Montgomery County Sentinel

Is Baughman a Friend of the Canal?

Mr. Editor:—I read a good deal of Baughman paying the laborers and doing much for the canal. He has reduced the wages of lock-tenders to starvation rates, but I am told that he still receives his $4,000 a year. Under every other President this canal has paid its regular running expenses. Big breaks and lengthening the locks caused them to get behind in their pay, but they did not think that they had any right to sell the repair bonds, and consequently they were in arrears. Baughman paid most of this, so I am reliably informed, and I can give my informant's name, by letting Baldwin & Co., of Baltimore, and Murtens, of Cumberland send here and buy this time at 70 cents (he bought some of it himself for them in his own town at 65 or 70 cents) and then gave them bonds for it at 86 cents. He refused to do the same for some gentlemen in Medley's District on the canal until after he was nominated for Congress. He has sold all the repair bonds and now he himself tells us our canal is a wreck and what are we going to do about it? Make Baughman Governor and let it go dry from Williamsport, so says Baltimore interests, which, through the Baltimore Sun, are Baughman's interest, but we of this district say no.

ROCKVILLE.
July 20, 1887.