Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-05-04
Dom Plat ON Cooperation Affairs.
THE CUTTERS.

THE CUTTERS.
i had been watching a couple OF miserable
negroes for hours, who seemed to be searching
for some lost article in front Of our house.
Their anxiety to find the missing valuable was
not great They sat, most Of the time upon
the curb and conversed. From q few words
that came in through the open window, gath
subjects. After closing my letter sailed out.
under hat and stick, for q little exercise and
Pausing for amoment before my colored friends,
What searchtst thou, o colored citizens?"
-, What is lost, that you delve so steadily in
why, muffin, sab; we's clean'n'de guttah."
&c. The devil you are. And who pays you for
" His Honor de Mayor, sah."
And how much are you paid a day for such
ewes told, sab, dat ives to have two dollars
"And are you employed all the year round BY
his Honor the Mayor"
sob, de Lord, no, sab. But they do tell us,
sab. dat eff his Honor de Mayor is elected agen,
ives to have work all de time"
SO you want him re-elected?'
Shure, sab. He's de true friend Of de brack
man, shure."
me in silent amazement. Here were two Amer
lean citizens of African descent, who were gen.
erously paid two dollars rod for cleaning the
unpaved Afreet. The first rain would wash back
the same amount of earth in fifteen minutes
And the city government is bankrupt. Not
many weeks since 1 put to record the seizing
Honor's Office. / had not walked far before I
encountered my friend Began, a colored man,
also, and property holder. He is educated,
and a decent gentleman. related nv obserya,
tons, and asked the meaning. He gave out a
significant laugh, and said:
That is the way Mayor Bowen secures a re-
election. Previous to each election he puts all
the cOlored voters and Irish laborers to work.
with promise to continue the same all the
year, If elected"
"But where does he get the money? The city
My friend put his thumb to his nose, and
closing one eye, twirled his fingers and by this
Masonic sign was told of hidden meaning,
and FASTENED to demand an explanation.
You see, }" he said, taking down his moving
fingers and opening his off eye, "that the city is
not bankrupt. 1t Is Bowen's business to have
IT 20 considered. The city orders given out on
contracts and for labor depreciate In the hands
OF the needy, and then Bowen's agents buy them
up, TO have them cashed subsequently at par
That Is all. Here, then, is the fund to be used
in the employment of credulous voters for a
short time previous to each election"
went my way, wiser If not a better man.
sI 81, ssd E 70 myself city are
in Cincinnati and luxurious gutter cleaning in
Washington. And the officials grow fat while
the citizens suffer This Mayor Bowen and his
tool Cook. am told, have become rich in Office
or course. A mayor Of Cincinnati may hope
% be returned to Congress, but q mayor of
Washington can only III the private Golfers Of
But is it not q crying shame that the Congress
OF the United States, the great Legislature fer
the District Of Columbia, win permit this moan,
Fhs city ansse its misSs
through forty-eight hours legislation in Con,
gress, be made model city for the United
lies in two sentences. Make it the Interest of
the municipal authorities to be extravagant, and
i VIII be extravagant. Make it their interest
Is t AND win be
ested in expenditure, they will expend extrava-
gantly, and, after time, corruptly. II, how
ever, the taxpayers alone hold the purse strings
scce,S MIL DC Kept down, and expenditures made
"But, exclaimed digni6ed stupidity of the
senatorial Fog-bank, ''the poor man Of to-day
What has that TO do with It ? The solemn
proposition reminds me OF the sum that used to
D Ds gwen ven me nSys to puzzle them What win
one-half fat ? What has the At to do via, Il :
Inc poor man TO day may be taxpayer to-
share Of control in the city expenditures, and 90
be able to care for what he has accumuiated
A.! A. We dec1ease TAXATION, We cheaper rents and
chance to gather the good thinss Of this Vor Ie
1t IS hard to beat into tho heads Of theee
aspads mat city corporation is not govern
Of sss and sie,. snd tb en.y the
eovereignty whatever attached thereto. II e.
corporation, and the stockholders-thsti s. tia
Interpretations are interested.
OF course We cannot expeef the c;t;x.r. 40
0wns, q they are called, 10 divest themselves
O. tins privilege: But the rural districts Of the
Stste That hold largely the majority in the
economical, honest corporations In the cities.
- ior Warrington city, it 10 in tho hand OF
Sc Cness.men' who care nothing for the people
neic-anoeed, believe Congressmcn hsfe
cnem-end in few hours' Wise 1eeisiafion onr
nauonai capital could be lifted from the GUTTER
ana mace Hght and an example to the rest Of