Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-08-16
rARpER,s FERRY EsRgDaE.

little Bridge article. It's theme-the
triumph of Mr. Mason in the County
Court. 1t purported to be editorial. In
the last number Of your paper, there ap-
peared contribution on the same sub
iect, entitled, with great correctness,
.'Mason's Ferry vs.. Drilge"-a very
proper admission That it is Mason that
is fighting the Bridge, and not the
Bridge Mason. This contribution pur-
ports to be from 90" Next week-no
doubt-somewhere else, something else
will appear, purportirg 10 be from some
ore else, until every end Of the county is
made to appear to throw up its cap for
Mr.. Mason, the truth being that each
and every one Of the articles are, very
likely, the contributions Of one and the
same Protean gentleman, whose initials
are J. VI. N. This dodge is very old.
Punch presents himself and squeaks;
Judy presents herself and squeaks; then
the Baby is presented aud it squeaks;
and finally the Hangman presents him
self and he squeaks; while 10! if yon look
behind the scene you will find that all
the squeaking has been done by one
and the same person, who does not APP
pear at all until he appears hat in hand
to collect the pennies.
Whether it was Punch, or Judy, or
the Baby, or the lIangman, that, over
the signature of SO, predicted ii. your
paper last week that tie Bridge Com
pany would be beaten IN The Courts, al
low me to suggest, that however that
may be, his squeaking will have very
little to DO with the result. In the
Courts the questions will be imparrialIy
considered in the light OF the law, not
let 90 bear in mind, the old English
common law of a hundred years ago,
when monopolies were the gift Of the
Crown, and monopolists were the pets
Of the Crown, but Of modern American
law, the exponent of popular sentiment,
and enacted to subserye popular con-
venience, rs opposed to persona! az
grandiZcment
Once upon a time, three men stood
in the pass Of ThcrmopylR and swore
that no Persian should enter Greece,
save over their bodies. To-day Mr..
Mason stands on the margin Of the
Shenandoah and says that no Loudoun-
lists shall come into West Virginia, save
on his ferry. The amount CT dlslnter-
ested patriotism, to be sure, is hardly
the same in both cases. But apart from
that in ancient times there was no gun
powder, or Leoniias would have gone
by the board. In modern times there
is ffgisIaiive authority, so Mr.. Mason
had better take care that he does not
experience that fate.
1t is true Mr.. Mason has ferry. But
what is a ferry? II is a mere privilege
granted by the State y privilege for
which he paid nothing. 1t is true-in
consideration of his keeping the ferry
and accommodating the pubic-no pri-
ua'e person, and no person whether pri-
vate or public, can unIa~(rHy interfere
with bis ferry, within half mile OF it.
! But, what on earth-save an overpow
cring selhshneSs that tramples under
foot his every reasoning faculty-can
have suggested to him the odd idea
that the same Constitution ard Law
that, free, gratis" gave him this privi-
| lege, las not reserved 10 itself the right
to give TO others, when the interests Of
the public demanded it, similar priv
lcges! Private persons cannot indeed
interfere with Mr.. Mason's ferry, but
public bodies, duly authorized, can.
40" advises the Bridge Company to
pay Mr.. Mason for his ferry, as the
Md. and Va. Bridge Company had TO
do. In addition to the remark that the
Bridge Company does not want Mr..
MaSon's ferry, allow me to remind SO
of good old adage: 'Let every tub
stand on its own bottom" When the
Legislature had the power of granting
special charters, they did so on such
terms as they chose. Fortunately, i'll
the interest OF free inter communicates,
and travel, and passage, from one end
of the State TO the other, special legis-
lation of this sort is now prohibited. a
wise general law provides for all these
things Thanks to the enlightened gen
temcu that framed the new Constitu-
ton, monopolsts must now stand aside
they can no longer impede the way
of enterprise and pablo spirit.
"Q' says that if Harper's Ferry was
situated as Mr.. Mason is, it would re-
sist, &c, to the bitter end. He is mis-
taken. 1t is thoroughly understood in
the ferry that any person, or body of
persons, duly authorized, have a right
to build a bridge alongside Of the one
now in course of erection; and that any
attempt to obstruct them would end in
failure aud disgrace
1t may be as well here to say that
this is not mere Harper's Ferry matter.
Not only this county, but this whole
section of country is interested in the
erection of a Bridge across the Shenan-
doah river The stockholders and di-
rectors of the Bridge include some of
the most respectable and responsible
men in Loudoun county, Va, and Wash
iugton county, Md
Although Mr. Mason in hot haste
applied for and procured an injunction
against the Bridge Company, the diff
Guilty of procuring bond in the small
amount of five hundred dollars has
checked him in his mad career. This
circumstance alone ought to satisfy 90"
of to what a slight extent his confidence
in the final success Of Mr.. Mason is
shared 10y prudent and responsible PEG
pie. I say prudent and responsible
because l think there cannot he doubt
that the man who goes Oh that bond
will lose his money.