Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-04-16
Letters from the People.

MR- EDiToR:-we hear eternally the elsmor
about the "Cny Hall Ring one political party
'sncceeds another. pronssing 70 denolish tire
ring and vet it always a PLAN OF thrirry
kror'h. AZ a. v'gorousnov ~ evcr before. Noe
shAt y uhe principal component OF this ssrina?'s
" " q lct OF contractor Who are sw.raeg ~.
ntracts Tor paving the xarioas ward az lie city
when Improvements are ordered The-s men
All make money, o. I've as IN thew ala They
work for prices notorioasly loo. and their Nils
are paid by property owners and the corpora
ten, Now let any one familiar With WORK ana
take any OF these bids and try 10 figure up hox
any money can be made, especially after aflos-
ing shave OF 40, bor 2per cent, which the~e
- are ordinarily subjected 70 i'm Orer
about this. stone, brick. ssnf, grading, Sc.
ssse pricee familiar % sny practical m an snS
Win ~ As Sns,sess man can fsmiiAriEe himself
Now. the question Is, ho~ DO these men male
any money, and why are they 90 ruxions ~,
no name eendaet, Official or othor~i-e. W. 40
not snggcSt that any contractor ever sets s..as-
Wyresf for more work than he has realty per
,ormea- prcmsneut Coast Survey ocicer says
OF the taxee, and political fsvoritcs the remain.
DER. Il don't know whether he found this out by
logarithms or by calculus. But my object is
90 say this These contractors viii work cheap;
their contracts SAY 80. Then, without renectioa
on or dkp&rsgement OF eur corporation engi-
neers, would II not be well tor tsSpzyers 60 em-
,soS. enc s,ees e 81 as0mgsteni and consc,en-
oorPorstion, and who would see 90 IL dist No
tsms not spec,hed in the bond" ever creep
unt.sS sSeI nI snsh man paid by the vol
would he Of great service 90 them. Trs or,,er
IA he should not identity himself with say
~ ne might DC oyerloeked by q COMMITTEES
o. ciufens Who could, IL occasion re4uired.
handle chain, tsrc-iire, OF . theedoiyts- He
might be called In TO conssn when . taxpsver
oopisssiy-for the general Interest = the ,ns,.
vtdnsl fntsrcrt-and stop the erusien. he could
not be Objectionable 20 contractors, for their
he conld not be in amy Way esnoxious 20 our
corporation engineers, for be would he aixav,
resdy to assist them in fGr;hering the ends or
Nov, to effect this object, ret an srear,, Alto,
OF taxpayers take this matter In hand, call .
meeting, elect a treasurer and other ofhoer.,
appoint committees, and asses q small per
oentnm of taxation on the property OF those
taking part In the organization. A tan os one
dollar ON ten Thousand on all the property in the
nsS1. r,s, rSu,S ~ "a, ta,nsh fund Of 5000 Tor the
give ns the sasisisction OF knowing that We get
what We pay for. TANPArKR.
ENRON STaR:-The writer Of this has been
constant reader OF TIE STAR, and has found in
IT'S correct and graphic dslineatione OF what is
trsnspuins, mach to entertain, and much To
Ieplore and regret Careful and impartial re-
neStion upon the general aspect of things no.
litcal and otherwise. has irreSirtiblv led 10 the
cohSiuSol tnat tnere n much 70 condemn, aud
II may not he Incorrect 10 say outright, that,
Judging from the past and present in ia bearing
on the future, I'VE the people" are RAPIDLY on
the decline In morals, Manners and POLITICAL
purity- The colamns OF your paper very fuily
indicate that this beautiful city of washington
mas been for some years not only badly gov
erned, but Tor obvious reasons, as thew have
borne upon the question Of her municlpaifty, IL
~ equally clear that her lot has been and A s
sad one TO contemplate. In a population OF az
least 100000, is il not humiliating 10 make An
acknowledgment OF the fact that the cIty goy-
erDme mt s but . field for political ward ffvhts
and that class Of men utterly unfif for their
positions have the management OF our Affairs?
why Is II thus? Why is everything left % the
Pigmy politicians of the wards, who care for
nothing but their own chances In the general
scramble for ONCE, and who, % accomplish their
ends, hesitate not at falsehood, or any other un-
scrupulous proceeding? Why are the cOlored
people left to be an easy prey 70 these foxes
whose whole ambition and purpose is 20 bam-
booZle them out of their rotes, and who langh in
their sleeve at their success? Itis about time
that "he people" should understand the extent
Of the evils under which we labor, and whence
IL Is that we are thus humiliated. Are they
willing that our bad and corrupt government
shall continue? IL they are, be il 80; but IL they
are not, let the solid men of the city take the
matter In hand, and demonstrate 10 the "ring,
IN and outside OF the City Hall, that they have
some interest in . well and orderly conducted
state Of affairs, and are resolved 20 have a
change for the better. A CoLoREp CITIZEN.