Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-08-08

| need hardly say that this amount would have
been at least twenty per cent. less had the sys-
| tenn been adopted proposed by the Board Of Pub
/ lie Works. Tweaty per cent upon this large
| sum aggregates $50 900, watch Is the amount
l paid by the citizens to the contractors over and
! above Just and proper rates fer work, and which,
4 to a large extent, has gone into the pockets of
| men who are now and henceforth to be known
as 'injanctionists." You are aware that under
! the old system contractor who laid foetwaIk
or sewer in front OF your premises calculated to
| receive in payment an assessment certificate, the
yalue of which, as fixed by the persons who dealt
i'm these was 50 cents on the dollar If, therefore,
| the Improvement was in reality worth $500, the
| contractor bid one thousand, in order that he
might make himself whole upon his contract;
| and when, upon the completion of the work, he
received his assessment certificates, he sold them
| to some of these gentlemen, blessed with pie
thorlc morey bags and easy conseiences; at the
| above named deprecated value. Query: who paid
| this 20per cent. additional? Was it not the tax
| payers, and was he not adding 70 the wealth of
munfty in the role of injnnctionists? one of
| their learned counsel stated before the court
| that under the proposed assessment the commu-
| nifty was to be taxed for everything in the air +,
| and on and under the earth; in fact, that the
| BoaTdo6 Public Works would, If they were per
mitted, exemplify Sydney Smith'sidea of taxa
| ton in England. I am not as wei versed i'm
| rhetoric a the climb of the law" to whom
refer, but | will hazard the a. sertiOn that the
| taxes WHICH may be imposed under any assess
4 ment bill which the Legislature may pass will
not be 1.-THE of that exacted from the real tax
payers by some of the persons who in this matter
the as The ss
1 of some that the bona fde taxpayers do not rise
| and. with scourges in their hands, drive these
money changers from the temples of - justice.
| They certainly might fihd an illustrious example
| Tor such proceeding
\ Board of Public Works has been simply this,
that in the disbursement Cf the four or five mil
| lions which were to have been entrusted to them,
che tribute Of twenty per cent. heretofore paid 20
| This disinterested class was to be withheld and
4 znplip1 A hal Apfsf Of 10 taN- Lot
/ IN this connection, say that the policy Of the
| bard will be, millions for im prorem eat-not one
i CEN for tribute. loud applaI se.l
The members of the board have been de-
| n0unced and maligned; their private and bust
/ ness regulations have been aspersed even by
hired penny-a-iiners for the distant press. This
4 species of attack shows the weakness of our OPP
1 pOnenh5' cause, and he VITO assails ones char
! acter Shnply because he differs with him upon a
question OF public policy is Z" wretch WHOM il
| we're base BATTERY to can coward,n and de-
serves from me no further notice.
Permit we TO say, in conclusion, that the gor-
eminent, which L have the honor in part to
! represent, will, believe, be true to the inter
ests of all classes in the District of Columbia,
believing, Is shey do, that capital and labor are
so closely allied that TO injure the one must ne
cessariy impair the other, and thatth huIlblest
| tax payer who tas acquired home for his dear
ones is A much entitled to be heard and to be
| protected rs those who have inherited fortunes
or built up riches upon the necessities of their
| fellows. For myself, the end and aim of my life
has been and viii be to make this capital the
immortal name it bears. Born and reared
among YOU, my interests and yours are denti-
cal; all that have, all that hold dear, are CEN
tered within these narrow limits, and may my
right hand forget its cunning and my tongue
cleaSe to the roof of nSy mouth, if ever am
knon ingly untrue to the interests and prosperity
OF this District. [Applause.J
THE RESOLUTIONS.
The committee on resolutions returned, and
through their chairman, II. NJ. Hall, presented a
series of resolutions, declaring that the meet
ing approve or a comprehensive and general
system OF improvements in the District of Co
ismSla' III, including the opening and paving Of
uonal water MAN, and such other works as will
tend TO promote the comfort secure the health
and increase the prosperity and wealth OF the
people. That every consideration of patriotism,
our immediate interests, the welfare of the pres
ent, and the future happiness and security of
our posterity call upon us to make the capital OF
the nation, in every material, moral and intel
lectual attraction, equal TO any city of the re-
public. That we need railroads, manufactures,
energy, enlarged conceptions and liberality we
can secure them all. We should no longer hesi-
tate TO put forth our best efforts to secure this
material prosperity essential TO the welfare of
our people. That we deplore the existence OF
all efforts to stir up bitter controversy and en-
courage feelings of hostility between capt.
"a, tai and and labor whether they appear in
or otherwise. There is no opposition, in
fact, and there should be none in
thought or action. All classes, for the common
good, should live together in peace and harmony,
while the rights of every person should be re-
spected and maintained. II is thus that the true
interests Of all the people can be best a, and most
toward those who originated and carried into the
Supreme Court of the District the application
for an injunction to restrain the issue OF four
millions of bonds, we cannot do otherwise than
disapprOvc their conduct. It's only effect will be
to delay improvements, injure the credit of the
District, and in the end increase the burdens of
the taxpayers, and especially Of the labOring
mon. improvements must and will 60 on; they
may be embarrassed and postponed or the cost
IN "reasad, bat cannot and will not be stopped.
That irrespective of party, as citizens of the
District of Columbia, we approve of the past
acts of the Governor and Board of Public Works
in relation to proposed improvements, and pledge
to them our earnest and active cooperation in
every essential and proper EFFORT they may make
to beautify, adOrn and improve the District of
Columbia; and we appeal - the Legislative As
sembly TO pass an act submitting this question to
the people, so that they can stamp with their
approval the anticipated judgment of the Court
IA General Term, reversing the decision recently
made in the Injunction case. lApPIause.l
GIN. o. o. HOWARD
WIS then introduced, and hear.iy endorsed th3
resolutions. He believed the vote Of the people
ing the Board of Public Works. He hoped the
labOring men would be furnished with some kind
of employment until this election was held. He
read letter
PROM GOV. COOKE,
addressed to Mr.. X. NJ. Hall, in which the Coy
ernOr says:
- regret tnat circumstances prevent my &C
ceptGnce of your invitation to address the meet
ing of citizens this evening on the subject of
District improvements. There are some facts
and suggestions which / should have been glad
to have submitted to the sober, candid consider
alton of the people, and hope, on some other
occasion, TO present them more in detail than
could possibly do ut this time.
Briefly stated, the issue which you meet to
consider is, as understand it, progress or stag
nation. life death, to every material interest
of the District 1t would seem that the intelli-
gent business men, the Taxpayers, the laboring
men, cannot hesitate which TO choose. j have
made my choice as citizen, a tax-pa yer, and
as guardian of the public interest. My choice
is for progress and life"
General Howard congratulated the people of
this District upon having one at the head of the
government who had the interest of all at heart.
He believed there were honest and sincere men
in the Legislature. The speaker said he had in
vested in property here, paid taxes, and was in
terested in everything which tended to the
welfare of the people here. Our new government
was strong and good one, and he hoped the
people would come up and sustain il.
At the conclusion of General Towards address
the resolutions were unanimously adopted, and
| the meeting adjourned.
MILITARY ELECTIoNs.-Company Ii, Wash
| ingtOn Light Infantry, met last night and