Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-07-24
The Porches of shepherdstown.

ulation of Shepherdstown and the ma
jority of the town council, think II
would be a good plan for the sake OF
peace and to avoid i'll feeling to leave
the whole matter in dispute between
the whole of the citizens of the town
and a majority of the council to the ma
iority of the lady citizens of the town
TO decide. In the most difficult and
perplexing questions, beyond the ability
of male prejudice TO decide. if left 10
the female she always decides with
sound Judgment, justice, and ability.
In this case now, where the proposed
action of the council and the interests
and the comforts and welfare of the peo-
pie are at variance, it will not be amlss
10 state few facts as to the duties the
council owes TO the people the duties
the people owe to the council is to pay
their taxes, and if they fail TO pay them
the council is not slow TO remind them OF
their duty. In all well regulated cor
porations the first duty of the council
is to look after the sanitary condition
of the town to remove all objects and
conditions prejudicial to the health and
comfort of the people. This was the
advice of the celebrated DR.. Rush 10
the corporation of Philadelphia in 1892
when the yellow fever was brought 10
that town by a ship-load of spoiled
green coffee. The coffee was promptly
taken outside Of the harbOr and dumped
in the ocean.
But our city fathers have not protited
bv any such example. They, with the
exception of the worthy Mayor and ;.
p. Humrlckhouse, Jr., who had the in
dependence to 90 with the interest and
the comforts, AS well as the health Of
the people. all voted TO destroy the
porches. Instead of looking after the
Shamefully neglected sanitary condition
of the town, the majority of the coun-
Gil were so inflated with self-cOncelt rs
TO obscure their vision 10 all other mat
ters, except the hallucination of de-
stroving porches. The porch Of a build
ing is not only an ornament TO the
building and TO the town, but IT is an
Indispensable necessity 10 the comfort
and the health of a family in case OF
sickness in the heat Of the summer. IL
Is always the favUrite resort of the con-
valescent. Here he enjoys the fresh
air and avoids the oppression of the
heated term. To destroy the orna-
ments of the town and the comforts OF
the people can be but the enviOus ema-
nations of a sterile brain. How many
of the majority of the council who pro-
poseto demOlish the porcheS ever put up
building that has been credit to the
appearance of the town
Mrs. Azemia Shepherds building and
that of Mr. Beethoven have been re-
paired and improved by them so that
they are not only respectable comfort
TO their families, but ornaments TO the
town. Mr. Harry Snyder, Mr.. Jacob
Wintermoyer and others have erected
fine buildings. Can you point me to
one single instance where any one men,
Der of the majority of the council
have improved the appearance or
the health of the town
Before proceeding to the demolition
of the porcheS it would be well for the
majority of the council to take care
full view of the legal aspect Of the case,
lest they find themselves in the predic
ament that ShyloCk found himself in
when he demanded the pound of flesh
from his debtor; his obligation called
for the pound Of flesh, but il made no
provision for the loss of blood, and up
on further legal proceedings he was
clad to cancel the obligation of his
debtor to save himself from impriSon-
ment. Is 1t not likely that the ma jority
of the council will find themselves IN
the same predicamcnt when they come
t. demand the excess of the four-foOt
limit Your case is a perfect parallel
TO that of Shylock. He could not take
- ia los #
blood; you cannot take your excess of
the fOur-foOt limit without Il total de-
structiOn of the other remaining four
feet; the law forbids you TO touch the
remaining four feet, and if you attempt
il, and are met with "A Winchester you
would have no more protection before
the law than the burglar who would en-
ter your house by night.
If upon examination of the archives
of the council it is found that some of
the ordinances extend as far back as
century, and that the citizens of the
town have been living In constant viO-
latIon of them up to 1897, what author
ity did the council of that date have 10
alter them, or to pass new laws repeal
ing them All legislatures, corpora
tions, or councils are forbidden by the
organic law Of our country to pass any
eX post facto or retrospective law,or any
law violating the obligation Of contracts.
so that the law passed by the council Of
1897 IN repeating or altering any Ordi
nance that had been legally enacted
prior to that date is not worth the paper
upon which it is written. 1t might
we'll be supposed that it was by some
such irrcvocable ordinance passed some
centuries ago that permitted persons TO
put butcher shops and watercloSets over
the stream that flows through the town
to poison the water Of the Potomac:
the drinking water of Washington and
Georgetown is taken from the Potomac
at the Big falls and piped to those cities
for the use of the people. Suppose Sen
ator Beveridge of Indiana would take it
into his head to examine the riparian
condition of the river and send as
committee for that purpose Spooner, Of
Wisconsin, Foraker, OF Ohio, and Hen
~ Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts.
SpOoner as chairman of the committee
would make every member Of the Sani-
tary committee of the ShcpherdstOwn
council swallow at least one culture Of
microbes that he had fshed from the
polluted waters of the Potomac at Shep-
herdstown for their neglect Of official
duty. One other neglect of official duty
by the sanitary committee might be
named: it is the disregard of the appeal
of DR. Tanner for relief from an intoler-
able nuisance that threatens the health
of his family and the constant menace
to the safety Of his property. but this
matter may be left for another commu-
nicaton.
TAXPAYER.
On MLaaIn NIL &c Ma.au