The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-05-19
TIE Freight Question.

Arthur r. German, who just now is
throwing away his valuable time,
and, maybe, injuring his not too ro-
bust health, In the attempt to inaug-
urate the 'canal FEEDER" for the os-
tensible purpose Of carrying our coal
TO market, but really to manufacture
"tidai wave" Of "public opinion"
In our midst that shall carry him to
the Governors mansion.
Whatever the wishes or opinions
Of our people may be as to the
'feeder," let them see this "little 10.
ker" just as he is, with large promi.
ses, we'll laid plans. ION paper,) and
ask themselves with their knowledge
Of him for the past ten years, how
much reason there is in the expecta.
ton that any set Of men, with the
amount Of money requisite, would
risk one dollar in any enterprise
such as he or his friends might seek
to foster, promote or control.
Do any Of his friends or party
commit themselves to the advance
OF any capital at any time to the en-.
terprise, an enterprise which, in its
incipiency, makes war on the rail.
road because they are carrying coal
too losS!
Are they not advocating the wrong
course in asking the railroad compa.
ny to keep up the rates which has
been our crying complaint and stand.
ing indictment against the railroad
company? And must we now stul-
tify ourselves and say the railroad
company has been right and we all
wrong in the past. simply because
Mr.. German finds now that he can.
not compete with the railroad com.
pany in carrying the coal?
We want q market for our coal and
other products, and we want our car.
riers to carry them at the lowest pos.
sible rate, SO that in the great mar.
kets we shall have fair chance with
all. II Clearfield coal can be sold in
eastern markets lower than our coal,
then 1t will take the market. If the
railroad will carry our coal 30 we
can take the market from Clearfield,
and the canal cannot do it, then let
Us have railroad, even though Cor
man should not be backed by Yves.
tern MARYLAND for Governor.
What we want is lower transport
tation. be it by canal or rail. We
want an outlet for our potatoes, oats,
lumber and slaves at rates something
less than is paid from Chicago and II
the railroad officials will only give
US some practical relief, instead OF
plausible platitudes, we shall be duly
grateful. Nor shall we, at Mr.. Cor
mans dictation. seek to deter them
even II they only lower on coal. 1t
Is step in the right direction, and
now. when they awaken to the fact
that "local" trade Is worth looking
after, they should not be met with q
cry Of higher rates and "no draw
back" simply because the canal and
It's interests will suffer.
We are not blind to the Injustice
we have suffered at the hands of the
railroad. They have no friends in
our midst, and deserve none, nor
will they deserve better of our peo.
pie till they treat with equity the in.
terests that, through their perverse
and unfriendly policy, are paralyzed
and valueless in our midst to day.
Our timber lies rotting in our
woods, our farms are but half cult.
waited because we pay two prices for
transportation to market. Manufac.
turing Is neglected, and our industri-
.cus population is looking to other To-
cautious for more hOspitable recep.
tons, and all because we are at the
mercy Of this giant corporation. But
we do not believe this corporation 10
.omnipotent. or that its officers are
clothed with attributes of Deity.
The dead towns that decorate its
route from Baltimore to Wheeling,
the silent factories, the deserted work
shops, are too eloquent with the story
of Its "policy" to keep people or leg.
islators quiet much longer, and to an
aroused and intelligent public senti.
ment we may look for such action rs
shall remedy these abuses, which are
too patent to be denied, and too uni.
versal to be passed by In silence. We
insist that the remedy is not to be
sought in the pheasant ways" that
Arthur will have us 60, and we
would not have our people build
their hopes or place any dependence
on schemes which have no better
chance for fulalIment aud compile.