The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-08-04


above high tide, and tug for towing all
vessels through or under said bridge free
of charge in either event. A committee
of seven citizens was appointed to pre-
sent the sentiments of the meeting to the
Board of Public Works and urge upon
the Board the necessity of their coming
to Polt Deposit and going over the
ground of the proposed bridge, also to
employ steamer for said purpose.
Accompanying the proceedings is the
following appeal on behalf of the citi-
zens of Port Deposit, formulated at the
office of Hon. Jacob Tome, where the
bridge matter was fully discussed by a
number of prominent citizens gathered
there. The appeal is signed by Messrs.
Jacob Tome, john r. Bond, F. S. Ever
EFT, J. II. Rowland, l.. 3. McCabe, John
NJ. McClenahan, James NJ. Tombstone
and w. w. Reynolds. After referring
to the statement that it was the unani-
mously expressed sentiment of the meet
ing that less than what the citizens have
asked would practically shut out the
town of Port Deposit to river commerce,
it continues: 'There are forcible argu-
ments to be urged against any bridge
crossing the Susquehanna below head of
tide, and we have already been seriously
injured by one bridge, with en- the ad-
vantage of draw. Yet we have not, as
| you we'll know, made any cause on these
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. good in
themselves, but capable of being twisted
by those not understanding the situation
or ~ilfully ignoring it into captious OPP
position to great and noble enterprise.
We have voluntarily ignored and thrown
behind us many of the disadvantages
and evils resulting to us from this bridge
even in its most unobjectionable shape.
Content to take the burden of our share
of the sacrifice in order that this cor
poration Baltimore and Ohio) may not
be impeded in its work of throwing open
to the public another great line for pass
age and freight, we have simply objected
to being utterly destroyed in order to
give success to the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. Law, equity, morals, COM
mon sense, sustain our position. We
have shown you by practical and credi-
BILE witnesses that we must have draw
sufficiently wide to admit the safe pass
age of any vessel trailing with the town.
Failing this, we require such all altitude
rather be towed, without even a suspi-
cion of impinging their highest point.
This, we have shown you by practical
sailors and shipmasters, requires 125 feet
from high tide.
We hold that citizen is guaranteed
by the national government free and un-
impeded passage in any navigable wa
ters. If then one citizen, however re-
mote from these waters, stands in the
way of this bridge as proposed, how
much more whole community, whose
property and business are to be sacrificed
at the whim of Baltimore and Ohio en-
gineer. The more unjust and absurd
when everybody is aware that engineer
lug science of to-day can overcome what
was deemed the impossible of twenty
years ago.
owe do not forget and beg to remind
you that those who now demand y just
measure of their rights are the tax-pay-
ing citizens as arrayed against tax
paying corporation
After declaring that the citizens of
Port Deposit have no hostility against
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, but
are simply defending vested and immu-
table right the document continues:
Ours is the case of one who wakes at
midnight to find an intruder entering
the window. You understand, one does
not lie still at such time till his hands
are tied. And you and all of us must
agree that with the success of such
schemes as now proposed the corpora
tions will i'll the near future swallow up
every right of every citizen.
In view, therefore, of the magnitude
of the interests involved, the grave char
acter of this question in its present as
we'll as its remote and cumulative conse-
quences, we respectfully urge you to
come up and go over the ground and see
personally what we lay before you. We
are IN your hands. Appointed, as you
are, to see that justice be done to the
people, we appeal to you to take every
means within your reach and every
source of information in order that the
great wrong be not vested upon u.s.
Correspondence Of the Baltimore SIN.