under the refunding ordinance,
| but he included in his reply an argu-
! ment that many municipal improve
ments, badly needed, cannot be made
under the present system of paying off
| the debt 1t will be cheaper, but we
! will have to pay the debt, while those
who come after us will have to make
the improvements
This is interesting "It will be
| cheaper to pay off the Indebtedness of
| the city under the present ordinances"
| Then. in the name or all that is of
| benefit to the public, why not go on
| and do it? You admit that the old
| plan is the cheapest, and yet in cold
| blood and with malice aforethought
and vicious intent, you propose to de-
i lay further payments upon principal
| for ten years-meanwnile paying out
/ over 100000 for interest alone. before
| one dollar of principal is paid, and
then more than S25O000 of additional
interest is to be paid while payments
are being made upon the bonds proper,
stringing the whole thing over more
| than a generation. And to what end?
! Simply that some highly mysterious
Improvements" may be made-where
| or when no one has so far pretended
| to say I hate to annoy Mr.. Forgey
| with leading questions, but it would
| have been of great value and interest
if Mr. Forgey had incorporated small
| table in his remarks, showing just how
much cheaper the old method is tnan
| the proposed new one. That would
have been of very considerable value
in the present crisis.
The fact is, that the Republican
Council are deliberately trying to fool
the people, at the peoples expense
| There is no more necessity for a costly
refunding ordinance than there is for
any other unnecessary thing. The re-
| funding dodge will prove costly bur-
den to the tax payers, and yet will bring
with it no relief from taxation, and no
more money than can be gotten from a
continuation of the policy of debt-pay
| ing. I will repeat the assertion have
j heretofore made and which Is I'M
doubtedly and manifestly correct-that
| maladministratioE at the City Hall dur
| ing the past three years has brought the
| city treasury to that condition where
! more money must bo bad OK thipm viii