The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-24

winch IOf Il long time was one OF tne
principal issues in State politics, es-
pecially in the western counties and
=. lia.siss-orc city. IIaCIorms of both
parties have contained plank after
plank on the subject, and State and
county conventions have devoted a
large amount of their time to a dis
cussion of the canal and its manage
ment. County elections have been
carried one way or the other on the
canal question, and nominations have
been made sorely with regard to the
position of tho candidates in regard
to the canal.
The first reform movement in this
State since the war, which was really
the beginning of the various reform
movements, which eliminated in the
overthrow of the democratic ring in
1895, was started with the manage
ment of the canal as the issue, and the
failure of Governor Hamilton to bring
about the reforms for which he was
elected in 1879 was caused by the hos
tility Of the old canal ring to his ad-
ministration. During many hot
campaign, beginning in 1915 and con
tinuing up to that of 1891, large part
of the fervid OratoJy of the late Sev-
ern Teackle Wallis, Governor VIM. T.
Hamilton and Mr.. John X. Cowen and
other leading reformers was devoted
to a discussion of the management Of
the canal and Senator Germans con
nection Herewith. Since the appoint
ment of receivers, however, in 1890
public interest, except in the Western
counties, has, to a large extent abated,
but the proposition to sell the States
interest by the Board ofPublicWo
promises to revive the discussion to
very large extent.
Up to the present time the States
interest in the canal, including the or
iginal investment and all Others made
from time to time for one-half a cen
tury, amounts to over $20,0 600, COO
This includes the bonds, repair bonds
and interest on them, which came
either directly or Indirectly out Of the
pockets of the taxpayers of the whole
state. No matter what may be reali-
zed by means of the proposed sale, it
is probable that very large proper
tion of this vast sum will be a total
loss, except in 50 far as the canal in
years past has indirectly been the
means of the development of the
counties through which it passes.
That it has been great benefit to
the Western counties is evident from
the fact that the people herelook upon
it as part of their birthright, and its
maintenance as a waterway as the
one thing necessary to their freedom
from the grasp Of a railway monop-
oily" Hence they have always been
ready to fight against any sale of the
States interest, and the Western
members of the General Assembly
have always, no matter to what po-
litical party they may have belonged,
been ready to sacrifice everything in
their efforts to retain the canal as a
competitor with the b. & o. in the
carrying trade of that section.
From time to time, since 1880, efforts
have been made at Annapolis to secure
the sale or perpetual lease of the body
of the canal to be used as bed for a
railway throughout it's entire length
Should it be changed to a railway it
would do away with the heavy grades
Washington northumberland
and would materially shorten the dis
tance between those points. 1t is be-
lieyed by many that should the B. &
o. Co. gain absolute control, as soon
as possible thereafter rails would be
laid and the bed of the canal would
become the main line of that great
thoroughfare, as the work of prepara-
tion for track-laying would be com
paratively easy. The necessary tun-
nels, one of which cost over 81, ,000, 900.
are all there, and the canal property
in Georgetown, d. G. would make far
better freight terminals than those
which the b. & O. is using at the pres
ent time in the National Capital
But the indications are that the
Baltimore and Ohio Company will
not be the only bidder for the canal.
The West Virginia Central Company,
backed by the Pennsylvania Railway,
has been trying to secure the canal
for many years, and bills looking to
that end have passed the General
Assembly from time TO time, all of
which have proved useless, owing to
the hostility of the Baltimore and
Ohio andlth opposition of the latter
company to having a competing lin