Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-02-24
CHESAPEAKE AND ONO CANAL.
For the Montgomery County Sentinel.

For the Montgomery County Sentinel
Mr.. FDIToR = Your correspondent
"P, " in last weeks Sentinel, SO correctly
describes the character of the admins
tration which ought to preside over and
manage the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal,
that he may be pardoned his fling at
" monopolies, and the prejudice he seeks
to excite against our neighbors of the
District cities. His words are too good
not to be repeated and cordially agree
ing with him in this particular, | quote
them as follows:
Let tho State change her policy in
" the management of the canal let her
" dsrobe it, as far as possible, of its po-
" ltical drapery; let her consolidate the
Offices Of President and Chief Surerin-
tendeut in the hands Of a practical man;
- let her cut down the salary of the
"iormer to standard less attractive to
the eyes Of mere politicians
If your correspondent will look back
at the records of the canal in the years
1874 and At, he will find these very i'm
portant and fundamental measures Of re.
form there recommended and, yet, in
the face Of these recommendations, what
has tho history Of the last ten years
taught US ?-and what have we, in the
present, to warrant a reasonable hope
fl better state Of things for the flu
ture My former articles have shown
| the downward state Of things under the
political " drapery," of which your cor
respondent so handsomely desires to "dis-
robe the canal. But how this is to be
done, or by what measures it is to be ac-
cCmplished, the suffering creditors of the
canal are not informed and judging Of
the future by the past, the only true cri-
teron | know by which to form a correct
Judgement, | very much fear, (and know
am far from being alone in this opinion, }
that, unless some such measure as is now
before the Legislature, be at once adopted,
another Legislature will meet, two years
hence, only to find the canal in state
far more desperate than its present de-
plorable condition presents.
Who are the creditors of the canal
that are now asking measures Of relief
from the Legislature of Maryland? They
are citizens Of Maryland, Virginia, the
District of Columbia, and the cities of
Georgetown, Washington and Alexan-
dria, and the State Of Virginia, through
her Legislature, and represented by her
Attorney General If deaf to the APP
peals Of her own citizens, or the District
cities, although represented in the per-
sons of their highest official authority aud
dignity, can the Legislature Of Maryland,
at a time like this, return a cold and in
different answer to the just demands Of a
sovereign sister commonwealth Can she
forget that to Virginia legislation she is
indebted for the privilege Of laying more
than two-tairds the length Of her noblest
work of internal improvement, the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad ? or, will she
cease to remember the ties Of interest, Of
common sympathy and historic recol-
lcctions, which SO strongly bind her tC
Virginia? Let no petty party Or selfish
considerations rise up to mar the fair es-
cutcheon Of Maryland, when told, as hel
highest authorities have admitted, iha
she stands in the way and Obstructs thu
rights and just claims Of honest anC
suffering creditors. ID.