Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-29
The cssi.s..' H.ilrs.a A..eei.tion.

The CatiDens, Raflrood Association.
'RRNARKs ny DON PrAfr.
Last evening, q meeting Of the Citizens Rail-
road Association was held In the Aldermen's
chamber, City Hall, bat there was not q very
large attendance. Mr.. H. n. Easily occupied
the chair, with Mr. George Burgess rs secre-
Mr. r. s. Davis introduced Col. Don Piatt,
who addressed the meeting. After stating that
he " as surprised 10 receive an invitation 70 al
his name on posters announcing that he was To
speak, he said he could only tell them what they
knew already. The importance OF the business
before the association could not be over esti-
mated, and the association would do well to get
as speakers some public man, as John sherman,
Gen Garfield or Gen. Schenck, members OF
property here, and who were as much interested
in the subject az any of the citizens OF the city,
They must feel an interest in the subject, and
what they said would have weight. He (the
speaker lived hundreds OF miles away in
quiet valley Of the Ohio, but he felt an interest
in Washington, because it was his capital, as 1t
was the capital Of every citizen in the nation.
lApplause.1 He had INDUCED in the practice
Of laughing at the city, as others had done, a
foolish practice, acquired, perhaps, from Eng
ishmen who came over here. Go into any coun-
try in the world you wln lind the citizens proud
OF their capital, and ready To resent any Slight
or sneer which may be eyeed at it, and it should
ne so with us. Every citizen has an interest in
making his capital city that he can be proud
capital, with its domes and magnificent build
ings, and breaking up all the associations which
cluster around tia city laid out by George
washington himselEknow very little OF what
He remarked that he had served as clerk to
the Committee on the District of Columbia in
mittee met but twice. He asked why they did
not meet oftener, and they replied 1t was no use;
they had reported bills time and again, which
were defeated. He attended and waited pa
ton hat n
pay. A great many delegations came there,
and they generally quarreled among them
selves. On asking the man who attended the
that they 9e 9s D. e Bs he had ieared since
that that meant dead beats. If you want to be
successful, You must exercise energy Cities
are like farms; they need energy and push to
make them prosper. In passing through the
country you will notice an old broken-down
farm, and on inquiry you will find it belongs to
drunkard or man without energy. In pass
again, md it belongs to an industrious, ener-
getic man. All cities owe their growth to a few
men OF energy. You only need twelve men like
old man Corcoran to give this city an impetus
You need cheap living and manufactures. To
continue as the Capitol you must have cheap
living, and to have cheap living you must have
railroads; you have but one railroad, the Bal.i-
more and Ohio, which is a monopoly, and that
is the point you have to operate against. One
more railroad would break up this monopoly
u
thunder at the door Of Congress until they
heed you. Washington is peculiarly situated
All other cities have fertile soil surrounding
them; not SO with Washington. 1t is surrounded
by barren, unproductive soil, and the mate
terials for cheap living, which ysu must have,
is to be brought from miles away, and you need
railroads to transport these materials.
You are dependent upon one road to do this;
You need another, and then another would fol-
low. There is no capital in a State IN the West
but that has several railroads. Take Columbus,
900 inhabitants, and there are a dozen rail :
roads entering into 1t. Here is a city of 1870 900
or 10000 inhabitants, and you have but one
road, and that dead against your interests. The
western people, under similar circumstances,
would not submit to such imposition. They
would 60 out andtear up the track if they could
to and ask You should
properly laid before that body they would be
successful: GApplause.l
DI: snodgrass moved a vote OF thanks to Mr.
Platt, which was passed.
The subject of obtaining hall was called
up, when Mr.. A. Scott spoke of the State assoc
Citations having taken the hall at the corner of
IN and streets, and by having meetings there,
active, energetic men who belong to such as
soc1ations would be found at the meetings
Action vas needed, and they might scott at the
less more railroads are built to this CITY, it would
not continue to be the Capital. He thanked God
for one thing-the fight between the State of
Maryland and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Mr. A. Watson having obtained the floor,
stated that it was reported that the Camden and
Amboy Railroad were about to surrender their
monopoly, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road, he thought, were considering the prOpriety
of surrendering their franchise, and as Con-
gree had decided that they would not grant a
the States, he was in fayoE;of petitioning these
moncrolies to surrender their privileges. He
panies comprising the line between Washington
and New York to surrender the present monop-
oily, and to reduce their fare to two cents per
mile, with similar reduction for the price Of
freight, so as to correspond with Northern roads
doing much less business.
Mr.. X. s. Davis suggested that such a
resolution would be regarded as huge joke,
position for testing, and he stated that John
w. Garrett had this city by the throat, as also
Congress. Every Senator and member Of Con-
70 do anything with them against the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad Is like asking them to abolish
the national banks, when they own twO-thirds
Of the stoch He moved to refer the resolution 20
ing members Of Congress. He wanted the res0-
luton voted down.
selves these to surrender
their monopolies. We must oppose them by
Nj. j. ssyles Brown said we must oppose
John w. Garrett, and conciliate Congress and
the courts. Garrett has been able thus far to
hold legislation and to hold the courts. We must
agitate TINS question and wake up the people. 1t
is q shame that we are restricted and bound
down. We must annoy Congress and get the
nation to annoy Congress until they grant US
The motion to refer the resolution to a COM
mittee was lost, and 1t was voted down, and the
meeting adjourned.
ELECTIONS OF OHFrCERs-Metropolitan Di-
vision, No. 10, Sons Of Temperance, last night
elected the following officers to serve the ensu-
ing term: j. H. Knapp, w. p; John Twedale
w. A; VIM. +. Toulon, X. s.; j. G. r. Clark, t.
w. p. Lee. F. Sc; John X. Gill, Chaplain; John
G. G;; Adams, Conductor; W. H. James, A. C.; d.
Good Samaritan Division, Sons of Temper
ance, last evening elected the following officers
r. NJ Bradley, w. p; Il. w. Roach, w. A.; j.
W. Bede, X. s.; Ida Irwin, A. X. s.; John john
son, T.; H. H. Hazard, +. s.; G. w. Shelton,
Chaplain; A. j. Weigle, Conductor; Alexander
Holmes, A. C.; Eliza Ridgeway, /. s.; Joseph
Bishop, o. s. This division has rented Odeon
Hall, corner Of AZ street and Pennsylvania
avenue, for its meetings, and hold forth there
for the first time on next Tuesday evening.
L. 8. Grant Post, No. Il, G. A. r., last even
ing elected the following officers: j. HI. Stne
Post Commander; G. H. Lawrence, Senior Vice
Commander; William ID. Hughes, Junior Vice
Commander; H. Gushing, Adjutant; John N.
Ehle, Quartermaster; John w. Vanarnum, Sur
geon; U. II. Ross, Oficer of the Day; Thomas
kee, Officer Of the Guard; p. T. South, Sergeant
Major; A. b. Hayward, Quartermaster Sergeant;
Z. N. Gibson and j. X. Mills to be delegates to
the National EncAmpment