Year: 1870




in the guise of the Commercial Union. The
tolls were reduced on few articles, and a few
Superntendents were put in position. The
result of the business of the season, cOntrasted
with that of the previous one, showed that
this limited experiment had diminished the
surplus earnings more than $4,000, and in
creased the cost Of repairs more than $4,000.
If doubt had mingled somewhat with the faith
of the Canal Board in this behalf, an expert
ment like this might have suficed to purge it
of that element There is no reason, however,
to suppose that it halted or equivOcated
in its belief, as certainly it did not in
its professions. So late as February o of this
year. the Commissioners of the Canal Fund,
who constitute part, and numerically the ma
iority. of the Canal Board, declared, in re-
sponsive report to the Legislature, that no
Legislative action or amendment to the COnsti-
SUTTON is necessary to enable them to provide
"for any deficiency in the Canal revenues to
"pay the Canal debt, or the interest thereon
"as the same becomes due" If any consider
able abatement of the rates of toll had been
designed, the Commissioners would hardly
have deprecated Legislative action,n conscious
as they must have been that the concurrence
of the Legislature in any such purpose was
required by the Constitution. Nor, if
it were then intended that the Canal
revenues should be subjected to the fire
of that financial mitrailleuse, the toll-sheet
of Tammany and the forwarders, is it credible
that they could have spoken of an established
order of things as something to be continued,
and of a condition of pecuniary ability as
something to be maintained land were such
words as these fitted to alarm or to sOOthe
such as had at heart the welfare of the Canals
and the honor of the State9 Their report
says "The debt can be much more easily and
economically managed and discharged under
" the present constitutional provision for the
"purpose than it could be if the day of pay
"ment were extended for any length of time.
"Any interference with this pledge or exten-
" sion of the day of payment, either by legisla-
" ton Gf it could be dOne) or by an amend
"ment of the Constitution, would be mis-
"chievous. Although there was falling OIL
in the Canal revenues last year, it is not be-
"heved that there will in the future be any
"seriOus diminution in the receipts from this
source-certainly none that will interfere
"with the payment of the State debt"


The matter of reducing the tolls below the
constitutional point had been considered by
the Democratic Canal Board, and pronounced
against, after it had been examined by Sc
| ect committee. A wantOn trial of the plan on
a small scale resulted in loss to the State OF
S50OOOO. The most recent experience justified
the Judgment of the Canal Board, and in mid
| winter no further light could be expected
! from that quarter; nor, indeed, was any needed.
1t is made clear by this report of the Com
missioners of the Canal Fund, themselves the
majority of the Canal Board, that the sentl-
ment of the Board In respect to the general
subject remained unchanged in February of
the present year. Yet, without the pretext OF
a new fact, or any new light, or the invalda-
ton of any of the grounds on which its judg-
ment rested, in May last in session which
will not be described, the Canal Board stulti-
fed itself and amazed everybody else by adopt
ing the fatal scheme of the forwarders and
their confederates.


Can exhortation be needed to rally the peO-
pie to the rescue of one of the most import
ant of the public interests from such guardian
ship The very Board which has perpetrated
this wrong is perhaps the best expositOr OF the
reasons why it ought not to have been done.
Democrats need not accept Republican author
ity in the premises Those whom they have
themselves honored and trusted demonstrate
most clearly why they should be honored or
trusted no longer. People who will cOndone
offenses or follies like these, or reeect the per-
petrators of them, do not yet count major
ity in this State, as the Sth of November will
| prove.