The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-04
RUN or the Canals-F0fty Millions OF Debt
to be Paid by Taxation.

to be Paid by Taxation.
We transfer to our columns to-day an elabo-
rate article from Hunts Merchants Magazine for
the current month, on the canals and railroads
of this State, showing conclusively what the sta
istical returns Of the canals have for long
time been foreahadowing, that the canals have
gone to ruin in financial point of view, leaving
the people of this State saddled with debt of
some forty millions for their maintenance, to be
paid by taxation, for the canals themselves, no
longer available property of the State, are
manifestly doomed to meet the fate Of the canals
Of Pennsylvania: namely, to be sold for what
they will bring, and that sum may not amount
to over six or seven millions.
Looking at this condition Of the canals as a
fixed fact, proven by figures, which are stubborn
things, and admitting that the canals have been
made to succumb to the railroads, let us see by
what mischievous and treacherous agency they
have been brought to it.
The Erie Canal-certainly one Of the greatest
achievements of the age in which it was con-
ceived-was constructed thirty-fve years ago
by the energy and perseverance of De Witt Gin
ton, in the teeth of the strongest opposition from
all the political factions. Clinton was more of
a statesman than partisan, more of patriot
than politician; and he was met, as such men
always are in every step Of his career, by the in
trigues and antagonism Of the leaders of the two
factions, wings and democrats, who then, and
ever since then-called by different names at diff
ferent times-have 80 miserably misgoverned
this State for their own private personal gain.
In spite Of all opposition Governor Clinton ad-
vanced to the highest position in the State,
and he succeeded, too, in uniting the waters
Of Lake Erie with the Hudson river, the
shores Of the Atlantic with the prairies
of the far West, by means Of the Erie
Canal, in the year 1924. No sooner were
the canals established than the leaders Of both
faeions-alike in their rapacity and unscrupu-
lousness- seized upon them and used them for
their own purposes, sinking them year after year
into debt, until they became not only unproft-
able as State property, but heavy burden upon
the shoulders of the people. When the railroad
interest grew into Importance these same con-
scencelees scoundrels took hold of IT, as likely to
afford richer placer for their avarice, and ran
down the canals, which they had previously alb
sorbed with the same motives
The State debt today is swelled over forty
millions by the criminal Encouragement Of the
canals, and we boldly affirm that one half of that
amount has been pocketed, deliberately stolen.
by the leaders and wire, pullers Of both fac
tions at Albany. The infamous Central Railroad
monopoly, which seeks to govern alike the poll
3 a. = \ -
the creation Of the Albany Regencies, and 30 also
is the onerous canal deb: which has been accumu-
latiDg for years, until the canals have fairly sunk
under its weight.
There are two Regencies at Albany. The or
gan Of one is Confidence Cassidy's Aaas-Aryus;
the organ Of the other is Master Thurlow Weeds
ktea'ng Jotirnal--tbe former OF whom would sell
The private letter Of any man, friend or foe, for
twenty pieces Of silver, and the latter would be.