Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-04

the board ere winter, with its Icy breath, viii
bring The seasons operations to . close. IL IL
our determination that the streets now under
ers In progress Of construction flashed, and the
national metropolis put In its best apparel 20
receive the vast muitirads which on the At OF
second Inauguration of President Grant. [Long
continued applause aud chesring.l or his re-
election we are, OF course, entirely assured. for
while republics may be ungrateful, We cannot
but feel that they will be rs ready tn heap hon
ors upon the first statesman or the age as they
were proud to place in the chair Of state four
years since the foremost soldier of his day.
Loud applause
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Shepherds speech,
Mr.. John F. Cook, District register was intro
duced and spoke as follows:
Speech OF Nc. John r. Cook.
Mr.. President and Fslloo-citissns Having
been invited, as connected with the District
government. to present facts of interest TO the
people, present myself to ight merely to make
few statements relative to the workings of the
executive branch OF the District governme ut.
Other gentlemen more experienced in public
affairs, and in charge OF the duty of improving
our District, will be ready to furnish what ust
now is Of great interest, important facts which
will dispel Eiuch OF the apprehension of wrong
doing that an organised gang of crctkers have,
with a persistency worthy of a better cause, ex-
cited in the minds of many of our taX.payiny
citizens. i need not refer to the distinguished
executive head of our government. His high
financial ability and character, not only at home
but extending over our whole country and out
side OF II, Is guarantee suffi cient to compose all
fear as 10 successful management OF the fairs
Of our limited jurisdiction, with its limited and
defined powers made ny Congress.
In all its operations the executive branch Of
the government moves harmnnously and salts
factorily. In the collectors Office. our tax
gatherers are taking in our taxes with gentle
manly urbanity ten cents less on the 500 than
last years tax levy on the realty or Washing ton,
besides an abatement of one per cent. per month
till July, 1873, never exceled by any discount in
ten or twenty Years before, to nv know ye.
Our assessments under general tax levy, to D, are
more equitable than was expected, being N sde
by each officer for twenty-five districts, in his
respective district, and where districts abutted
each other 1t would be expected that gre at de-
gree Of inequality of appraIsement would be
made, but the fact Is that there Is the least DOS
eible degrees of complaint on our assessment ac-
count for general purposes, and hazard nothing
In the assertion that the valuation set is Low
rated, and although there may be exceptional
cases, there is scarce lot that be bought at as
sessed rates and the percentage is great of those
that will bring a large adv ance, and correspond
ingiy more when the Improvements will add to
their value.
In regard to the part Of the executive govern
ment in which L administer to the public: Lii
censes have been by the District government
greatly reduced, compared with those issued by
the late corporation of Washington. Examine
in proof OF this Webb's Digest of Corporation
Laws and the amended license act OF the new
licenses for dealers in dry goods, groceries aud
other merchandise, where the amount of C apital
invested is under 81 900, $l5 was the cost of the
license, and $40 where it was under 81, 100, $50
where 1t was over 1900, and SO on upward:
under the new So only where the capital in
vested is under 81 900, and n per thousand when
1t exceeds 81 600 to any amount of capital Deal
ers in liquors in quantities exceeding the pint
pay now only S25, when under the city govern
ment they paid $40; for investments in trade less
than 81 900 of capital and $50, at the rate of
INF soY.tt- al. utar a.,
Old it was $40, and upward in the same proper
ton of investment.
Such, fellos-citizens, are the advantages af-
forded to our tradesmen and merch ants by the
new government; and 70 l might point ont in
this chapter OF dry DETAIL but it is not necessary
! think. Every dollar collected faithfully and
honestly placed to the credit of the District
funds And notwithstanding all this some of
our tradesmen are not happy.
Another subject Of duty for the register is the
transfer of the funded debt stock Of the several
former city corporations, and only mention
the fact by reason of an incident of yesterday,
cheering as it was to my mind. 1t is stated only
to show the growing confidence of the people in
the financial administration of our affairs not
outstanding the great amount of misrepresen-
tation, made with studied and malicious FORE
thought, in order to bring discredit on our gov
One of our leading bankers, not a square from
here, had occasion to furnish an order for 81 800
of our funded six per cent. stock, redeemable at
not iii the order, only having obtained $500, al
though they offered q much higher price than
they could have been bought for ten months
ago. They offered eighty-five cents, and not
more than six months ago q leading uptown
bank had offered for sale in the Office $4,000 at
sixty cents on the dollar. lApplause.l
do not mention this incident, fellow-citizens,
OF Columbia stock market, but because it af-
fOrds You the happy satisfaction OF knowing that
the Investments in improvements, made years
ago by persons in behalf of widows, orphans aud
charitable institutions, when these bonds were
considered a desirable investment, will prove it
fully to-day. Money now rules at Q or 10 per
cent, and this inc dent shows the value of these
securities, in the face OF all this clamor, to be
really about 80 per cent, and increasing in
public esteem.
Fellow citizens, had intended to say more,
hardly the material to interest you; and thank
ing you for the attention you have paid thus far,
l give way to more entertaining speakers.
Prof. John NJ. Langston
next addressed the audience, and said he had
just returned from feeling the public pulse in
would see Grant reinaugurated On the 4th of
March next. [Great applause.l After review
Of national politics, Mr.. Langston alluded to
mented Gov. Cooke and Mr.. A. X. Shepherd for
their untiriDg industry and enterprise in behalf
ofthe capital. He also paid deserved tribute ID
the honesty and fairmindedaess of q political
opponent, Representative Charles A. Eldridge,
Of Wisconsin, who although he was decided
democrat had not stopped to act as partisan
in the District government investigation, but
had shown himself true friend of District in
terests by refusing to cripple the new govern
ment here merely because it was opposed to him
in politics. Such justice from political sppo-
neRt was rare and should be gratefully remem-
berod by all citizens Of Washington who favor
the work of improving and identifying the ma
tiOn8l capital. Mr.. Langsf)n then said: The
republican party, in making improvements in
this District, are but keeping pace with the
spirit Of progress and Improvements found in
all parts Of our country. especially in the great
cities of our land. And were these improve
ments not made Washington would, in no little
time, be vastly behind such cities a. Louisville,
Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Toledo, not to
name other cities larger and of greater impor-
portance. While the capital of our nation may
not be the chief city in q commercial point of
view, in all that would make it beautiful and
of moral signitcadce to the citizen and stranger
it ought to be first. And to this end contribu-
tions should be made, legislation had. and the
people resident Of the capital, no less than
those who dwell in the several states should vie
with each other to accomplish this end.
The improvements made by the republican
party in this District are Of three sor s., pract
cally: First material improvements; secondly,
governmental, and thirdly, that increased Ell
cheney which results from the judiciOus ergani-
Zation and adjustment OF the various depart
ments of the District government.
OF the doings Of the board Of public works