Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-13


years 1856, 1851 and 1853, were in the hands
Of Messrs. Blickensderfer, Waddle and Con-
over, three Of the ablest and most expert
enced canal engineers in the State, who en-
tered the service OF the State tWentysthreo
years ago, and by years Of experience made
themselves conversant with every branch Of
the service that eminently qualified them
to manage, with prudence and economy, all
the expenditures made in keeping the canals
In good repair, also qualifying them to make
as judicious a toll-sheet for revenue purposes
as is possible for men to make; and yet they,
with ell their superior knowledge and great
practical experience, were enabled to make
the public works yield an annual average
revenue Of 1891, $50 70. Nor were they able
to reduce the expenditures below a yearly
average of 1886, 924 40"
According to this official statement, the
average annual loss to the State during
1856, '57 and SO was $54,943 70. Do not
these figures make il look as if 1.-THE gang Of
%plunderers who are at the seat of Govern
ment, prepared ito grab this vast interest
from the State into their own possession"
would, if they should happen to succeed,
perform a quite acceptable service to the tax
payers2
But this is not all; The author of the docu-
ment above quoted expresses his concurrence
in the opinion given by Hon. R. W. Taylor,
Auditor Of State, contained in his report to
the present General Assembly, that the reve.
nues from the public works for this fiscal
year will not exceed the sum of $27O,O 900.
Putting the expenditures at the average
above stated, which, as all will confess who
are conversant with the condition of the
canals, is low enough, and the loss of the
treasury by their means during the present
fiscal year, will reach, in round numbers, the
handsome aggregate of $4,000. Does it
not look as if We ought to pray for the speedy
success of that gang of fellows" who are
'conspiripg to defraud the State out of the
entire value of 700 miles of canals ~
1t is evident that the only basis for the
operations of this gang of thieves, swindlers,
cut-throats, gamblers and spectators, who
are cabaling to defraud the State out Of the
symbol of an annual loss of $ll6,O 900 per
annum, is the hope that by skill, care, vigil
lance, a liberal policy and a judicious ex-
penditure, they can so manage the canals as
to secure a reasonable profit upon a moderate
outlay for their purchase. They think they
can do better than the Government has done,
and realize a fair return where the State has
been largely a loser: and for this they seem
to have entitled themselves to all the epithets
of the rogue's vocabulary, by the mouth of
our exceedingly pure and holy contemporary,
the Commercial
This body Of "broken down needy, and
lazy adventures see the Commercial
these "cormorants," are DESTROYS to purchase
the canals, and what is worse, to buy them
at as cheap q rate as possible. Horriblel
Such has been the success of the present
holders, that they ought to do as our City
Council did in the grave yard case, and pay
considerably more than is demanded.
The article in the Commercial, although in
manner and form a Columbus letter, bears
pretty strong marks Of home manufacture.
There is an o~pulence in its ~Billingsgate that
mere amateurs in newspaper vituperation
seldom attain, and the evidence of that Pc
culiar style of bad and envious temper
which recognizes no motives of action but
its W interests and g~rudges, for which our
contemporary is so remarkable. 1t is intended
to indicate in a semi. official way, that the
Commercial designs hereafter to oppose the
sale of the canals, and will employ such in
fuence as it has to defeat all measures pro-
posed for the purpose. The means by which
this is to be done, as is to be seen by the COM
m%encement, ave to be threats and misrepre-
sensations. How far they will be effective
may, perhaps, be indicated by future events.