Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-02-22

collector on our road, was a delegate to
the late Republican convention, held in
the city of Baltimore, from this county,
and that you, as stock holder, d" look
upon Dyer as an Abolitionist, and as my
(your) enemy, and (you) most respect
fully ask that he may be discharged forth
with fl ON bis position" You further re
quest me to lay your letter before the
Board of Directors at their first meeting.
This latter request | will most cheer
fully comply with and will add, that
it gives me great pleasure to receive sug-
gestlons from any and all of the stock
holders in this, our little. though i'm
portant county improvement. 1t is pro-
per, however, that | SHOULD inform you
that, by resolution of the Board of Di-
rectors, the appointment of toll collect
or, supervisors, &C.. is conferred upon the
President of the company, an Office at
present held by myself
The first toll collector appointed, was
an Irish Democrat, who proved to be I'M
fit for the duties of the Office For this
appointment my Know-nothing friends
twited me with being unfriendly to the
" American" feelings and sentiments.
He was at the end of the year superseded
by a man by the name of Collins, whose
politics | never cnquired, and do not now
know. His appointment was made, how
ever, upon recommendation of gentlemen
who were known to me as prominent Be-
mocrats of the county. He COLLINS had
trade, which frequently called him from
home. and he did not, in consequence,
give that personal attention which his
Office required A new appointment was
sought, when Dyer presented himself,
fortified by highly respectable recon-
mendations Of gentlemen belonging to
both the American and Democratic par
ty in the county. Having learned that
there was, in some quarters, objections
to his appointment, laid it over for a
personal interview with gentlemen who
thought had better opportunity Of know
ing his character and fitness for the office.
These gentlemen happened to be respec-
table Democrats, and it was mainly upon
the testimony they bore to his fitness and
character that he received the appoint
ment. 1t is due to those gentlemen, as
well as Dyer, to say that his conduct in
Office, and his fidelity to the interests of
the company, has fully justified and sus-
tanned the character they gave him of
honesty, attention and fidelity to duty.
You now ask me forthwith to discharge
him, because you consider him Gin con
sequence Of his having attended the Re
publican convention in BALTIMORE ." an
Abolitionist and your enemy" | need
not say to you that the Republican party
has no sort of sympathy from me, and
that entirely disapprove of its objects
and aims, so far as at present developed
But when am asked, in discharging my
duty to turnpike company, from how
ever respectable source it may come, as
it has in this instance, to turn out a good
and faithful officer, who has since his ap-
pointment increased the revenue Of the
road from 20 to 30 per cent. over former
collectors, only on account Of his having
attended political convention, Can act
which / both dsapprove of and regret, J
which happens to be obnoxious to both
yon and me, and doubtless many other
members of our company, the question
arises whether | should allow my politi.
cal prejudccs to overrule my sense OF
duty to the interests of the company
When Dyer came to me to apply for the
appointment, be made some allusion to his
politics and religion. at once stopped
him. saying that bad nothing to do with
his politics or religion-that my duty was
to enquire into his character for honesty
and fitness for the duties Of the Office, aud
if he satisfied me upon those points, and
attended faithfully to the interests of the
company, should not trouble him about
eitberhis politics or religion; but continue
him in the Office so long as be gave salts
faction TO the company Ny object was to
impress him with the Importance attach
ed to his attention TO the duties of bis office.
and ut the same time to discla;m, as was
then and is still my real sentiments, all
surveillance or control over his personal
rights, or political or religious opinions.
Permit me to add that, in my judg-
ment, this is the course most in harmony
with the genius of our free institutions,
and that prescriptions for mere political
or religious opinions partakes Of tyran-
ny hostile to the republican form Of go
vernment under which we live. Most Of
all do | think it unwise, incxpcdient and
even hazardous to allow political conside-
rations TO enter into and control corpora
tions, whether small or great in their
management.
| shall certainly feel it my duty to en-
quirc whether Dyer has been guilty of
any neglect of duty to the detriment Of
the interests of the company in attending
political conventions, or otherwise, and
if SO, You may rely upon it, | shall need
no prompting to point out my duty in
the premises
am, with great respect, your obedi-
ent servant, A. Il. DAVIS,
President.
will make few remarks on Mr.
Davis letter:
LIST. 1t proves my charge against him,
that he retained Dyer in the all-impor-
tant position to the public of toll. gate
keeper of the turnpike. with n full
knowledge that he had been a delegate,