The national Republican., 1869-06-15
THE aRowTH AND PRosPERITS
OF WASHINGTON.

The universal complaint Is, times are hard,
business dull, and that this city Is willing.
Just now business Of all descriptions is, to
large extent, stagnant in oil parts of the
country, and the national capital cannot ex-
pect to escape the general fate and condition
Of the country In this respect.
1t may be duller here, and the times may
be harder than in most other places. The
causes which operate to produce this state
Of things must be apparent to all who are
accustomed to observe with any reflection
our business and financial situation.
In the first place, some twelve or fifteen
hundred clerks have been removed from Of
fee, and they, with their families, are still
with us, many Of them have not the means
to get away to their homes elsewhere, II, In
deed, they have any homes. We do not com
plain Of the Government for these removals.
They (the clcrks) could not have remained
under the circumstances. The dimlnution
of business In many Of the departments
must have led to the reducing Of the force,
even had all the employees been In politics
III uhIuOuN Win lhC DNN -
must nevertheless be seen that the throwing
out Of employment ofso many men, and leav-
Ing them without much means and with
dependent families, must necessarily affect
the trade and business Of any town.
Another thing which contributes to render
Was hington very dull at this time, is that n
great many people rely upon Congress for
livelihood, especially upon what they get as
clearinghouse keepers, and In various
other ways whom Congress Is in session, for
all know when that body is in session great
many strangers arc here for purposes oi
their own, and they spend large sums oI
money. This is the season when all this II
taken away, and there has been no ycai
since the war when this has been more fel
than now.
But we think our chief and principal dill
Guilty arises from the fact our population
Is not self-sustainlng. What we mean
that there Ia not outside business cnoug'
here to support our people. There shoul
be more mechanic shops, manufactures an
facilities for employment offered to our pee
pie. Washington Is as well situated 10
manufactures, mechanic shops and machin
shops as any city In the Union. Why shoul
we not have here very extensive establish
ment for the manufacture OF sash, blind
and doors, and all the finishing material 70
building purposesl And then We nigh
have furnaces, founderies and iron ronin
mills, and even cotton factories within tn
District.
Our muniHccnt and distinguished fello"
citizen, Mr.. Corcoran, has done nobly by de-
mating very largo sums in aid Of and for th
promotion Of art. This is well; but did
never occur TO him and other Of our wealth
citizens, that q few hundred thousand do
lars expended-not given away, but inyestG
in the building up of such enterprises as
have named aboye-would be of immen
value to Washington and Georgetown' VIII
we honor Mr.. Corcoran for the muniuce
and kindly gin which ho bestowed upon al
we beg leave to submit to him and othe
shsihar IL saisht nni bs wSn to make Was
ington more of manufacturing and cor
mercial townl There arc plenty OF your
enterprising mechanics here who would ma
good use of the capital that Mr.. Corcorl
and other wealthy men among US mig
invest and moreover they would be sure
get good dividends upon their investment
There Is one view to all this which shou
commend tit would give employment
many poor and deserving people. There
nothing like employment. Donations to
are well, and we have no words to ut
against such benefactions but donations
the poor, in the shape of labor, are the MI
commendable of all. We make these 81
gestions. viii not somebody act upon the
Let US sec II we cannot build up Wal
ingtonl