Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-03-18


name and reputation OF their fellow-citlrens
without proper foundation.
one Of the MEMORIALS presented 90 Congress
family dlsregsrded pubic sentiment ami the
laws Of the United Ststes; had male contracts
With their fsmilisrs; that they had unlswruIly
lished; that they bad taken the property OF CIT
liens without making Just compensation; that
they bad levied taxes uneq ually and illegally;
that the said officers had permitted improve.
ment 20 be made, aud thereafter 20 be rlssiy
measured; that they hsd constructed NJ the ex-
Pense OF the District, roads 10 the suburban res
licences OF certain Of said officers; that they had
neghgently permitted large sums OF money he
longing 20 satd District % be deposited IN fay-
S s eni unssfe banking Institutions, and that
OF the District 20 greatly exceed the asgreeste
Indebtedness allowed by the laws; and maj TIE
said onieers had in many other respects man
sged the affairs OF said District negligently
cATelessiy, improvttently, UNI Justly and anlaw-
The second petitiOn recites that they are in
formed that there are other persons who are
ready 10 PreseEt 20 your honorable BODY nett
ton specifically charging serious ON isSioas of
duty on the part OF said officers an manar,ng
tie affairs q said District, and In the memsrtsS
subsequently presented by one Columbus Alex-
ander, II is stated distinctly that many OF the
charges in said last memorial contained, oply
came 10 the knowledge OF your petitioner since
said Investigation Was concluded.
Since the presentation OF these memorials
nearly two mosths have elALsed, giving A. We
When, in accordance with the resolution a. u
Tassed both houses of Congress, this committee
was appointed, you saw az 70 interrogAte tue
Governor - % the management Of the Affairs
OF the District, 10 which interrogat0rles he has
fully and explicitly answered; 80 fully aud -
explicitly, that even the memorislisu them
selves have not taken exception thereto.
Since the presentation OF this answer there
has elapsed a. least ten days. and yet the com
mtttee are advised Of no serious charges, save
the one presented by the counsel on Tuesday
~ "A al for
N the committee will examine II, they wall LAD
il vague and uncertain.
They charge that, on or about the 25th
day OF August, 1874, John %. Evans e
al. did unlaSfully consptTe and confeder-
ate together ID control, obtain, and secure GER
tain contracts, and the money % be pad there
on, which contracts had been by the BOARD of
Public Works Of the said ID istrict OF Columbia,
publicly advertised 20 he by them let aud
awarded on, t0-wit: the first day OF the month
OF September Of the said year, said contracts
being Tor the improvements OF certain de- gnAted
streets and avenues in the city of Washington,
in said District.
And your memoriaIists do further charge that
the raid Board II Public Works did sld aud as
sist John %. Evans aud his confederates atOre-
said, TO carry out and successfully accomplish
the purposes and objects OF their conspiracy
and confederation; ana did also let and award
large number OF the most profitable OF said con-
tracts 10 the said John Q. Evans, and his con-
federates aforesaid unlawtully and 90 the great
loss and a. jun OF the said District OF Columbia
IL will be observed upOn its face that II this
charge be true, II constitutes no ofiense, since
it canbot be considered unlawful for any gentle
man 20 enter into a confederation 20 do business
or 10 obtain contracts. AT best 10 woaId be ON
the part Of the persons named simply al at
tempt 10 do a lawful thing In an unlawful man
ner. And, 50 far a. the bOard IL concerned IL Ii
not even alleged that they did cOrruptly aid
them IN obtaining contracts. Nor II IL suggested
b. the charge whether the board aided aud as
sisted in the SAID conspiracy ~ a board, or
whether certain members OF the board 50 aided
and assisted.
10.
claim that the board in lite official capacity
corr uptly aided and assisted, that they should
30 say, or II they claim that certain individual
memb r. OF the board, corruptly aided and as
ISOLATED them they should 80 say, aud designate
the persOn OF persons who are alleged thus cor
ruptly to have aided and assisted. The com
mlttee Will bear In mind that with two eNcep-
tons, the present members OF the board were
not connected Herewith At the time spoken OF
in this charge, the exceptions being found in
the Governor Of tie District, who is eN Off 10
president OF the board, and Colonel Magruder,
the treasurer thereof. We cannot understand
how the Board OF Public Works can be charged
with coIrupty aiding and assisting IN the CIV
ing CT contracts, since persons who committed
the wrong ought 10 be charged therewith in
their natW al capacity, and not the board which
consists OF a constant succession OF various per
sons.
The board acts IN its official capacity in let
ting contracts, and II a contract Il let unIaw-
fully or CORFU thy, the innocent and dissenting
minority ought not 20 be amenable TO the
as are guilty OF the corruption should be held 20
answer. We, therefore, think that the me-
morialists should be required 20 state the per-
SOM m the board who they allege thus aided in
this alleged unlawful conspiracy. OF course a.
TO the degree OF precision with which memorial
lists viii be required 20 state the Offense, or
ofienses alleged, rests in the sound discretion
of the committee, but we submit that before we
be put upon trial for oienses which are highly
penal, we shall be advised fully and amply OF
their nature and character.
No Judge in the world would comnel a man
10 plead 60 so vague and unsubstaDtial a charge
As the one submitted; and il never was heard
that man should be asked 20 respond 90 that
OF which he is not fully and fairly advised.
This c. mmittee might as well bndf0ld Us,
and then put our backs 20 your walls and bad
us beat and buffet the surrounding and impal-
pablo air, as 70 answer TO this paper. We also
think, if the committee pleases, that these
charges, when made, should be endorsed bv
some responsible person or persons. ~ is not
known 10 us, or TO this committee, who OF these
memorialists counsel on the other side repre-
sent-whether they represent all, or, IL not all,
who Of the memorialists? While IL is known 90
us at least that some Of the sgners TO the me-
mortal desire IL considered thai they are not re-
sponsible for the charge thar has been placed
before the committee. Fairly, no charge ought
10 be entertained for a moment without the
subscription at least, IL not the oath, OF the per-
son making IL.
Men ought not to be put to the expense, NOR
titcation and trouble OF defending themsel YES
from the base ISLANDERS that float abroad, aud
the vague, nebulOus rum0rs which may prevail
in a community, merely because some one
whose perverted mind inclines that way, shall
step into the gutter Of calumny, and having
soIled himself, seek TO bespatter far reputation
and assail honest men. IL there IL TO be any
charge made by any gentleman, let him come
up like man and make his charge, subscribe
thereto, and prove IL II he can; but let him MT
hide himself behind the skirts OF compensated
counsel, and spit out his venom through an
attorney.
While il is true that this is not a criminal
proceeding, vet IL has all the characteristics of
one. These gentlemen arraigned in the
midst OF a community where they have spent
their lives, and over whose affairs they have
presided, for offences which, IL true, would con-
sign them to prison, and hereafter render them
incapable Of holding any office of honor or
trust within this District. In any case wherein
a man stands charged before a court with a
serious offense, the constitution OF tue country
requires that the accused shall be informed OF
the nature and cause OF the accusations and we
submit IL TO this committee whether IL II not
fair that when gentlemen are arraigned for
highly penal ofienses they should not be fully
and fairly informed of the nature AID cause OF
the accusation; not part of the charge alone,
but that they shall be required 10 formulate aud
10 state their whole case. IL never was heard
OF that any man, upon any charge should be re-
FraNs