The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-07-26

coucealment, it would be no o'mea y,
t..k to establish beyond the pos''oil-
,tv of . doubt that we have NOT o"'y
the most dsspotio bat one d the most
corrupt rings in our city thst every
lorded it over any people.
The ST.. publ3shcd articles concern
,ps Mr.. Shepherd, tho Vice President,
and tho manager Of the concerns OF
the Beard. A writ was issued Dy our
Polio, Court and ssnt to New YORK.
and .pea this writ Dana was arrested
The case came before Judge Blatch-
ford. of tho United States District
Court and was comnenced by = mo-
ton by the prosecution for warrant
directing the removal Of Dana 70 TINS
civ for trial. Tho motion was denied
on tho ground that the act Of Congress
upon which the suit was based 10
clearly unconstitutional in that 1t
takes away the right Of trial by jury.
For the first time since Mr.. Shop
herd has had control Of our Board OF
Public Works he finds himself check
mated. In great many suits before
our local courts be has been success"
full, indeed he has never lost . case,
and the people Of the District have
long since concluded that Whatever
their grievances may be it Is folly to
enter into litigation with the Board.
Whether the popular suspicion OF
immense corruption be correct,
whether the innumerable stories OF
contractors growing suddenly rich be
true, whether the rumors Of the buy
ing up Of the city papers be we'll
founded, is impossible to know. Yet
it is equally impossible for any one
to avoid q suspicion that all is not as
it should be. It is quite certain that
the Board of Public Works has done
much toward identifying the city,
but where all the money has gone is q
question not answered. A bill passed
to District Legislature authorizing
tar Of four millions for public inn
provea,ents, and the people ratified
it Mt the polls. But the Board did
not stop with this amount. 1t went
on with the improvements till it ran
the District in debt upward Of seven
teen millions. The property in the
District is scarcely able to pay even
the interest on the present indebted
ness. How the principal is ever to be
paid is amystery. 1t isp]ain, however,
that they who have done this thing ex-
pect to get the money out Of the United
States Treasury. They expect Con-
gross to appropriate at least two mil
lions year to this object. And more
than likely they will realize their ex-
pectations. 1t does not seem exactly
just that the people of the country at
large should pay their taxes to enrich
the property holders of Washington.
It 10 to he hoped that before Congress
appropriates another dollar to such
objects It viii make rigid inquiry as
to whether the money was expended
honestly. If Washington is to be
enriched at the expense OF the public
lot the entire people Of the city share
In the benefits and let it not be done
for the benefit Of q ring composed of a
few men already possessed Of their
millions.
A heart rending accident occurred
in this city the night before last. A
horse car On the Columbia, or New
York avenue line, when crossing tho
track Of the Metropolitan, or Point of
Rocks, Railroad at the intersection Of
II and First streets, came very near
being run over by a locomotive and
trains Of cars just entering the city.
The driver saw it just in time to es-
cape with the car, but many pas
senger" becomeing frightened jumped
out. Among the rest was lady with
an infant in her arms. As she spranp
out Of the car she fell, and in falling
let 60 her babe. She escaped herself