Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-10-15
Our Rorer- and sbysters.

L.
c,-v cur native crop. hut all the cAaracterless
.. sEvster=- % bOrtrs,' - strikers and " dead
Beats' Of the country seem 10 gravta.e towards
EasLir gtOn a. hosp tai, where they can find
SUPPORT when all other resources have failed.
Most of them come here at first to strike for
some sleCihc piece of plunder-a snug sinecure
o9Ce, CT a lat contrsct-and failing in Their
original mission, they remain here to swell the
grand army of vagsbOsd dlad-beats ready TO
fastcu themselves like leeches upon ANYTHING
rational OF municipal that promises to give them
= dICp Cf blood. Like sinners who, coming to
Tie sanctuary TO SCOT remain to pray, they come
60 S.rIls and remain 10 prcy. Whenever any
contract fer public Improvement Is to be lie:
sCme of this precious gang are sure to be on
hand, bent on securing il by fair means or foul.
Being without ere dit or standing they generally
fail, "a they should, to receive attention from
responsible agents of the general or the city
government Forthwith a howl is raised, in
functions threatened, and all manner OF black
guardian and abuse INDUCED in towards those
who have the character, brains and means to
undertake the execution of important works.
We have had occasion to note in The STAR
mary instances where improvements OF great
importance 20 this city have been hindered for
years, or defeated altogether, by the machina-
tons OF this set of blOOd-suckers IL is due to
tier efforts that the "Blue jug" our miserable
riCkety old Jail. remains to dishgure a portion
Of the city that otherwise would be one OF the
finest and best improved within the corporation
limits. After long continued effort by many of
oar best citizens, who wished TO get rid of the
nuisance in that locality, the plan for hani-
some new Jail building on another site was
adopted, Congress Appropriated 500 coo for the
work, and the contract for its execution had
beer given out TO responsible parties. Forthwith
me n shv- FL,
characteristic howl, and, by persistent boring
and lying, upset the whole project; thereby per
Ietuatirg, apparently, the jail nuisance in the
heart OF the city; fer most of the Congressman,
who, through fr1endiness to the city, were will
ing to give some effort to the work of abating
the nuisance, got so utterly Disguised and
w6aTied by the clamOr of the shyster crowd that
they refuse TO touch the matter, az ain, in any
share or form
The market-hOuse project, from which so
much was hoped By the community, has been
haraSsed in the same way. In its incipiency,
and while before Congress, it not only encoun-
tered the fair and legitimate opposition of the
market men, and Others who thought their in
terests affected, bat the whole gang of shyster-
kites made descent upon il, with a view either
Of killing or crippling it, or of compelling its
supporters to buy them of. 1t was not killed
but it was badly crippled, and since its passage
ii has been pretty effectuslly done for. Lavish
Promises of stock, bargains and counter bar
gains. on the part of two or three, have leopard
lied not only the project, but the fair fame,of
our city.
And now comes the Avenue-pavement pro-
jeCt- The same mischievous crowd are engaged
IN system Of misre presentation and living As to
the purposes of the commissioners in establish
ing and altering the grades-chargingw whole sale
swindiiDg on the part of the commissioners the
contractors, and what they call "the ring"
though in looking over the names of the con-
tractors we fail to discover any semblance of a
''ring," or aught else than this fact, that the
commissioners have awarded the contracts at an
average OF about 20 per cent. less than
the psvements designated, or any other
reputable wOOd-pavements, are laid for
In any other city in the country-Boston not ex-
cepted, where they claim to execute improve
meEts, and no dOabt 60, with a view To as close
economy "a in any place in the world. We are
at loss to see where there is a chance for swind-
ling at the prices at which the work is given out
and good judges with whom we have conversed
Say that il the work is well done at the prices
at which the award is made 1T will be the cheap
est job Of woOd-paving ever done in the United
States. The reason for this, we suppose, may
be that the opportunity to present their styles
OF pavement so eonspicuously on the leading
street in the capaitl OF the nation, Is deemed So
good an advertisement that the pavement men
think they can afford TO work more cheaply
here than elsewhere; and for the same reason
We may be pretty sure that they will execute
the work in a manner to do them credit. We do
not doubt that the new pavement of Pennsyl-
vanis avenue will not only be the cheapest but
the best laid piece of wood pavement in the
country.
As an illustration, however, of the style of
n
that neighbOr of ours, q leading business man,
got considerably disturbed day or two since
by tie representations Of one OF this crowd,
which led him to believe that the first floor OF
lis magnificent place OF business was TO be
buried several feet below the proposed pave
nert. - our friend graphically expressed it,
had LIE believed the statements made BY this
mischief making shyster, he would have been
compelled to adopt the conclusion tn At Secre-
tary Cox, Mayor Emery and General Micaler
were IL subjects for the pententiary; wholesale
charges OF dishonesty against these gentlemen
being made b. this party simply for the reason
that his pavement had been ruled out
and the contract hot awarded to him.
Upon examination our friend finds that the
grade IN front of his particular place of busi-
pess l. not TO be changed at all and that with
the exception Of leveiing the surface of the
Avenue, but few changes are TO be male any
NLele- IN lAls COnheclion We are glad TO see
that Surveyor Forsy tn, who has the confidence
e the whole community both regards capa-
" and integrity, has been selected to regulate
The grades in accordance with the views of the
commission.
As for the noisy shyster gang who labor so
'otstaLty 10 defeat every measure from which
they cannot secure some fat pickinys, the pro-
-ress 81 the city in growth and permanent I'm
irOvement will be just In proportion as they are
aelChed and kept under by Official integrity
aad by the influence OF public opinion.
The "REPKAL MIDDLE" IN CouRr.-As was
asserted by Judge PAschal, in the columns of
THE STAR the 0uesfion vhatbar or M, III. n. -