Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-12

And the character of our buildings, our hotels,
and other places Of business and private dwell
ings, has kept pace with the advance in popula-
ton ami wealth Whole squares have been
built up with handsome residences, the outskirts
OF the city are fast filling up, and yet no tene-
lnents are vacant, and rents continue to paw q
high rate of interest on the cost of the property
rented. This shows a real prosperity, of which
Few cities can boast. Ii the ratio of increase
continues, our population will be nearly half a
million In twenty years, and the valuation of our
will lie hundreds OF millions of dollars.
VINO, then. shall say that our boundaries include
700 much space, and that washington never
will be finished
But, gentlemen, we must be alive and stir
ring; We must not close our eyes TO our own
penis, or upon our own advantages. Washing
TON Is capable OF being masie the most attractive
spot III America. IL needs only population of
enterprising men--mcn who can appreciate the
advantages Of expending a portion OF their
means in liberal investments and in intro
duciDg manufactures and the mechanic arts: in
constructing the necessary railroads to open di-
rect communication with the North, West and
South; in improving our harbor and i'm erecting
the , necessary wharves along our river front; to
make this, in fact, a manufacturing and COM
mercial city, and forever put at rest the ques-
ton of removal, or make it matter of indiffer-
ence to us whether the seat of Government re-
mains here not. While we are frittering
away our natural advantages in petty wranSling
about our taxes, which are very little over one
and three-tenths per cent.,-less than I'm any UNI
finished city in the country; less even than in
Alexandria, where, believe, they do not think
OF making any improvements-whle W. are
thus idle, or rendered so by a parsimonious pol-
icy, other and rival cities are iourishing and
wrestling from all our natural advantages for
controlling the business or trade OF vast section
OF country.
Our people therefore, must be up and doing.
We cannot expect members OF Congress; and
others having business with the Governments,
will consent always to come here on one line OF
railroad, especially as that road will be con-
Quoted until competing lincsare established and
put in running order. Hence, at the next
sion of Congress, We must show an undivided
front. and concentrate all our efforts to induce
that body, besides granting LIS authority TO sub
scribe to the capital stock Of$everal railroads to
communicate with the city, or to issue bonds to
aid IN their construction, to otherwise do justice
to our city.
We are entitled, by every principle of right
to large appropriation for our schools; to aid
for improving our RIVER anu harbor; for the
maintenance of the poor, who have come here
as refugees from the States lately in rebellion;
for paving Pennsylvania avenue, and opening
grading, and paving the other avenues of the
city; and for other improvements where the
Government is bound to see they are made to
keep pace with the progress and growth of the
city. We want the influence of every citizen to
induce Congress to appropriate money to repair
vessels OF war at our own yard, and to manufac-
ture those many articles for the navy which are
manufactured in navy yards i'm other cities,
in order to secure for our worthy me
u.
more work done at the Arsenal. We
want to put our laboring men to work on the
river front, dredging the channels, laying sea-
walls and dh erecting pToer S na We want
such order as will render them an ornament to
the city. We want to see the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company compelled to conform
the grade of their road to the established grade
of the streets it trayerses, or be made to remove
their depot outside the city limits. We want
authority for raising money to erect new mar
lot Hon n,.A 20 tn
roads as we deem necessary to our prosperity
and Advancement; and We want to have some
thing done, hardly know what, with that old
.ithe Washington Canal" That we can Secure
aid for most or perhaps all Of these things il
We act in concert, have no doubt Let us
therefore make strong pull, and a pull alto
gether, in this direction, and success will re-
ward our efforts. The matter is in our own
haIlti. shall we use it, or suffer the golden Op-
pOrtunity to pass: What say you?
Another peril which threatens our good people
is i'm the effort now making to take from US our
city charter, and place the District of Columbia
under the control of Commissioners to be ap-
pointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent OF the Senate. This, if successful,
will deprive us of the right of choosing our own
rulers; it will destroy the right of suffrage in
this city and Georgetown. Are our people pre-
pared to surrender that great popular right? |
think not. If they would, however, prevent its
being wrested from them, our people must
arouse themselves for the contest, for already
the operator of the scheme are hard at work:
and confidently anticipate the accomplishment
of their object during the next session of Con-
gress. 1t is very well known that the diff cultes
which have existed here i'm the Republican party
were kept alive by designing men who intended
lican party was split IN twain; that i'm conse-
s,uencc it would go under at the election in June
next, and that the city would again come under
Democratic rule If the charter remains. Such
an argument, however, is as puerile as false
The Republican party, If true to itself and
its noble principles, is fully able, in any con-
test which may take place here, to defeat
all its enemies. We are stronger to-,lay
han at any time during the last two years.
How many do you know who have always
voted the Democratic ticket, but who, if an
electiOnwere to take place at this time, wouldyote
for the Republican candidates? / know of MANY
such, and have no doubt that most OF you know
OF others But this argument OF Republican
defeat at the next election must be met, and
every man who appreciates his right to vote,
who appreciates his right of selecting the men
who are to rule over him, and who loves the
great popular principle upon which the Repub-
lican party is based, must busy himself i'm de-
ieating the schemers who would destroy this
right In his vocabulary there must be no such
word as FAIL!
By the way, speaking OF the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, L must tell yOu that i'm grading
Boundary street, in accordance with Corpora
ton law, We found the track Of that road about
siA feet below the legal grade Of the street, and
that it would be necessary for the company to
raise the bed or We must bring it six feet under
the earth. / notified John w. Garrett that we
would do so; but, as usual, he paid no attention
to my letter. To-day the labOrcrs on the street
reached the road, and the deed was done, not
without threat from CARROTS agents that they
(the labOrers) would be arrested and incarcer-
ated in the Jail. The result is temporary in
junction against the city by one of our judges,
and thus the Corporation is prevented from exc
cutting its laws and rendering its most important
streets passable. Thus we are interfered with,
and now the question must be decided whether
Congress and the Corporation are supreme here
or whether are to be Overawed and our rights
trampled upon by mOneyed monopoly, run in
the interest of Baltimore. i do not believe our
people will submit to such Outrages much
longer.
am happy to see 50 many Of our German cit
liens here Tonight. They, a Glass; imbibe
Republican ideas and naturally gravitate toward
the Republican party rs the party Of progress,
of freedom, and equality in tins country. 1 see,
too, a large number of our Irish friends present.
and am happy to know that they are joining our
ranks, and In the future will swell the majority
OF the Republican vote in this city and country.
This is as it should be. Irishmen, as well as
Germans love freedom, and many of them left
the Emerald Isle to rid themselves OF the Oppres-
siOns Of the British Government Democracy,
to them, Vas a word signifying the largest lib
erty; hence they attached themselves to the
party acting under that name, and voted with it
till its professions proved to every mind that it
was a sham and cheat. They have found that
the Republicans are the only real friends of the
OPpressed-the only party that is striving to ele-
waite and ennOble mau-and the consequence ia