National Republican., 1873-02-10
ROOSEVELT REBI'HHD,

TO print speech, IN response to that Of Mr..
Roosevelt attacking the BOarl NJ Public Works,
an elaborate and carefully-prepared argument
was published In the G'obs of yesterday.
Mr.. Chpman states that whll3 occupying the
moor for the purpose Of reporting bill from the
mmittec TO enlarge the BOARD If Public school
n ustecs, the gentleman from New YORK (Mr.
Rooseycltl moved an amendment which I IA
NOred, but which could not, under the instruc-
tons u the committee, admit. | knew that his
pufpOse was not TO speak 10 the bill then pend.
ing, hut, on the contrary, to make an assault
urOn the officers OF the District government, AMI
especially the Board Of Public Works.
have been much censured by somc of my
co leagues on the committee, and complained
against by some others on this nnoF, fOf allow
ing the gentleman TO proceed out Of oNler, as he
dId, to speak upon matter not germane to the
bill. Perhaps ! erred; hut trust those who dis
agreed with me In the course took will conclude
that after all u was better perhaps, to KNOW the
full extent Of the Rentlelnan's oppo4itlon to the
District government and its Officers which he
manifest III and out u this House. / Knew that
he wa cNerting whatever influence he pos
sessgB to
POISON Tng MINDS OF AEMBKRs,
and know, too, tnat In some Instances he was
dong this a. the expense Of truth; and felt
that u he was right ~ many Of the charges
which he was freely making 10 members and
wac wruuI In believing them TO be untrue, that
II was much better the truth should ht brought
| 10 light even though my friends might suffer.
stack upon the Boanl OF Public Works, their
annual report, AMI their extensive operations.
| Statements which have no foundation In fact
| were piausiuly pafaded with q view, fear, TO
States, anl to place the bnanl before them In
| the attitude Of corrupt AMI dishonest officials.
| Piling OsSa on Peliun, he launched lnyectycs
aud made assertions which here boldly assert
are utterly
Not satisfied with distOring and sIipnre ssug
facts, he sought TO reflect upon his colleagues Of
| the committee hy proposing the appointment Of
commission OF persons not members OF this
honorable body, aud indeDen lent both Of the
| committee ami OF this II Iuse.
| Mr.. Chapman then continued, and took up the
| charges embodied In the speech Of Mr.. ROo,e-
welt, the nrst being an allpR VI scrcpancy in the
| statement regarding paveinents, amounting TO
| about u ,OOl,OO0 In response the General shows
| that NJ. r., instead OF quoting from detailed
faitheT IiIerspaneT Was elaImed Sy M. ~ IN bis
figures Of $3.50 per yarl for all the roadways i'm
proved, when, as matter of fact, some Of the
cs,ts VA o,Ssr pv ~ "a o,hct eshts ~ PEI , ya ONE,
still some other f9.2h. And yet the gentleman,
with matrhlsSS unfalrness, and may almost say
enrOntery, attempts to msleal the House hy
selecting the highest price paid for any pave.
ments, In order to make this supposed dlscrep-
ancy as much us possible. I hete discover the
INST great discrepancy" the "1rst blunhcr or
fraud" IN the gentleman's speech.
Nc SseakCr, ] quote the gentleman's language
-"llundcf" or fraud" ! hope this Ia paIlia-
mentary. Blunt men might characterize the
gentlemans statement In short word, hut II
might not he In order, and refGan. We are per-
mltted, believe, to ttaduco and all all the rest
Of the world had names, but we must not al
ways speak the truth Of colleagues on this Moor.
The seconl charge, that table twelve gives the
expense OF twenty-ninc streets and an alley and
furnishes falr average estimate OF all the work,
IL dispose OF In Ike manner N charge No. l.
| The third charge. that the debt Of the District
amounts 10 fully $4,000, ,OO1, IA disposed uf hy the
report Of the Colnnittce on the District, who
were directed 81 ascertain anh report the debt Uf
the Dk tr ct, AMI whO IN making their report, rr-
viewed the financial condition OF the BDlrl aul
Its liabilities, aud found their assets sutlclent 10
cover their liabilities, thus proving that Mr.. II.
was only sll0ol,Oh0 out Of the way IN hl' state
ment
from Co Ig'GB Ia unite anl sustiln,d a4 fol.
lows:
MORE APPROPRIATIONS.
II is trlc, ns the gcntlcinan alleges, that the
BOarl OF Puhllc Works have expressed their In
tsntlOn to apply 10 US for tl,OJO,OJ1 during THIS
session To continue the improvements Of the
| chy. Why should they not, Mr.. Sp sakerl An
| eXamln ltlOn Of the public records Of thr cDun-
try will show that since l5l2 the General Govern
ment has expended for the Improvement Of our
streets and avenues ti,92l ,2Ss.si. During the
same period the city Of Washington has cN-
pended fl2,g2i, ,iBil6, or the citizens have pald
| ninety per cent. and the Government ten per
cent, and leave out Of this computation nea,ly
| thOnh,pW which have been expended by George
| town and the county Of Washington; and vet the
! United states owns, an hal owned, MT lcu
than two nfths OF the city Of Washington. will
| not bcre discuss the duty Of the Gene,a Glvefu-
ment towards IT, capital. The geatltm IN eX-
| presses his willingness to help discharge this
lntE. The only d,hlculty he has Is to permit any
! thing TO he done wnilo the present B0arl Of Pub
| lie Works o y In power ! hope have con.
| yinr'l him that he can afford IN risk the public
money Ia their hands, 4 careful examination OF
! their feplI will show that the money aNpaldel
by them hitherto has IN the main been more
economically ii wisely expended than a similar
amount IN his or any other city, as believe, ln
the United states.
