The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-15


rest will not in any degree be promoted II they
lose, they will still retain fair equivalent for all
their investments, and great public necessity Will
be answered, and Recommendations will be provided
Tor municipal purposes In keeping with the charac-
ter, interests, and progress OF Philadelphia"
The Dispatch, which from first to last has
ably advocated the Penn Square site, y ester
day ventilated pretty thoroughly the perform
ances at Harrisburg last week. The con-
cluding paragraph of its article is as follows:
'The petitions which. according to the spirit of
exaggeration in vogue among the Washington
Squareltes, are represented to have been signed by
thirty thousand persons, would not, even IL they
were all genuine and the tally were correct convey
to the Legislature anything more than the oplaions
OF defeated minority. Furthermore, that minority
whatever to the bill establishing the Building Com.
mission before the election n that trial had resulted
In their triumph in the choice OF the Washington
Square site, 1t would have been perfectly satsfac-
tory TO them. They supposed-or pretended that
they did-that the vote would be in favor OF the
Washington Square site. Defeated, however, in
their expectations their present aim is to prevent
the buildings from being erected at all in the hope
OF keeping the public ofllces where they are, aud
where they are not sufficiently commodious to ac-
commodate the business of the CITY, n the Ieglsls
ture merely to satisfy the pecuniary greed OF these
persons, should interfere with the authoritative
preston OF the VIII OF the people of this city, it
would do great wrong"
The Mercury reduces the anti-Penn Square
controversy to first principles in this fashion:
"The only real and honest ground OF opposition to
the Building Commission and the law creating it
ana declaring It's power and duties and objects, is
either hope to so reopen the question of site to
give those whD own real estate on and near 'Inde-
pendence' and Washington Squares chance of
ultimately having either OF those sites adopted, or,
II not, defeating the erection OF buildings for the
city anywhere for any period OF time. THIS incon-
stancy factiousness and utter failure to accomplish
anything in a matter Of 80 much importa zee, is
worthy only OF children, and dlsgraceful alike to our
Councils, the State Legislature, and certain por-
tion OF our citizens. D."
The Repu5hc expresses these eminently
correct views:-
"a large city like Philadelphia must not be Grip
pied by the efforts OF men whose sole ambition ap-
pears to be to have their own property improved
that their purses may become more plethorfc, and
the taxpayers and the men who earn their daily
it. with an immense population rapidly in.
creasing, with miles OF buildings going up
annually, and with streets being constantly
large expenditure of money is absolutely necessary
and yet with all growth and super rity in every
every other municipality in the country we are be-
hind them all in the character OF our public build
pressed their wish at the ballot.box and the city
members Of the House cannot afford to ignore that
decision"
The Times says with regard to the speech
of MIR. H. w. Gray before the Committee on
Municipal Corporations of the House,
''The effort of Gray before the Bouse Committee
on Municipal Affairs was one OF the best OF his life
and he deserves the thanks OF this community for
the noble stand he TOOK
IL Is worth while Tor the members OF the
Legislature to note the fact that, with the ex-
ception of the Transcript, these papers have
no property interests in the vicinity either of
Washington or Penn Squares, and that the
Transcript while advocating the selection of
Washington Square so long as the question of
a site for the public buildings was an open
one, has been prompt to indorse the popular
verdict and to demand that the popular will
shall be respec ed by the minority of the
citizens of Philadelphia and by the repre-
sentatives of the people at Harrisburg.