The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1857-04-18
Correspondence OF The Cecil Wing


DEAR RlCKETTs:--I had written a reply to
an article in the Cecil Democrat Of the 4th
inst. dated Chesapeake City, but an accident
prevented its being mailed in time Tor your
last wecl. $ issue as there are assertions made
in that article that are ttlse, and charges
brought against the American party Of the
second district, which the author knew to be
lies when he penncd them. ask your indu-
refu,ation. This Mr.. X. branches ont by say
ing thut s.not more than two years since our
town had a lively business Appearance there
was plenty of work for the laborcr and me-
chanic: | could count from five to ten new
houses going up; money was plenty; houses
in demand and every thing lookc,, brisk"
Well Mr.. X. we admit the fact, but when
you state that the American party has had
any thing to do with the change ofaiiars. You
state rdfulL IT, Was not the Chesapeake &
Delaware Canal co. at that time constructing
their new locks and other improvements in
this place at cost Of over one hundred thou
sand dollars? and were they not giving EN-
ploymcnt to scve,a! hundred men, to whom
they were paying from five to ten thousand
dollars per month. great portion Of which
found its way into the pockets of our laboreIs
mechanics and merchants, but when the work
was completed we lost a large port of our
floating population, and with them their
monthly spending. This will account for the
comparative scarcity Of money. Let rs Look
farther into his article, he says awe have uni
ted with band of Know Nothngs TO swear
vengeance at the foreigner, he must not have
employment, we must cripple the labollng
classes, by an act of incorporation and pile
on them taxation to support X. n. mayors,
baiiifs and secretaries &C." There is not in the
town a foreigner who nants employment but
what can get 1t, and those who have left here.
did not do so from scarcity of work. but ma
ny Of them have gone to the west to lay oIt
money accumulated in Chesapeake City. Now
for this onerous tax imposed by our CITY
Fathers these gentleman imposed levy Of
fifteen cents on the huadred dollars. which ac-
camulates a revenue fabout two hundrclan
fifty dollars. of when the canal co, and per
haps three individuals pay one third, the bal
aucc comes off the rest of the town. Now
Mr. *. there are not fre houses in this place
that are at any time for rent, whose rent at
the above taxation would bc increased one
doHar, if it was only increased the amount Of
town tax. Let me give your readers, Il spec.
linen of the friendly feeling some Of the tender
hearted Democrats have for the "poor labor
ing men and mechanics. One Of them has
a house Costing perhaps $i00) which prior
to the act of incorporation rented for s45: cf-
ter the act was passed the rent was raised by
this feeling Democrat to $50, (mind the tax
would only have increased it siuy cents and
because the quarters rent was not paid, he
tried to put the "poor laborcr" out while his
wife was "dyine bv inches, and her body had
scarcely grown cold in the grave before his
goods were seized for the quarters rent. !"
There arc not twenty one houses in the place
for rent, as he states, and Of what there are
| am happy to say the gentleman spokcn Of
above is the owner of sevcral-why they are
not rented, perhaps Mr.. X. can tell. He
states 'thc taxes have been collected and the
officer pald'--lhis is ttntrue--thc levy was
not made until the fall, as the present board
did not intend to dlsbursc the funds of the
present year; only fifty dollars have been col
ected. which has been used for the purpose
of drfrayi:.g the incidental expenses, paying
for certified copy of the act of incorporation,
surveying the town limits, publication of
town ordinances. and the balance remains in
the hands of the Treasurer; not one of the Of
ticers have ever received one cent IN puy. As to
the Improvements, why the simple penning of
the hogs met with the approval Of even the
bittcrest opponent of the law, and we can
now walk the streets without fear of being
rubbed by four legged hogs while young
trees can be placed along the side walks with
ont being barked, and stevcdores can carry
grain to and from the warehouses without
having the bags jerked off his shoulders, and
himself rolled in the dirt by that remarkable
pI,oly Gouv rPt la in We 70 now loua