The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-06-27
Sassafras River Bridge,

Sassafras River Bridge.
Under this caption the Democrat, last
week attempts to Justify the appropriation of
$4,000, by the County Commissioners, to
erect bridge over Sassafras River, at Fred
ericktown. We have never, anywhere, met
with such "all-fred " reasoning as that
article presents to bolster up this inexcusa
bic levy on the part Of the County Commits
sloners. After a long predatory lecture on
he dishonesty, ignorance, illiberality, inius
tice and positive wickedness of our daring
to expose this outrage on the taxpayers, in
which we are reminded that we should hold
our tongue in reference TO matters so alb.
struse as this bridge, and which we do not
understand, expressed in the Democrats
peculiar stately style of pomposity, the
writer threatens to ''eXplode" our state
ments by " a simple expose - and proceeds
to accomplish that object by charging I" that
If this bridge had been located in any part
OF the county except the first or second dis.
trict, the wing would have found no cause
of complaint" If this means that we Oh.
pose the outlay of the county funds to build
this bridge because it is to be Iocated in the
.frst district, We spurn such charge as be.
meath contempt. We wond expose and
denounce an outlay Of so little public benefit
in any other part Of the county, us freely AS
in the first and second districts. There is
more OF this same stuff in the article refer
red to not relevant to the subject. and which
we will not notice at present. But We will
allow the Democrat to SPEAK for itself 1t
says:
People who read charges so boldly made will he sir.
irised to know that they emanate from person who
never saw Sassttias Neck in his life, who is entirely g-
n"rant of e topography and who has purposely Kept
himself aloof from the surroundings. which now Ia. en-
dftvors to talk So lealnVdy about Frcdericktown the
place whore the bridge 10 he located is the entrrpot
Tor the arrival amt departure of all produce and
ciandse used in the most wealthy dis trict of the
county The travel to in that section is constant
As from any locality to Ekton. Steamers ply between
it and Philadelphia and Bait imore regularly tri-
weekly line to Baltimore, and scni-weckv line to
Philadelphia run constantly and in the summer sea-
s,u aa many rs five steamers leave tera daily More
over the ferry boats across the river kept in CON
slant acquisition, and all that is needed to make this
locality AZ complete thnroughtarc il to be found in
the county, IL this very bridge
On the contrary having been over every
road and III every corner, almost, Of Sassa
lras Neck, not emitting Fredercktown, the
great port for steamboats, and other sailing
craft, the Democrats charitable purpose of
ascribing geographical ignorance for the
=" outrage " will not avail us, and other
grounds will have to be sought Notwith-
standing that Fredericktown is doubtless
place or immense importance, land in the
summer season as many as five steamers
leave there daily yet we are at a loss to
ascertain what use these steamboats, could
make Of bridge at that point. Bridges are
generally dubbed great instances by those
who sail steamers and other vessels, as they
always have a horror of draws. "The travel
to it (Fredericktown) in that section is as
constant as from any locality to Elkton. il
But il nowhere appears III this smart writer's
defense of the proposed bridge, that the
| travellers living in this county who go to
l'redcricktown to take produce to the steam
boat landings and bring away freight, have
any use for the bridge, Fredericktown being
on the Cecil side Of the river. The Demo-
crat attempts to travesy our remark that not
one in five hundred of our citizens would
ever see this bridge, by stating that the first
district has more than five hundred voters,
every one of whom having business at Fred.
ericktown, would be likely to ''see {" the
bridge. 1t is true those people may "see "
the bridge, but it doesn't appear that their
business at Fredercktown requires them to
use it, and it is not the purpose Of the tax
payers to build bridges to crafty the optics
of the public. Having failed to show that
the steamboats, that land and receive freight
at Fredericktown, or the people who ship
| their produce at that point have any partic-
ular use for bridge there, the Democrat
next tries to open mail route. "By this
| route" says this luminous editor, "the dis.
lance to Chestertown is shortened six or
seven miles from Elkton." "An1 daily
stages passing over it in the most direct
route will properly characterize the Whigs
structures" A mail route for stage coaches
in these days of telegraphs and railroads!
and to 60 to Chestertown What great en-
porium is this Chestertown? We have never
heard Of its being one of the great centres
Of trade, that it is so necessary to have the
mail stage route to it shortened "six
miles," at cost of $4,000 to the tax-pay.
ers of Cecil
All that has made Sassafras Neck 80 isolated
Is the want of these very bridges With them built
it is in close association with other parts of the county
How bridge across Sassafras river, which
is the dividing line between this county and
Kent, can bring Sassafras Neck in closer