The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-13

the coupons on the gold bonds IN
gold in London, instead of paying
currency to the State and the State
paying the gold in London.
After the advances in the price of
gold, the company continued paying
gold in Tendon instead of paying the
State in the cheaper currency, as ii
had right, under the legal tender
act to do and the company claims a
rebate of over 100000 as the differ
ence between the price of gold paid
for the State, and the price of the
currency which it might have paid
under the law.
These claims, if allowed, would re-
duce the company's Indebtedness to
the State by nearly million dollars.
For the remainder, S467 ,2S5.76, the
company gives its bonds to the State.
In addition to that, the company
agrees to pay State tax of one-half
of one per cent. on its gross earnings
on all its railroads and branches, and
from all other sources within the
State. AS under the charter the
company was exempt from taxation,
this is so much clear gain to the
State. Furthermore, the company
agrees to permit any railroad COM
pany now Incorporated, or to be in
corpOrated, to connect its railroad
with the railroad or railroads of said
Baltimore and Ohio railroad at or
near Cumberland, in this State, and
also west of Cumberland on
the line of the b. & O. r. r.. within
this State. 1t also binds itself to
transport over its road for shipment
on canal, all coal, lumber, pig-ircn,
ores of all kinds, and stone, at uni
form rate of charge of one and one
fourth cents per ton per mile from all
points west of Piedmont. While
this gives as as lew rates as could be
desired to Cumberland for our coal,
lumber, &C., it also gives promise of
largely increased business and pros
perity to- the canal, which is owned
principally by the State. So this
monstrous iniquity so far as the State
is concerned, vanishes into thin air.
While by this compromise pe have
not secured what we desired, we
have at least made some progress.
Under the present compromise the
company agrees to carry our coal
from Bloomington to Cumberland
for 129 cents less per ton than it
charges from Piedmont to Cumber-
land. This gives our miners near
Bloomington an advantage in freigh
of 10 to 20 cents per ton over the
Georges Creek miners. With this
very material advantagein our favor,
if the mining interests in Garrett
county do not spring into life, they
are certainly dead beyond the hope
of resurrection.
1t is true that / and my colleague
did vote for the railroad bill, as did
also every other member who voted
on it except two. Members had
fair opportunity to acquaint them
selves with the provisions of the bill,
and they are fully as we'll qualified
to judge ofits merits as those who,
without taking the trouble to inform
themselves fully, are SO ready to de-
nounce and threaten and cry fraud.
While the bill was under discussion
l prepared an amendment which read
as follows: but in no case shall the
company charge the citizens of this
State higher rates on any class of
freights than is, or may be charged,
to citizens of other States for longer
distances" This would have healed
all our grievances, but while | was on
my feet trying to obtain recognition,
the gavel fell and the bill went over
to the following day. In the mean
time | sought out quite number of
members whom l supposed would
favor my amendment, but l found
no encouragement and finally became
convinced that it would be voted
down as promptly as had those which
preceded it. | was still in hopes that
Mr.. Braces bill would pass, which
would render US the desired relief;
but his favorite system of tactics was
used SO efectually on him that he
did not even get the opportunity to
explain his bill.
AS to the unrighteous discrimina-
ton against our section of the Srate,
none suffer by it more directly than
myself and no one is willing to
labor more zealously than l to correct
our grievances. | believe that the
DCtW cell Ctdlt anu
the railroad is fair and equitable, and
that we are very much nearer cheap
freights than we have ever been be-
fore. With the established low rates
to Cumberland and competing road
char tered and already within six
miles of Cumberland, / do not see
how the Baltimore and Ohio road
can maintain former rates any great
length of time.
The foregoing is brief and true
statement of the amount of stock
which myself and colleague hold in
the iniquity concern, as well as the
considerations which induced us to
pursue the course we did. We secur-
ed the passage of several important
laws for our county, but because we
failed to accomplish what there never
was the remotest prospect of accom-.
plishing, and what no one, however
influential and experienced could
have accomplished, you lose sight of
all that we did do, and by general
charges of treachery, leave it to be
inferred that we have betrayed the
trust confided 10 us, and have re-
turned to our fellow citizens dishon-
ored and unwo rthy of their conf