The charges that thc certificates Of ,c,smcnt,
were void; that the organic act hal been yiD-
lated; that pruperiy-hnlderi hal been ruined:
that the work was OF inferior character were
each discussed anl proven without foundation,
and General Chipman continued
| srRCGJLEs OF THE DtsTatCT GOVERNMENT.
| Mr. Speaker, must not conclude my remarks
VITA Iut calling attention TO some Of tlc diiti'
ties with which our District government has had
! toe )ntenl since its establishment. The organic
act nIssed February a., 1871: By Its provisions
! the Old government expired June l., 1871. Early
IN March the Officers appointed un'lcr the act
! guantl, and steps were taken 70 convene tbs
Leg stature Ia order that provision should he
ma lt against any intcrrcgnum In our govern
Beni. The election was held In May, when
| Del gate To Congress was chosen and the mem-
bers OF the lower house OF the Legislative A.
semhly.
II had become generally known 10 the com.
| munliy that the BOanl NJ PuIlic Work. cuntrnI.
plate eNtelsiye improvements, aud their views
into thS contest. TIE struggle was really then,
! as u has been sincP, between those Ia the lbs
trct whoprefer that We should not attempt any
but rather that we shOull plnl along In
TIfE OLD-fAaiiinNEp WAY,
AMI those more enterpnSlng spirits who were
determined that there should he new departure
with reglrd TO beautifylng Eal improving the
city. The result was a majority Of over four
thousand on the general ticket, and the election
OF improvements.
Thi BoarI Of Public Works were busy devils.
ing plan Of improvements, TO aid them In
which they Invited an adv sory hoar,l, composed
! OF Generals MclgI, Humphreys, Barnes, Bah.
cock, and Mr. Olnsteal, Of New York city, a
gentleman prominent IN the development OF
central Fark and the Improvement Of that city
9HE LEqIsLATURI COSyESED,
and plan OF improvements approved generally
by the advisory board was su6mtted and The
Governor In his message suggested a loan as the
best AMI wisest means by winch to carry out the
plans OF the board Al this point the opposition
organized In every part Of the city TO defeat the
legislation; but tn law plSsel July 10, lSII, an.
thOhLnR loan Of tI,OO0,OJO, and The Assessment
aRhnst the property Improved t2,ODO,OO0 more
Falling to defeat the legislation, the opposition
then resorted TO the courts, and by Injunction
| prevented the progress OF improvements az pro-
ylded for by N act VI July ID, making the point
that the loan was Illegal without the lndOrse-
ment OF the people. The injunction was granted
| by one OF the Judges OF our courts, AMI a delay
ensued OF some months before an appeal could
| he heard before the court IL bdHe. The Legisla-
late then passed another act, August ~, ISL,
! pie. The opposition, hoping
TO DEFEAT IMPROVEMENT
before the people opened a series Of nercc anr,
! mendael0ls attacks, not only upon the wisdom
| OF the imprOyem ents themselves, hut upon the
charaoter, private and public, Of the gentlemen
] composing our District government. Under the
law u was not possible To take the vote sooner
than In November following; thus pnStpOning
! improvements Tor the summ sT, leaving the board
only such wOTK as could he done under direct
appropriation Of the Legislative Assembly,
| necessarily limited In amount
! When the question clm1 TO be vote 4 upon hy
the people there were H. 100 votes In favor Of the
loan aud ,2l3 against II. Having thus Fecrl we'd
| an almost unanimous inlnrscmcnt Of their plan4
| the board commenced their improvements
! though late In the season, which were also fn--
I ther interrupted by an early winter Imne-
dlateiy afIer the loan hal been authorized ths
] same opposition sought 10 d6StrgY the credit Of
| the Dl'thct AMI prevent the negotiation Of "a
bonds.
| THE MONEY Markets OY EUROPE,
as well as tbs leading cities Of Our own country,
were nOode with mlsTepresentatlOns aS to the
| character Of the loan, denOunClng II as Illegal
ami every pos 'lhle i.dpediment was thrown In
| the way, even after the people had declared that
] the improvements should 20 on aud were willing
/ that their bonds should be given to secure them.
| Congress met, and ] believe on the trst day
| resolution was Offered In the Senate, through the
| procurement OF some Of these factlOnists, sus-
! pending the functions OF our new government
! thus striking blow at its very existence, and
utterly destroying It's credit at home and abroad
! The purpose OF this faction was soon discovered
! by the Senator who offered that resolution, aud
/ II was Withdrawn. About the same time how
| ever, memorial was offered In the House Of