Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-08-10
Munifcent Gift to an Electric Railway
C0mpany-Vel Non.

| e@@S AObA 10Y VI <Auku6t Tue LEGALLY Quail
lied voters of Rockville will have to ratifv
or reject the ordinance, contract between he
town oil Rockville and that branch OF huge
railroad syndicate, designated as The WASH
lngton and Rockville Railway Company.
snail the railway come In as the people wish
or as the railway company dictatesp
lnls 10 momentous question TO be de-
termlned, as upon its proper solution de-
pends the downfall or upbuilding of the
town-Which the energies, forethought and
ioerallty OF our citizens have made one O (
the prettiest and most attractive county.
seats in the State.
AT the last session OF the General Assem-
bly, those interested in this railroad com
pany had the charter of the Washington
and Rockville Railway Company changed
10 that Of the Columbia Belt Railway
Company-and the cars now operating on
its tracks are labeled "The Columbia Rail.
way Company" The questions, therefore,
arise: Is not our Mayor and Council dealing
with detunct corporationp II not, why
has the thoroughly responsible Columbia
Belt Railway Company, through its mana
gers, chosen TO have such q comparatively
Insignificant corporation (pecuniarily) as
the Washington and Rockville Railway
Company, make the contract with our Mayor
and Council, now before US for approval or
dlsapproval.
This is not the result OF ignorance. II is
not an accident; but most pregnant cir
cumstance, evidently the torethought OF the
shrewdest railway magnates in the country
l will not undertake TO state the purpose,
but will submit Tor the consideration of the
voters that the affairs of this railway syndi-
cate are in The hands of most competent and
deep thinking gentlemen, thoroughly versed
In the best methods to make deal and how
TO make litigation most difficult, and posi-
BILE success most unsuccessful in practical
results; whose duty it is TO get the best of
every bargain for their company or rather
companies, and always reduce to q mini
mum the chances OF recovery for any re
sponsibility justly incurred.
In fairness, all eau see the railway is CD
Grating solely for dollars and cents, and that
love aud affection and individual or com
munity benefits of any man or municipal
ity cannot possibly enter as factor in the
operations OF such railway, except 30 far
as 1t may bring more nickels and dimes into
the corporations pocket book But the
Mayor and Council OF u town are not only
charged with the pecuniary advantages of a
town, but, in Difference to their most sacred
trust, with the peace and happiness of its
citizens, and should stand as bulwark
against the unjust injury Of even the hum
blest citizen by grasping monopoly many
headed, like the hydra of antiquity.
Think OF this, fellow townsmen: One
nickel or iour cent ticket will carry you
on the cars OF this company ten or fifteen
miles or more in the District OF Columbia,
whereas II takes four nickels, straight, pay
able at short intervals, from the District line
to Rockville, (less than eight miles,) with
the distances for nickes gradually lessening
as you approach Rockville Is this evidence
OF this corporations desire 10 build up or
destroy this town. When the condemnation
proceedings were going on il Was stated ev-
erywhere as coming from those who repre-
scented the railway that the round trip
To Washington would be a quarter-but
alter right of way was acquired il Is fifty
cents. For whose benefit is this
Bear also in mind that this Columbia Belt
Railway Company has with its Cr0sus.
wealth gridironed the City OF Washington
with its tracks and Is owning and operating
all the railway lines 10 the District OF Co
lumbia, except the Capital Traction Compa
ny line, generally known as the Pennsylva-
MA Avenue and 7th street railway and this
company, said Columbia Belt Railway Com
pany, il now throttling and will soon have
10 its possession-it is Veritable expansion
ist. In other words the little town OF Rock
vile will have to deal with one OF the most
gigantic railway trusts In America. Every
right, every franchise, that is conceded will
be mainia aimed by this company even il il
should mean continuous legal fights from
our lower Court to the Supreme Court OF
the United States "GIve it an inch and it
will take an ell-giVe it foothold and ii
will ride ou,"-there and back
phio IN On 10 nnr hnma-tn manV nl in
has been our dwelling place IRON generation
TO generation The money of our fathers and
of ourselves has been so expended ~ To
make our town sufficiently attractive TO be
craved by this monster monopoly as one Of
its feeding places. We should be extremely
careful OF what rights are conceded, espe-
cIally when the concessions are glft, and
even these should be most cautiously hedged
around and safeguarded against the wiles Of
skilliul attorneys who are wonderful con-
tortionists of words and phrases, and most
adroit in making that 10 appear that was not
meant, and in making that which was meant
not TO appes-, TO the end that corporate pow
er may be magnifed and the rights OF the
individual mlnimlzed.
Read the ordinance, line by line, then for
your sake, your children's sake, stop and
ponder. Let not the blsre OF the brazen
LTQmDtt, Tic Dcdtiuk VI uot bhC
seducing words OF benevolent assimilation"
addle your brains Let not the oracles and
apologists of those apparently posing in dig
nifed serenity, induce you TO err or TO work
iniuuity 10 any citizen. Remember that what
shall be done on the 18th day of August will
be done for all time-the rights conceded
then will be perpetual-they will stand Tor
ever and a day. Any mistake you make can
never be rectihed.
Are you willing to give this railway com
pany an everlasting monopoly in this town
and put 1t forever beyond the power OF
yourselves and your children TO have any
other rail way company operate along Mont
gomery Avenue without giving the rest OF
the street II not, vote 10 reject the ordi-
nance as II 30 provides. Are you willing
that this railway monopoly, without com
pensation, shall be hindrance II not posi-
tive obstruction TO the tapping Of the water
main by those dwelling on the south side OF
the proposed route-if not a hindrance TO
the tapping yet the cause Of the expenditure
Of more money by the would be water takerf
II not, vote against this ordinance because
II fails TO provide for this Are you will
ing in case of fire on the south Of the route
that the jewellers on the sonth side shall not
have the benefit Of the water from the fire
plugs located on the north side OF the rOute,
and that too without interruption or the
cutting Of hOseS II 80, vote against the
ordinance, for IL. in exact language, says,
"Said cOmpdny shall hGUe the free md un
INTERRUPTED pdssGge 0Oer its dody at all times ."
IL il true necessity knows no law, but
why grant an unqualified right and then
RELY upon force or legal constructions, TO
be decided only after most expensive litiga
tion Sell cautiously give slowly. Better