National Republican., 1874-06-03
CONFERENCE.-THE TT0Ns COR
.. .-. ...- REUTED

The Alto CaIifornia is, 30 far as we have
been able to Judge. generally fair and
honest paper. A recent article in Its col
umns, however, does gross injustice not
only to the city of Washington, the govern
ment ofthe city, but to a number Of Congress
men, and to Senator Stewart of Nevada, In
particular. Under the heading Of ''Shrewd
Legislation" it declares that It was shrewd
movement on the part of members of Con-
gress and their friends and allies to pass
an act giving territorial form of govern
ment to the District Of Columbia. "The
government made the most of its oppor-
''tunities, made good streets and other i'm
''provements at an immense cost, running
''up the debt to some twenty two millions
'fof dollars. This was very well provided
cit was honest for the city needed the i'm
'fprovements exceedingly. But mean
"while members of Congress purchased
property outside of the highly improved
portions of the city, built thereon palatial
residences, and through the liberal and &C.
'fcommodating government of Washington
'fcity and District had the streets leading 10
'and by their residences put in fine order,
'tand no matter at what expense. Of these
"shrewd and lucky, and perhaps not over
'fscrupulous members, people insist upon
naming Senator Stewart, of Nevada," &C
We do not charge that our San Francisco
cotemporary deliberately invented this base
less and utterly unfounded story of malice
aforethought. 1t simply took the state
ments of the so-called independent press as
the actual facts and accepted its malicious
ISLANDERS as the truth. Our readers in this
community will see at glance how utterly
untrue is every line in the quotation we
have given. First of all, the debt of the
District Is not twenty-five millions of dol
lars. Second, no "palatial residences have
been built by members of Congress" on
property outside or inside the city limits |
Third, 'The streets leading to and by the |
ssid residences" have not been put In order
at the expense Of the city or the General
Government. To go into details, the only |
residence anything like "palstial" which
has been erected belongs to Senator Stewart,
and the record shows that the ground upon
which it stands was purchased subsequent
to the improvements made upon the streets
leading to and surrounding 1t. Again, the
residences of Congressman in Its immediate
vicinity belong to Senator Morrill,, of Yer
mont, Senator Edmunds and Senator Bayard.
So far from an improvement, Mr.. Edmunds
claims that the work of the Board of Public
Works has been a detriment rather than o
benefit to his property. Senator Bayard,
his next door neighbor, places himself
we believe, in the same category. We
;annot with certainty say what Senator
Morrill, thinks. From this plain and simple
statement Of facts, the Alto California will
zee what an injustice it, unintentionally,
we trust, has done to a number of gentle
men connected with the general and the
ocal government. The section of the city
in which Senator Stewart has built is one
Of the most beautiful in the city, and the
erection of his residence there has increased
he valuation of the property of large
number of small property holders ali
around him. Instead of being set down in
"AueIAesSI LHlPIOfeu Is lAe OPpOSluou
prints would have the country believe,
5or his special benefit, his home is
not more than twenty minutes walk
from the Executive Mansion and the
very heart Of the city. The effect of state
nents like these We have corrected is sim
ply to injure the District and create preju-
lice against it throughout the length and
breadth of the land.