Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-02-17
rmE CANAL REPAIR BONDS

THE CANAL REPAIR BONDS
1n pursuauce ~ RESOLUTION 5fftrel IN
the House of Delegates. the Board Of
Public Works, composed IF the Cover
nor Of the State, Comptroller and Treas
urcr. have submitted to that body a
lengthy statement setting forth their
views as to the action to be taken by
the State with the Chesapeake and OHIO
Canal, accompanying, they submit a hi
for consideration by them, which IN
their opinion will proven; the State from
losing all property rights therein, aud
which will be the means Of preserving
the canal as a waterway One Of the
suggestions made in this statement is,
that the repair bonds, to the amount Of
$500 600, issued under an Act If A.
sembly passed at the session Of lI1S,
which we're sold at eighty cents on the
dollar, be purchased by The State ont of
the monies set ap IT Tor the sinking
funds. The aid proposed to be extend
I'll by the high officials. who ought to be
hest informed on the subject, IS that
which the constitution prohibits Thus
question has been, during the past three
months, fully aud ably discussed by the
'Amrrican" and 'Sun." aud the con-
rm,ion has been, as expressed by the
Sun in recent issue. ''fllrt the
State can aeither buy the unproductlve /
bonds of the canal, nor advance the
moucy to pay interest upon them.
What is to be gained by the State if It
could be constitltioually done, by the T
purchase Of these bonds. we fail to see
The gentleman who advocate the pur-
chase admit in their statement that
competition Of railway lines, partly in
This State aud partly in other States,
BUS diminished the revenue derived by
the canal from the coal trade, which has
long been its chief dependence 1t is
idle to talk Of making the canal at some
future time profitable, for it i. beyond
question, that the great railway lines I
which have so much diminished its rev
enues in the past, will continue to in
crease their facilities for coal trausporta
ton, and with every recurring year the
receipts sgo4s tyis waterway, which at
enc time was source Of revenue, will
surcl, decline The proposition to buy
these bonds is not only unconstitutional,
but unjust; they were soln at eighty
cents on the dollar and if there was not
hope that the 5 ate would eventually
become the purchaser, would be entirrl y
worthless. There can be no question
that h. State should dispose of their inter
est in the canal as speedily az possible,
and thereby save the continued drain on
her resources made Is the p5TIica' rs
pendants. who have been kept in posi-.
sion, to strengthen the corrupt ring
headed by the senior Senator fran
Maryland, which has not o1ly ruined
this once prosperous waterway, but has
degraded the Safe Ivy SOME Of the most
disgraceful practices known slnce the
days Of the Plug Ugles" and Know
Nothings TIE Baltimore Sun in
discussing this and other questions,
shows clearly that the promises of re-
form in this, aud other matters, made
previous to the election are being disro-
garded, that apparently many Of those
promises will not be fulfilled, and linall,
at the close of strong arrangement for
this apparent neglect says:
Its worst enemies, Chat is the Dem
ceratlc party to-day are III It's own ranks,
and are the very men who are seeking
to strengthen its machinery at the cost
Of public confidence If legislation is
to be manipulated to keep it in power,
aud the State Treasury sapPed to reward
its henchmen, it will hnd when its day
of trial again comes that its misdeeis
will be remembered aud its promises
laughed to scorn.