The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1844-04-27

prosecution Oh thlS enterprise, winch are
now to be met by taxation, the question
may well be asked, whether Baltimore is
not pl edged to the completion of this
WORK, by force of moral obligation, from
which she has not IN fact, and ought not
to desire, any means of escape.
That it is the interest of Baltimore to
SO for the completion of the canal, is to
my mind the piainest proposition in the
world. 1t might be shown, that she is
the owner of that work, to The extent of
four, and it may be of six millions of dol
lars-and that she is now paying tax of
from six to eight hundred dollars per day,
upon the canal debt, from which tax she
has no hope Of relief until the canal is
carried to its western terminus. ALI this
might be shown, but is it just or respect
fui 10 Baltimore to enter upon such a
demonstrations Because if man will
not perform his promise unless it be his
interest TO do so, does it not amount to
this, that he is unwilling to be honest, I'M
less something is to be gained by ii? TO
intimate such an opinion of the heart and
emporium of the Slate-the centre and
locus of its intelligence, and public virtue,
is what have not done, and by no means
intend to do. And it is precisely for these
reasons, in this portion Of the State, the
belief is almost universal, that the people
Of Baltimore have not yet spoken on this
subject-that the sound, the enlightened
public opinion of the city, has not as yet
been heard in regard to it, and that when
she does deare herself, it will be in terms
altogether opposed to those proceedings
OF her common councils, by which her
good faith stands at this time, apparently
implicated.
The city of Baltimore feels, as she has
cause 10 do, a deep interest in her rail
road. II is magnificent improvement
even now, and when completed to the
Ohio river, as it is destined one day to be,
will then beyond all question be the great.
est lhoroughlare in the known world. IT
involves interests of such magnitude al
the present time, that in no question in
volving the general policy of the Stale
can it be overlooked 1t is true that to
one section of the State, it has come in
the shape OF a curse and not of blessing
la curse too which that section is COM
PEELED in part to pay for. These how
ever are matters which belong to its pas,
history and need not be cnquired into
here.
| But it is question of some interest
what is the position which in regard to
the completion of the canal, the rail road
company, occupies at the present mo-
mea2
In presenting the short view which has
occurred 10 me as important to the con-
sideration of the whole question, it is ne
cessary to 90 back for moment to No
vember 1884 for brief extract from the
report of the Trade convention already
alluded to. The extract is as follows:
"For the present however, it is true
policy and common sense, to con slider
the prof ted Rail road to the west, as ter
minated for the present at Harpers Ferry,
and that the company have neither the
moral nor physical power to 60 beyond
that point, by reason ofjudicial decisions
and their own compact with the Chesa-
peak and Ohio Canal company.'-p.S.
How strange these things work. 1t is
here seen, and such was the undoubled
} TACT, that it was by concession OF
the canal company in 1884. that the rail
, road was permitted to pass even as high
up the Polomic as Harper's Ferry; that but
for this concession the work must have
! been blocked up at the Point of Rocks
and could have proceeded no further.
: And in consideration of this privilege
granted to the rail road company, they
| bound themselves by a solemn compact,
, to stop their work at Harper's Ferry, until
the canal should be completed TO Cum.
| berland. And Immediately thereafter, in
a report Of the President and Directors to
their stockholders, they declared it to be
the true interest of the city Of Baltimore
and the state to complete. the canal to
Cumberland. This was the position of
the rail road company in 1884, and now
IN 1914, while the canal is still forty stv-
en- miles short of Cumberland, the rail
road has, q DO not say in violation of its
compact) already reached the point. The
positions OF the two corporations as they
eXlstedIn 1884, are now reversed. Then
the rail road was to stand back until the
canal should reach Cumberland Now
the rail road has attained that point and is
moving Heaven and Earth to prevent the
canal from ever seeing CumbeI land at all.
The position of the rail road company
therefore in regard TO the canal and its
friends, is one of open defiance, if not Of
fragrant war. Assuming that it is the great
and paramount corporation of the state, it
takes for granted that it has just as many
friends as it ever shall want, and is there
fore above all The vicissitusies of time and
accident. This may all be SO. We shall
see.
But how stands the rail road company
| ,uiih The slale harseir2 ,Ehis .,nos1;n,, L