Hide Article Text (OCR)
A—6 The Evening Sun / Wednesday, October 14, 1992RICHARD S. HEILAND, Publisher-General*vWAYNE K. LOWMAN, EditorHow to put an end to battlefield lunacywaited for over a year to ask Congresswoman Beverly Byron the question during the 1992 election campaign.So what does Congresswoman Beverlydo?She has the gall to lose the primary election to a little-known state delegate from Frederick County, making her answer to the question relatively irrelevant.So, last week, I did the next best thing, posing the question to the two men who hope to take her place in Washington, D.C. — Democrat Thomas Hattery and Republican Roscoe Bartlett.The question: How do you feel about the National Park Service’s proposal to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to create a Monocacy National Battlefield in Frederick County?I ranted and raved about the frivolity of the project during a previous column, and the situation has deteriorated since then.On Sept. 30, the House and Senate approved a $12.4 billion appropriations bill that includes $7 million to purchase a 294-acre farm within the proposed boundaries of the battlefield park.Chances are, few of you have heard of the Battle of the Monocacy.Little wonder, actually. The battle occurred in the twilight of the Confederacy, when the outcome of the war hadMarkFranklinpretty much been determined. By Civil War standards, it was an insignificant little affair.Ken Bums never bothered to mention it in his acclaimed 1991 PBS documentary on the war.Bruce Catton devoted a single paragraph to the battle in “A Stillness at Appomattox,” the final book in his three-volume Civil War anthology.Yet a couple years back, a little-known historian wrote a book in which the engagement was dubiously dubbed “the battle that saved Washington.”And for 20 years, Beverly Byron has been working to get funding to develop the battlefield. Part of that time worn political syndrome known as bringing home the bacon, I suppose.Anyway, enough background. Let’s get on to the candidates.So, Mr. Hattery, how do you feel about the proposal to preserve the Monocacy Battlefield? If elected, will you continuethe work Ms. Byron has started?(I love asking political candidates questions they don’t expect. They fidget and utter gibberish for a minute or two until they form their thoughts, probably wondering why you can’t ask about the war on drugs, the economy or the federal deficit — questions they’re prepared toanswer.)“I think it’s important to preserve historically significant places,” Mr. Hattery begins. “And it would be beneficial for tourism in Frederick County in particular. I don’t know a lot about the project beyond that.”Well, perhaps not, but how about a basic philosophy. Is it wise to spend so much money on a battlefield at a time when the federal deficit is attracting more attention than ever before?“Well, I’d have to take that on a case by case basis, based on the economy at the time and how important the purchase is to protect the land from development,” Mr. Hattery responds. “I’m not sure how close that particular piece of land was to being sold to private interests.”Uh-huh.Okay, your turn, Mr. Bartlett. How do you feel about the proposal to preservethe Monocacy Battlefield? If elected, will you continue the work Ms. Byron has started?“Well, part of that battle was fought on our river bottom,” Mr. Bartlett responds, “so I’d like to see it preserved, but I’d like to ask local people and businesses to contribute to the funds needed to acquire the land. I think that would make it more meaningful.“Generally, I want to see people empowered to use their money the way they see fit.”Really. Well what about the National Park Service’s role in the project? Most national battlefields are equipped with a rather elaborate visitor’s center and staffed by federal government employees.“Well, maybe there’s something else we could look at,” says Mr. Bartlett. “Why not manage the battlefield through a local organization, with volunteers, and have the park service in an oversight role?“Right now, the economy is so bad, we're closing some parks. Besides, we’re responsible for these things, not some big government.”Congratulations, Mr. Bartlett. I’m not overly fond of your mudslinging campaign tactics, but you just provided a pretty nifty answer to a multi-million dollar question.Certainly, someone needs to put an end to this battlefield lunacy. And they need to do it before the federal government invests a couple million in a visitor's center and creates a full-scale battlefield park with an annual operating budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which you and I will help support until the day we die.Who better to do that job than the man who replaces Beverly Byron in Congress?And, for heaven’s sake, if there isn’t enough interest at the local level to preserve a battlefield that lacks the national appeal of a Bull Run, a Gettysburg or an Antietam, for heaven’s sake, sell the property to private interests.The farm in question is, after all, zoned for industrial use. In other words, if the property is developed, it’s likely to translate into new jobs.And, in 1992, we need new private sector jobs a whole lot more than we need another Civil War battlefield. Even if the jobs aren’t imminent, we don’t need a federal government-funded battlefield. Or for that matter, the pork barrel political philosophy that spawns such useless projects.Congressional candidates should realize these things. Otherwise, they don’t deserve our vote.Mark Franklin is Maryland Bureau Chief for The Evening Sun. The opinions are his own.
Newspaper Details
Hanover Evening Sun
Hanover, Pennsylvania, US
Tue, Oct 13, 1992
Page 27
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 23 May 2018
Other Publications Near Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover Independent
Evening Sun
Hanover Evening Sun
