Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-26
DIST RIOT OF COLU NIB A
FRAUDS.

return sooner or later, to the paths of
Constitutional government; not even
in the darkest hours have we looked
upon the rights of the States, and the
liberties of the citizen as entirely
things of the past.
We have cherished this hope not
because of any sentimental notion
about : returning sense of justice
on the part of our Northern brethren, or
establishment of fraternalfe feeling, but
because we have been satisfied that as
soon as the States of the North began
to feel the encroachmen.s of the
Federal Government-en
that they themselves had iLaugurated
in their blind desire to be revenged on
the Southern people-they would init
ate the work of stripping that govern
ment of its covering of war powers
and inseparable expressions and cor
ruptions.
We trust that we see upon the polit-
ical horizon something, a speck only
it may be, but still something going
to show that the hope we have SO long
cherished has not been ill-founded.
1t surely is some proof of personal
individuality and political independ-
ance, that the party of the Federal
Administration in n State shapes its
action in open defiance and opposition
to the wishes of that Administration.
and in open convention calls, by
formal resolution, upon the head of
that Administration to remove from
Office, every official who dared
to use the patronage and influence
of the Federal government for the
purpose of controlling State affairs. 1t
is some evidence of an existence and
individuality separate from that of the
Federal Government, and of independ-
ent will and independent action. that
leading paper of the Administration
party in State dares to publish edito-
rial after editorial, declaring that the
true issue in the pending campaign is
| freedom from Federal interference in
local affairs, and rebuking the Presi-
dent of the United States, the chief of
its party, for his various short comings;
and strangely enough, these things
come from Massachusetts,
| We have been led to these refiec-
tions this morning by an article in the
Boston 1dccrtiscr, the leading Radical
|
newspaper in Massachusetts,, from
which we extract the following remarks
about the gigantic frauds perpetrated
by the Administration Ring in the
District of Columbia.
After describing the territorial gov
/ eminent now existing in the District of
| Columbia the 1drcrtiscr says:
1t would be difficult to contrive n
system of government better adapted
to foster and support a ring than this.
nigh impossible, except by the appoint
ment of men of n degree of integrity,
sagacity and frmness as rare in public
affairs i'll these days as it is desirable
always. AS soon as the new govern
ment we're invested with authority they
began n scheme of public improvement
at which city of ten times the wealth
of Washington would prudently have
hesitated. Grades have been changed
with ali arbitrary disregard of private
rights more characteristic of an absO-
1utism than of republic, and in the
short space of two years, notwithstand-
ing burdensome general taxation and
oppressive special assessments, a debt
variously stated at from S15, 900, 900 to
$40, 600, 900, and at any rate much in
excess of the extreme limit designated
in the act of Congress, has been accu-
mulated. The people are discouraged
at the prospect, but their remonstran-
ces, iuasmuch as they have no way to
make them effective, are UNDECIDED,
and still the work goes on, without any
prospect of a halt until the debt is
double its present amount.
The proceedings of this board have
been productive of an amount of real
estate speculation which would seem
reckless were it not that the chief sup
porters and defenders of its operations
have been largely engaged in the bust
ness to the great benefit of their pri-
vate fortunes. The press has been
silenced probably i'll the same way that
New York papers were made blind to
the operations of Boss" Tweed's New
10TH btlt one III w as IL
ington, and that Il weekly, has the
boldness to speak out in cOndemna-
ton of the officials who are plundering
the citizens. The credit of the city
has deprecated to an alarming extent,
forty cents on the dollar beingreportcd
as the most that tinanciers would offer
for a new loan. Frequently the treas
ury has been entirely depleted So that
the teachers of the public schools and
even the laborers on the Improvements
were kept ont of their pay for long
periods. Shepherd long ago earned
the title of Boss from his obvious
controlling direction of the ring. Gov
ernor Cooke was in all practical mat
tcrs his lieutenant instead of his supe-
rior. 1t is not commonly thought
that the governor was originally Il will
ling party to these extravagancies, but
the general belief is that before he was
aware of their enormity he was so far
committed to them and so involved
with Shepherd that he could not escape
consenting to go forward. As COVER
nor he was, however, the apparent
head of the ring, and at last the pres
sure of popular Indignation became SO
strong he sought refuge in resignation.
having served but little moro than half
his time.
The rings candidate for the success
sion was, of course, Shepherd, but it
is said the President hesitated to honor
him in defiance of the popular voice,
and first offered the vacant place to n
gentleman not of the ring, who de-
clined it. Whoever that gentleman
was, he showed Il fine prudence. -
Clearly he would have been power
less minority in the organization. The
ring continued clamorous and the
President yielded, giving Governor
Cooke a needless letter sanctioning not
only his 6 'od intentions but all that
the ring had done. This was another
instance of weakness of the Presi-
dent, which the people find it hard to
reconcile with faithful performance
of his duty or a careful regard for the
public welfare. 1t would be we'll for
him to bear in mind that he is respon-
sible for every member of the Wash
| in Rnard of PI1hlio Works apI