Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-09-07

people WIlO Hlhhc cNSh oiAA"N S">- -
gress and usefulness, with manufactures |
of all kinds busily turning raw materials
into wealth. The Eastern Shoreis almost
entirely agricultural, with tslarge truck
ing business, to say nothing of its fish
cries. These conditions might be recon-
ciled but for political condition that
seems to have originated from the spare
time SO many of their idle class have on
their hands. We of Western Maryland
are too busy trying to make things CO.
trying to make our great State even
greater. even more of a factor IN the
great progress of our nation.
"In their business training Western
Shoremen make good statesmen, while
Eastern Shoremen train themselves as
politicians We do not mean this to IN
clude everyone, but those who are lett
outside are not enough to form very
large company. The result is that when
our Legislature meets Western Maryland
sends a body of good, substantial, honest,
handwriting men. who go there to 90 the
hest thew can for the whole State. On
the other hand, the Eastern Shore sends
up lot of picayune politicians-men who
do nothing the year round but talk poll
tic. and study up various ways through
parliamentary tactics and other question:
able methods to get as many offices and
as much of the States money down on
the Eastern shore as possible, never con-
sidering anything for Western Maryland
unless it be in making trade that means
the big end for the Eastern Shore. 1t
has been truly said that Western Mary
land pays the taxes; Eastern Shore holds
the offices.
Take Washington and Frederick coun-
ties, for instance They pay more taxes
than all the Eastern Shore put together,
and what return do we see for our mon
ey? A recent trip to the Eastern Shore
showed us miles upon miles of the finest
kind of road, built by the State West
ern Maryland's money! Towns with
only three and four houses have the Tin
est kind of macadam or concrete roads
through them, and as we understand,
all the stone for these roads has to De
hauled in, making them more than doub-
| lie the cost of Western Maryland's roads
where we havesfne limestone for maca-
dam. Not only this, but expensive bridges
must be built to cross their many streams.
All this has taken barrels of money, yet
none of our Western Maryland men has
raised voice.
"We do not object to the Eastern Shore
getting all the advantages needed to fur
Their its progress, but we DO object tc
Eastern Shoremen taking Western Mary
lands money to do it with, and we think
it is about time that some one gets back
bone enough to see that an "even deal
goes through the Legislature whereby
each county will receive from the State
returns commensurate with the amount
of State taxes it pays. If such We're the
case, the Eastern Shore people who use
those fine roads should pay their share
toward them, and let Western Maryland
do likewise. Just to think for one mo-
ment that of all the money that has been
spent on State roads Washington county,
one of the heaviest taXpaying sections IN
Maryland has not single State roa
other than the National highway, which
was built for general purposes.
"Frederick county, in some way, has
secured some additional roads. This
year we are given to understand that, OF
all the appropriation, Washington county
is to receive the small amount of $40, 600,
and we are told this is to be used on a
road connecting Knoxville with Harper S
Ferry, way down in the tail end of the
county, where not IL people from Hag-
erstown will ever see it, much less use it
"a piece of road that will be for the ben
eft of Washington city and Frederick
county people, who use that section for
summers pleasure, and that will divert
the automobile traffic from Baltimore
and the North away from Hagerstown
through to Harper's Ferry, taking rev.
enue from the Potomac bridge at William
sport, which is practically owned by
Washington county, and sending it over
a private bridge at Harper's Ferry.
Now, this is clearly "class legislation, -
and is either the result of ignorance,
stupidity or objectionable Partially, and
it looks as though some deal must have
been made by some astute Eastern Shore
politizjsn with some equally sagacious
Western Maryland statesman whereby
the former got some big things for the
Eastern Shore, the latter something of
personal nature. The Eastern Shore
never was in sympathy with the West
ern Shore and it never will be.
"The Eastern Shore is separated from
US by the Chesapeake Bay. You cannot
get to it except by boat or by going a.
cross the bridge (at 81 per- 1t is an
out-of-the- place. They do most of
their shopping and banking in Philadel-
phia and Wilmington and should belong
to Delaware, their next-door neighbor.
The two would make good-sized state.
Then they could make their local laws to
suit their own conditions and pay their
own bills and let Western Maryland do
the same Really, it would he better all
around if this could be done. This should
be a subject of serious consideration.
JOHN A. BLUNT.
Hagerstown, Md, Aug. Is.
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