The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-20
THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

The opponents of the Penn Square site for
the public buildings have succeeded in bring
ing before the Legislature variety of pro-
jects, all of which are ostensibly aimed at the
plan for placing the buildings at the intersec-
ton of Broad and Market streets, but which
are in reality intended to defeat the will of
the people of Philadelphia as expressed at the
election in October last, and to prevent the
public buildings from being removed from
their present location. This subject has been
SO thoroughly discussed in all its bearings
that the citizens of Philadelphia certainly
cannot be beguied into believing that out
ragged virtue inspired the olamor against
the so.called intersection job" and it
will be an insult to the people
of Philadelphia if the Legislature
attempts to interfere in behalf of a ring of
property-holders on Fifth and Sixth and
Chestnut and Walnut streets after the
emphatic expression of public opinion given
last October. The Legislature adopted the
proper method of settling the controversy
with regard to the site for the new buildings
which every citizen Acknowledges to be neces-
sary, by ordering popular vote. The vote
was taken, and the Washington Square people
found themselves very decidedly in the
minority. Instead of submitting, as they were
bound in honor to do, they Immediately
started new issue, and after embarrassing the
commissioners as much as possible by
judicial proceedings, they have now
begun a grand lobbying game at
Harrisburg, and with the half-a-dozen or
more bills which plant members of the Legis-
lature are advocating, they hope by hook or
by crook to either retain the public offices in
the present shanties, or to procure the erec-
tion of the new buildings upon the site which
has been SO emphatically rejected by the citi-
zens of Philadelphia. 1t is certainly laugh
able to find those who roared with indigna-
ton over the prospective cost of handsome
architectural pile at the intersection of Broad
and Market streets advocating the purchase
of additional ground in order to allow the
Penn Squares to remain vacant. This is eco
nomy with a vengeance, and the citizens of
Philadelphia should resolutely protest
! against the purchase of any additional terri
tory either from the Pennsylvania Railroad
or from private individuals, when there is
an ample suficiency for all the purposes of
the new municipal buildings already in pos
session of the city. The Penn Squares con-
| tain all the ground, and more, than is neces-
| sary for the accommodation of all the public
buildings Philadelphia will need for half a
dozen generations, and it will be time enough
to buy more land when the structures which
it is proposed to put up become too crowded
for comfort. This is a matter which the peo-
pie of the year of our Lord 2O71 can attend to
for themselves much better than we can at
tend to it for them. The people of the pre-
sent generation have declared emphatically, by
their votes at general election, after tho.
rough and exhaustive discussion of the sub
| ject, that the public buildings shall be placed
upon the Penn Squares, and it will be gross
outrage if the Legislature attempts to inter
fere further in the matter otherwise than tC
aid in carrying out the will of the maj jority as
expressed last October.
The property holders about Washington
and Independence Squares had a perfect right
to advocate their favorite sites and to present
their side of the question to the public in the
most favorable manner they were able, bu
after the question was decided by popular
vote, twas impudent, to say the least Of it, tC
carry on the controversy any longer. Theil
present performances are not only impuden
but scandalous in the highest degree, ant
Philadelphia will be the laughing-stock of the
nation if little ring of men who are engaged
in the business of letting offices are able t.
defeat the Penn Square project after ALL and
to procure the erection of the new publ,
buildings upon the site which a majority o
the voters have rejected. All the Legislature
has to do now is to mind its own business
and to allow the people of Philadelphi,
to mind theirs. If there is no interference
the probabilities are that we will have Cit,
Hall in few years that will be credit Il
the city, whereas if the Legislature passe
any of the bills now before it, confusion will
only be worse confounded, and the contro
versy will be indefinitely prolonged withou
benefit to anybody. The people of Philadel
phia certainly will not sub nit to have them
selves overridden in an affair of this kind TO
the benefit of a small number of persons wht
are afraid that their property will be les
valuable if the courts and municipal Office
are removed from their present location; ant
as the Penn Square site has been chosen, s,
will it certainly be used, in spite of tn
Chinese thunder with which the anti-Penl
Squareites have been attempting to terrif,
their advarsariea