Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-10
Average Daily Circulation, 1863
The Report OF the Canal Com.aux

An examination OF the report OF the Chasa-
peake and Ohio Canal company of which we
spoke yesterday, proves il to be mere Tissue
of false premises and wrong conclusions
strung together with the general design Of
making the worse appear the better reason
Inc report Is poorly-execute,i attempt to
veil over the policy of evaporation and ven
geance conceived by the central or Baltimore
faction OF The ruling party in the state against
the sixth district faction, which last fall
elected member of Congress of their own
partly on The platform OF a reform in canal
affairs through a contemplated removal OF
the present board. The boatmen and their
attaches pretty generally supported Walsh,
therefore they must be punished by a year or
two of ruin and starvation. Walsh who Is
part owner of the largest shipping wharf at
Cumberland, is to be brought to taste the
consequencesofhis rashness blythe canal COM
pany's going into the wharf business against
MIN, and offering, through its control of the
canal treasury, brIbe of eight cents a ton
TO every coal company that Will forSaie his
wharf That il the sum of the whole story
neither more nor less. and a pcrusal of the
report will supply running demonstration
OF it.
The Baltimore and Chic railroad interest
which has for good while been credited, or
debited, with the con cealed design OF getting
the canal into its own clutches and of back
ing up the present board on that account,
naturally chimes in with any scheme calcjI-
lated to advance its ends; and as these over
grown corpora lions have no more soul than
the car Of JuggeTnaut. they can look out
upon widespread restitution and suffering
without a sigh. rs for the Baltimore press,
usually so voluble on every topic, they have
not word 10 say; for what looks to be orig
iDal in tieir columns is to all appearance
,llp iugs
the Canal Board.
IL Is scarcely worth while to write against
the foregone conclusions OF such a combina-
fiOn. or ''ring," as that which now levels its
inhuman fury at the poor Canal-which
EOt long ago they were clarifying as the
great future avenue of commerce between
the West and East-but the question pre-
sents itself: Whence sprung this braa-new
policy of controlling the cost of transporta-
ton" on the canal. but from the sentiment
OF vengeance we have above referreI to-
WHAT show of reason or right has this canal
company for debating the rates of freight or
wharfage on their work, any more than a
turnpike company has to regulate the fares
OF passengers and the hire of vehicles that
run upon its road, or the rentals OF the barns
and stores that lie along its routee Tie
canal was built on 10 such principle
The report would gain credit for itself by
rot talking about ''in our Judgment - and lin
our opinion" and the like. Now, it does not
matter the value OF a rusty nail from an old
iock-gate what the board may s.Judge- or
cipher out for its own delectation or the be-
fogment of the general reader; the true test
OF the whole business lies in the action of the
coal companies. Ii the coal companies can
make most money by using the canal they
WIZ use 1T; II not, not. But the coastraint
put upon these companies by the canal
board in forcing them all to its new shipping
wharf. wears the aspect of a purpose to dis
gust and drive them from the canal alto
gether.