Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-03-02
An Empty PiIIory,


The time lie al hand TO hold men 20 account
who publish such paragraphs AZ the following
which we take from the New York Tribuss OF
THURSDAY:
=" IL is reported, on what appears to be good
authority, that the Washington Board of Public
Works are engaged in manufacturing contracts
TO cover large portion OF their recent expendl-
lures which are alleged TO have been made with
out any formal contracts. The investIgatine
committee having called for all the contracts
made by the board for street Improvements, IL Is
OF course necessary that something shall be pro-
duced TO show that the millions Of dollars spent
by the board have been paid out under forms of
.Rw. IL the committee had called for the imme-
late production OF the contracts, the ring would
have been greatly embarrassed
What authority have two or three persons
without property or record, or anything stable
70 be their Endorsement, to begin a telegraph
dispatch with as many inuendoes AZ the above
First, they say sit is reported How? Bva
liar? BY raducer OF the virtue of women
BY some one OF the many fOOtpsds who 20 up
aud down the Avenue constituting their inndeii-
ties into facts2
Again, sit is reported upon what appears 20
be good authority Appears TO whom? Why
thority?" Why not authority, and such au-
thOTlty NJ man would risk his reputation
upon? But what is reported upon what appears
to be good authority? That the Board OF Pub
lie Works are manufacturing contractsD The
Board Of Public Works r. composed Of inst five
persons-Messrs Shepherd, willard, Msgrader,
capable OF committing forgery, or, what Is the
same thing, contriving a case with the sigma
tuTe attached the proof Of the preparation Of
which would send any one of the i've 20 the
penitentiary? Is Governor Shepherd the man.
De has built about one Thousand houses IN this
District in the past eight years. and his annual
who meet him from day to day want their eyes
opened.
Is Henry A. Willard engaged in preparing
contracts-a man who has resided In this Dis
q N At.
property is probably worth more than the whole
New York Tribune, throwing In much of the
chsI seter which used TO conduct ii?
Is IL James "A, Msgruder the man, whose ances
oors were the nrst settlers Of this region when IL
was still wilderness?
lie Adolf Cluss the man engaged in manurae-
tuiihs conuacUs person twenty years resi-
dem : fhe city, and all the time in productive
official work?
Perhaps John b. Blake IL the 'orger, whose
father was the mayor OF Washington NJ uly hall
acentury ago, and the purity OF whose a. NC
vagIant hss heretofore questioned? Such men,
useful In their day and generation, solid in their
attachments, substantial in their prosperity, and
positive IN their character, are engaged in
manufacturing contracts" It is news 70 the
people OF Washington.
Again, the above five men are manufacturing
these contracts Ito cover large portion of their
recent expenditures which are alleged 70 have
been made Alleged by whom? Let the slam
derer who alleged Il get the same fare from the
newspaper man as the slandered. would N he
possible In any other than the newspaper pro-
fesston 10 accuse five substantial men OF forgery
on what is reported by what appears to be an
thority which alleges? And yet, the Young men
who send such dispatches have wives and chill
oreh, perhaps, and may some day ind how easy
II is TO be DETAINED before the world
AT this point the BOhemisns OF the Tribune
crop what IL reported on what appears % be
good authority which alleges, and give their
thst something shall be produced" they saw
ne this manly, chivslrOus imputation TO come
from young man with college diploma? Does
TO Gen. Garfield during the credit niObilier ne
EQUATIONS? Can he wb0se life has been LIVED IN
glass and mud house expect 10 60 on with
such shallow ISLANDERS and not probe 20 the
bottom his own self development?
Finally, this paragraph, disgraceful 20 Jour
nalism and Journalists, says that "if the COM
OF all contracts, the ring would have been
greatly embarrassed"
what i The ing? The above eve gentlemen
putting an imputstion in such slang. The Board
OF Public Works is q ring like the governmept
of the United Ststes-constitutionsi, legal and
these ave gentlemen have been embsrssseSs
any more than II the juvenile TLibun< rims hsd
been suddenly called upon for . technical &C
above put on the wires by themsslyes' snre
pose they had been called upon 10 acooupt fer
q treaty nlched from its owners, or, Indeed. a
The e snsy a e sSs .ny q
!pmpia have right TO encouragement when
tney see such slush a. the above printed on the
eve on the production Of the case Of the Board
OF fublc works. In two weeks our authorities
have responded 20 IN unceremonious call FOR
more manuscript m ter in form than the whole
IftcEne force has prepared I'm the same tine.
Nothing can be said 20 meet their statement but
that they have spent this time In such yolumin-
GUS forgery that IL must contradict ttseif before
the committee.
IL il improbable that large and rich coumu-
nifty Ike the city Of Washington viii permit
such ecouIdrelly and c0wsrdly things @ the
above TO reach their countrymen without show
ing up the eraceless hirelings who send them
Oh. In our best citizens are forecrs and manu-
facfurers Of contracts, they must Be MADE %
get down, or to summon before some authority
their nbelers.
The New York 7'ieune, under whitslav Reid,
e the New York Sus's attachment and the
Ssn win drive Il out OF the field IL hes chosen.-
Ssnday Herald.
@Dr: ksneally, council for the Tichbope
claimant VII move . new iAl on the ground
nat me jury were misdirected By the ch{of Inc
nce IN na summing mp.
!. - party Of college studentz uaos m, s,c-
ne rank o. fa1e, Harvard and Amhsrr. 70
Poee 70 eef out NEXT July TO ar0usA it, fhrprSh
M ~