Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-10-27
Inland Waterway From Cape Charles
To ChEneOtesgue.

| MR.. EDITOR:-To one who ls deeply
interested in the prosperity and de-
velopment of our County and Shore,
the election for member of Congress,
to be held on the 9th day of Novem-
Der next, is of peculiar Importance
and significance. Upon it's result
hangs the fate of an undertaking OF
such vital concern to every man
upon our Peninsula, whether demo
crat or republican, white or black
that no words of mine can properly
portray or exaggerate. The opening
of a deep and commodius waterway
from Cape Charles to Chincoteague,
and on through to Delaware Bay
as matter Of local concern-is second
to no issue pending in this political
contest. Monopoly, to day, is trium-
plant among us; it's steel like grip is
upon our vitals, it is squeezing out
our life blood drop by drop. In vain
have we fought for justice, in vain
have we plead for mercy and fair
division of profits. 1t throttles our
feeble efforts for relief, and mocks at
our entreaties. We are slaves slaves
to monopoly that is as relentless as
death, and as deaf to reason and
justice as the ears of Pompey's stony
statue. The means of our enamel
patton is now at hand. The day of
our delivery is dawning already,
"Jocund day stands tiptoe on the
misty mountain. tops" The Inland
waterway is the highway to freedom.
Upon its placid bosom thousands OF
snowy sails will be spread, palatial
steamers will glide, laden with hui
mainly and the products of our land
and waters and on it's shores, every
where, thriving marts of trade will
spring into existence. Open every
beach and island, the summer cot
tage and hotel will arise. inviting
thousands from afar to our shore
bringing wealth, prosperity and JOY
in their train. Desolation will then
give place to happy homes, and
thronged highways; and despair
to Joy, to hope and to life. A com
plete transformation, as if by magical
hands, will occur everywhere. Mud
flats, now profitless because of pro-
hibitory freight rates and lack of
shipping facilities, will then be made
to yield thousands of dollars every
year, fields now useless and barren
from similar causes, will again yield
their wanted tribute of our golden
staple, bringing gladness, where now
only despair reigns, and plenty,
where only want and woe now abide.
This, Mr. Editor, is the most criti-
cal, the most portentous time in the
history of our Peninsula. From our
determination now of this question,
new epoch will date, of ruin or Of
prosperity, of continued bondage or
of freedom. Every man should do
his duty; another such opportunity
may never again present itself to
those now living. If patriotic and
true, the present, and the generations
to come, will bless us; if false, If
faithless to country, home and
people, for sake of present political
petty political advantage, we will
justly deserve their wrath and their
curses. Let us forget, in the presence
of this golden opportunity, for once,
at least, that we are partisans, that
we are Republicans or Democrats. or
Populist, or Prohibitionists. While
the fate of this improvement is hang
ing in the balance, for the day, GER
tainly, we should bury our differ
ences and sink our animosities,
every man standing shoulder to
shoulder, side by side, in support of
this our common cause. In union,
in concert of action, success will be
assured. Division will invite defeat
and sure disaster. Of what avail for
our prosperity, is the operation of a
high or a low tariff, if by continued
high freight rate, and restricted
shipping facilities, we are denied
access to the great markets of the
country? To-day we are paying
this steel ribbed monopoly among us
freight tariff of over 100 per cent.
upon our great product for the priv
ilege of selling it in the markets OF
the country. How long can our
great industry and our people sur
vive under this terrible condition {?
The tariff imposed upon us by the
German Bill, or even the Mckinley
Bill, is nothing to us as compared
with this. We are being ground to
powder between two forces. To the
government and to the manufacture
ers we are paying tariff of so per
cent. upon what we buy, and to the
railroad we are now paying q tariff
of 100 per cent upon what we sell.
Can human endurance stand this ?
To the completion of this waterway
alone can we look for any measure of
relief from this latter imposition.
Mr.. Jones, our present representa-
tive in Congress, is deeply interested
in the success of this proposed I'M
proyement. He now occupies there
a position of wonderful power and
influence. He is a most influential