Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-10-08
The Candidates for the Board of Public
WorIa

danger that threatens the Unien, or the i'm
portance Of preserving the Territories for
Stree homes for free white men," or the
great principle of popular-sovereignty,
measured by the Supreme Court, or the
duty of Congress to protect every species of
property, in every conceivable place, espe-
Cially for those who have none, all of which
are supposed TO depend on the present can
vass, we wish to suggest that Ohio has
some interests involved which seem to be
quite lost sight OF, though they are at least
as important to our people as any thing that
is pending on the Presidential election.
Charity begins at home, and it would be as
well if our political zeal started from the
same point.
The Public Works is the bad egg in our
State political system, injecting the whole
body polite. The political control of them
is said to be worth 5000 votes to any party,
with large margin over, according as the
game is played strong So good thing is
not to be lightly disposed of. The cost of
these votes may be set down at about $780,
900 year, taking one year with another
certainly a respectable price to pay for that
valuable assistance in the Government. But
this is only fractional part of the real cost
to the State.
1t is regarded by many real friends of the
Canals, as absolutely necessary that the
State should retain the care of them, to pre-
vent their abandonment. But if we take
the successive annual statements of the
Board, of the structure which it was i'm
peratively necessary to repair or rebuild at
once, to save from rapid destruction, and
prevent interruption of navigation, and then
take the stinted appropriations made for
repairs, and the fact that for successive
years extraordinary casualties from flood
have required all these appropriations to be
expended in temporary repairs of these ex-
traordinsry damages, leaving the structures
to go to decay, and patching them up only
as they tumble down--if we take these, as
exhibited by the statements of the Board,
we shall see that the Canals are already
abandoned by the State, and that they are
running down as fast as the natural decay
will carry them.
This may be seen by the nature Of the cur
rent expenditures. The appropriations of
the State are absorbed in repairs of extraor-
dinary damage from food. Consequently
they are in no condition of repair to resist
any food, and every spring freshet brings
its regular extraordinary casualties to the
canals, requiring the greatest part of the
years revenues to repair them, and leaving
the main body Of the canals to wait for other
extraordinary damages. Any who have no.
ticed the canal reports for several years
back must have observed this. The canals
are now practically abandoned, except that
the State takes their receipts and expends
in experimenting their decline, sum which,
udder private management, would preserve
them in efficient condition. And in addition,
the people are paying for this, taking one
year with another, not less than $10O, 1000
year for the political advantages that are de-
rived from these works.
The Legislature last winter refused to ap-
propriate any thing more than the canal re-
ceipts and $24, 900. To put the Lewistown
reservoirs structure regarded as indispen-
sable to the summer navigation of the Miami
Canal-in condition to be filed, and to re-
build such structures as were imperatively
required, " Nould have taken at least 500, 900
additional. The reservoir is left nearly fin
ished and abandoned; the locks, cnlverts,
dams and bridges are not rebuilt; the Board
anticipated the revenues by,more than $780,
o0o to repair extraordinary damages in the
spring boats are sticking on the summit
level of the Miami Canal the bountiful har-
vest goes chiefly to the benefit Of the rail-
roads which are under an efficient manage
ment which can adapt itself to the business;
the canals are gradually sinking out of exis-
tence, and the Board will wind up the years
business with deficiency of not less than
$4,000, large part Of which is now repre-
sented by checks on the State Treasurer
which are sold at a handsome discount in
the market.
In the mean time, this decline is marked
by the retirement by political changes, of
nearly all the men from the charge of the
canals, who have been bred to the profession
of civil engineering and they have been re-
placed by men without experience in any
part Of their duties except the political part.
The only man in the Board who has earned
his position by acquiring thorough knowl-
edge of the profession, from the beginning
to the highest grades, is Mr.. Baekus, the
Democratic member. His Republican COM
petitOr, however unobjectionable personally,
will be only another inexperienced member
added TO the Board, at the loss of the only
competent canal engineer or manager in it.
We can say on the affirmation of the business
men on the canals, and without obtruding
our own personal opinion, that Mr.. Backus
is a most competent and efficient public
officer. When the Legislature, last winter,
changed the locations of the members of the
Board, the forWarders and businessmen al
the North end of the Miami Canal, unani.
mOusly demonstrated against the removal Of
Mr.. Backus from the charge of that division
His capacity, integrity and thorough atten'
tion to his duties no one will question.
The question is whether an experienced
officer shall be succeeded by another mex
perienced one, merely to give the Republi-
cans complete control of this political power
which is fatal TO the interests of the canals.
We know of many Republicans, who are
interested in the canals, who depreeate the