National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-02
OUTSIDE OPINIONS OF WASH
TNGTON

OUTSIDE OPINIONS OF WASH
INGTON
The New York EseHing Post and. tho
araphic-one the oldest and the other The
Youngest newspaper in the Empire city
and the two, journals Of very high character
contained articles last Saturday in refer
ence to Washington which are in striking
contrast to the venomous and malicious
illusions with which their Contemporaries
are generally filled whenever they speak
about the capital Of the country. Aftel
abiding to the spasmodic efforts that are
from time to time made to place the seat o.
Government on wheels and send it in chase
Of the centre of population, the Post main,
tains that cit is proper for Congress to Co
operate with the local authorities of OIL
city in improving its streets and squares, to
make it attractive. as we'll as comfortable,
and in character with is position as the
seat of the National Government. Yet,
strangely enough, until late years Wash
:ngton has hardly surpassed as a place OF
,csidcnce the most ordinary country vii
age; its streets hare been rough and dirty,
As squares desolate mud holes, and its
public work of all kinds unworthy of an
.nterprising town. But for the United
States buildings and grounds, it would
have been the most unatlractive place OF
its size on the continent. Whatever, then,
NAV be said against the policy of giving
the District of Columbia Territorial gov
srnment, or of the character of men who
nave controlled its affairs, il is notorious
hat under the new order OF things extern
;ive and valuable improvements have been
made, and the old wilderness Of wrecks and
1itches is blossoming into a handsome me-
.ropolis' The Post gaes on to say:
There are few persons in Washington
who oppose this policy Of improvement
and who from the first have found fault
with the amount of money for which they
nave been assessed. and with the manner
n which it has been expended"
1t is very evident that the motives Of the
few persons" who oppose the improve
ncnts arc pretty well understood by the
country From the very beginning they
ave fought the new form Of government !;
lampered in every way they could its Off
GERS, and did all in their power to keep the
capital the unsecmly and miserable place
was some years ago. They can claim no
share whatever in the work of renovating
ind rebuilding the city and causing il to
blossom into a handsome metropolis. ;"
The work has been done in spite of them
and against their most strenuous eXertions-
Up to the present time, as the official fig
arcs show, they have contributed only a
mere fraction toward the expenses of the
work The gentlemen who are pointed
but as our millionaircs and largest proprie-
tors have allowed the burden of the work
80 fall entirely upon the shoulders of the
men of moderate means, upon the mechanic
and the worllingman, the merchant and the
salaried clerk. Hundreds Of even day lab
orers upon the streets have contributed
thousand fold more in proportion to their
means and the property they own than Mr..
Corcoran, who now is indebted to the city
in the sum of some fifteen thousand
dollars. 1t is about time, under
these circumstances. that We should
nave an end of all this ''buncombe' about
our leading citizens and public benc-
factors" and similar twaddle. Poor men
and their families are now suffering for the
aecessaries of life because these men will
not pay for the work which has almost
doubled their property in value, and given
:hem magnificent streets and rOadways.
over which TO drive their luxurious Car
riagcs. If they were unable to pay, no OBJ
,eciion would he made; but when they
have abundant means and decline to paw
their honest debts out of n spirit Of oppOsi-
ton TO the duly constituted authorities, and
when that refusal entails the severest dis
Tess upon the classes least able to bear it.
hey cannot complain when they are con-
demacd, as they deserve to be condemned.
It is not Mr.. Shepherd and the members of
Inc Board of Public Works whom Mr.. Cor
eoran Expresses when he declines to pay
iis assessments, but the poor laborers and
sradcsmen, who are compelled to do with
out what is justly due them for wages
honestly earned. No money of his has
been improperly expended. for the SIMPLE
season that he has moi paid any except a
mere mOiety of his Indebtedness. 5.-4.s
If he and the gentlemen who are with
aim had in the very beginning joined with
the present government, we should have a
Ear different condition of affairs to-day in
.he District. And when the District gov
eminent went into operation there was no
reason in the world why they should not
have so acted. But they showed their
secth at the very outset, and declared that
Washington should continue if they could
aelp it to be what the Post has described it
10 have been. But an opposition ticket
vas put in the field the first election, and
Injunction followed injunction; pack of
iisreputable strikers and loafers were set TO
,arking at every man connected with the
ocal administration. and the outside oppO-
.ition press was filled with the grossest
alumny of those who were placed at the
head of affairs. This policy which has
,ecn continued by these persons for the last
jwo years has been fatal to the best Interests
II the city, and done more to damage it in
public estimation than all other causes CON-
,ined. They have deprecated its Sc
ruritics and given its credit a blow
rom which it is to he feared it
will not soon recover. 1t doubtless
suited their purposes TO do so; but it GER
;ainly is not the part of patriotic citizens.
TO grant the investigation which is now
demanded in pursuit of the same general
ine of policy win In all probability produce
i, volume of one thousand pages. the same
Is year ago, and end in nothing. Mean.
lime, however, the purposes of these peo-
Die will have been achieved; property viii
be deprecated; the poor win suffer, sndour
bonds and securities win touch still lower
6rurc, and Thus enable the capitalist to prey
anon the poor man. Proof Of fraud and
corruption is said to exist. If ii does, why