The Portland daily press., 1867-07-09
The Wafer 4uesfion,

The Sunday Advertiser has another long ar
ticle on the water question, in which the su-
periority of river water to spring water is de-
liberately maintained. We say now, as we
have always said, that the PresuInpscot watel
is better than none. We believe the Temporal
ry needs of the city might however be better
supplied from Long creek. But sooner Or lat.
er, we must go to Sebago for a permanent sup.
ply, and if any company proposes to ing wa
ter from Sebago note, on reasonable terms, We
favor that proposition. The difference between
the Press and Advertiser appears to be that
while we favor any project which promises to
meet this great and urgent necessity, no mat
ter who presents it, the Advertiser favors no.
thing but the Presumscot plan. 1t is of no
avail to tell us, as the Advertiser does, that
New Orleans is supplied from the muddy Mis-
sissippi, and London from the reeking Thames
The question is, can we not do bette? II we
can, we certainly shall r
We do not share the anxiety of the Adver-
tiser lest the City Government should suffer
itself to be imposed upon. We believe it to be
the duty of the City Government to spare nei-
ther pains nor expense to make itself as thor
oughly acquainted with the general subject as
any corporation which comes before them.
Preliminary surveys and estimates should be
and doubtless will be made with the utmost
care. But they should be made promptly
We believe the danger is rather that authori-
ties will not act with sufficient promptitude
than that they will recklessly involve the city
in complications which ordinary prudence
would avert. I'D
1t is quite likely that the city in time may
prefer to purchase the works for itself. Such
has been the experience of other communities.
The act of last winter provides for this contin-
gency as follows:
Sec. 6. At or after the expilati of six
years from the date of the acceptance OF this act
by said corporation, the city Of l0,adnd shall
hare the right to take, exercise and control, all
the property, rights, poscers and privileges Of
said corporation on paying to said corporation
such sum as may be agreed upon by the city
and said corporation; or an ease they cannot
agree apOn the sum to be paid, such sunt as shat
be a6ed upon by three commissioners, who shall
be appointed by the Supreme Court upon the
application of said city, and who shall tdirty
oppraise the property and rights of said COM
pany and return their report thereof 10 the Su-
preme Judicial Court in the County of Cum
berland. which report, when accepted, shall be
final and conclusive upon the parties, and the
issue any process reeesssry to carry the same
into effect
This appears to be square enough. At the
expiration OF six years, that is, if the water
should be brought here, as is proposed, in two
years after fonr annual payments of $4,000
the city will have the right to take the,
works OF the company at fair appraisal.
This arrangement being fairly understood, it
only remains to consider whether the annual
payment of $4,000 is too great. In our opin-
ion we can better afford that payment than
we can do without the water. If the city gov
ernment can dc. the work or get any body else
to do it at once and for less, By all means let it
be done for less; but in the name Of common
sense let us no longer neglect the lesson which
has been enforced by. last years experience.
The policy of the Democratic Obstruction
lists is understood by the Southern people. Here
is what one Virginia paper, the Charlottesville
Chronicle, says
We have not one particle more respect for
the Northern Democracy than we have for the
Republicans. They got US into our troubles
and basely abandoned us. And they are
doing us infinite injury now by obstructing
the settlement of reconstruction. They use
us merely as so much political capital, and are
no true friends. But whether friends or foes,
they have no power, and are a perpetual nui-
sance. We have got to make terms with the
Republican party-they are the government,
and will be for good many years.
Here is more of the same sort, from another
Virginia paper, the Richmond Whig:
TheWorld is the organ of the Northern
Democracy, and when it speaks of 'our pol
icy," it means the policy of the Democratic
Party. As we interpret its language, it in
tends to say that the worse the people of the
South are treated by the party in power, the
better it will be for the Democratic Party,
since the causes of complaint and the grounds
Of objection against the Republican Party will
be strengthened in proportion TO the outrages
they practlce 1t is the iaterest Of the Demo-
cratic Party that the people of the South
should be oppressed wroneed and outraged to
the last degree by the Republican Party, 1t
is in the interest of the Democratic party
that the people of the South should provoke
punishment and court martydom This anoiicv"
was acted upon by the Democratic members
Of Congress during the last session. II was
owing to their refusal to accept more lenient
terms than the rgors of the Sherman Shella-
barger law We r inflicted on US We hope it
will no longer be considered by Congress that
there is any connection, utilization OF sympathy
between the people OF the South and the Dem
ocratic Party. We were sufficiently victimz-
ed by that party in beng encouraged to a.
tempt secesslon-we protest against being
subjected to new tortures ioT the suspicion Of
being still inclined to Democracy -