The Democratic advocate., 1904-02-20
A Welcome Change.

Our distinguished contemporary, the Balti'
more Sun, is to be commended for its strong
advocacy of the measures before the Legisla
ture to enable the Wabash Railroad system tC
reach tide-water at Baltimore. That system,
ifspeedily allowed to have an eastern termi.
nus there, will do more for the city than any
opportunity Baltimore has had for some years,
and the Western counties, and, indeed, the
State at large, will be benefited also, for what
ever upbuilds one part of the commonwealth
benefits the whole.
Those in favor of the Wabash bills were
given hearing last week By the Senate Com
mittee on Railroads and Canals and the oppo
nents of the measures were heard on Tuesday
last.
One bill provides that the Western Mary.
land Terminal road shall have the right to
bridge the Patapsco, and the power TO con.
demu property necessary to reach the harbor,
and the other gives the right of the Western
MARYLAND Railroad to condemn and occupy
the unused bsnk of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, which in several places occupies all
the space between the Canal and Potomac on
one side and the steep mountains on the other.
This unused land is essential for the Western
MARYLAND road to have so that the connecting
link between Cherry Run and the West Vir-
ginia Central road can be made without the
slow and expensive work of tunnelling the
mountains.
The Suns Annapolis correspondent writes,
concerning these measures, as follows:
There can, of course, be no opposition to
this great enterprise except the selfish interest
of those who wish TO retain Baltimore IN the
grasp OF monopoly. The trustees who have
in their possession the dead carcass OF the
oId Chesapeake and Ohio canal are, in fact,
representatives of the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Pennsylvania Railroad.
And the Sun editorially has ably advocated
the bills in favor Of the Wabash system. and
all Western Maryland and Baltimore hopes II
will continue to uphold them until the end.
Its aid is much welcomed in behalf of the
Wabash measures. for 1t was largely iustru-
mental in defeating a 90 year lease, renewable
forever, of the ''dead carcass of the canal in
1890. and WAS delighted when Judge Stake
decided that the holders of the canal bonds
of 1874 had right to operate the canal to
reimburse themselves The bonds Of 1874
were bought up by interests friendly to the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and it was for
the purpose of preventing the canal from be
ing leased to the West Virgiaia Central that
application was made to court for authority
to operate the canal Judge Stake may have
been right in bis decision, bus be must have
known, as every intelligent man in the State
knew, who had considered the matter at all,
that the proposed operation of the canal by
the boudholders was a mere preiense and a
fraud.
The West Virginia Central Railroad was
anxious to lease the canal in 1890. and was
willing to pay a sum Of money sufficient TO pay
25 per cent of the bonds Of 1874, the per
cent amounting to $424,s75; the principal
and interest Of the repair bonds Of 1878, then
amounting to $500, 900; SO. 600 for labor aud
material spent after 1878; $50. 900 to take up
judgment against wharf AT Cumberland, aud
to pay annually SIS, coo to the State of Mary
land for 90 years at least, and perhaps forever.
The whole sum proposed tc be paid in cash
was 81. ia, ,s75, aud the $4,000 annuity, cap
iialized 1t 4 per cent. is $4,000. The an.
nuity now could readily be sold for $500, 600.
Had the lease been effected the West Nr-
ginia would have been built from Cumberland
on the canal bank to Washington, and the
road would have connected with the Western
Maryland at Wiiliansport. Then there would
have been no such difficulties as now appear
The Sue was strong opponent Of the sale
of the dead carcass" Il published an in
teryiew with John K Cowen the chief coun-
sci Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com.
pany. in which Mr.. Cowen opposed the sale
of The canal at so ridiculously low a figure as
the West Virginia Central was willing 10 pay,
and gave figures to show that the canal vas
worth something like eight millions OF dollars
The sun also aided in the election Of Lloyd
Lowndes as Governor, and when he a
candidate for reelection it rather favored his
election. and had be been chosen for second
term there is strong belief that he would have
sold the canal TO the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company for mere pitiance of what
the West Virginia Central Was willing to pay
about $500. 900.
We congratulate the Sun upon its change
of opinion. Though late. it still may do some
good and ia part make amends for its uuten-
able aud unreasonable course in 1890.