The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-09
Cost of the Washington Ring.

Cost of the Washington Ring.
The truth in regard to the cost OF the
so-called improvements nt Washington Il
gradually leaking ont in an official form.
When Boss SHEPHERD and his confeder-
atcs appeared before the investigating
committee thcy did not hesitate TO swear
that the negr, gate outlay would not ex-
ceed fifteen millions OF dollars, and they
produced figures cooked for the occasion
To support that false statement.
Now. however II il no longer possible TO
continue these lies with any hope of sue
cess; and rs the intention is TO throw the
burden mainly on the Treasury, the Ring
has an interest in augmonting rather than
I'm diminishing the forms OF Indictment.
The employees whom the Boss appointed.
and who made up the fraudulent accounts,
are stll in onicc and quite ready to repeat
the receptions in another way and TO
serve different object.
There are certain facts relating TO the
actual debts, to the outstanding ohli-
cations, TO appropriations voted by Con-
gress, aud to arbiirry assessments on
property, which cannot be suppressed or
denied and which aggregate an enormous
sum OF money. These items together show
the extent Of Ring operations, and when
analvzed furnish some idea OF the steaings
of that crew OF plundercts who in
audacity and rascality far exceeded TWEED
aud his associates.
The District of Columbia is now gov
erned by three Commissioners. who are
practically nothing but the tools of the
old Ring and the agents OF Boss SHEP-
HERD. 1t is positively known that WIN.
DENNIsoN was appointed at the solicita-
ton of Henry d. COOKE, and J. II.
KErcHAM at the instance Of SHEPHERD
after he himself had been rejected by the
Senate. The third man, :. L. PHELPS, was
chosen by the President and is in liar
mony with the others Their whole admin
istration is run by the old corrupt officials,
and the very engineers and surveyors who
were convicted of making the false mea-
suremcnts are to-day filling the places
which they perverted to SHEPHERDS profit.
The report of this commss on gives the
following data, among IA confusing mass OF
nglres intended to mislead the public and
TO hide the exact condition of the District;
LLtttcst i~0''" q"
Total. y4o.olO ~
This mass Of debt Is admitted formally,
bur it does not 10y any means represent the
cost of the Ring improvements" some
elements OF which are not ut all referred
to by these Commissioners, and which may
be thus summed up:
Asg,f i ns',.f'. 's ia.as5G g g
Dcf cent tcy.tiu Is, 4sH 9o' 90
Asccr' 'rcd co'' .... ......... s-9.5si,.i5 Us
$3.50. .llls, ur Gov.rlu.ut and
o,n,s wora es'i A,el a, ,4.t......--. e.cooo'o 90
Cost Of the r. taus flr. .......... 1885 eib os
These estimates are moderate, and fail
below the rolity, because the rotten
wood and concrete pnyemonts are continu-
| ally falling aud must be repaired on
rclail. For these thirty-two millions of
| dollars there Is nothing to show bur streets
! without any uniformity or scientific plan
| OF grades; costly sewers that fan in with
every heavy rain tail; bridges without
solid foundations; pavcmcnts that in two
aud three years of service are already
worn out, ana are even denounced 10y tho
Ring Board OF Health; and the large pos
e.slons of Boss SHEPHERD ana his accom-
pl!ces in and ont of Office.
Like the Whiskey Ring, the Indian Ring
the NnVy Ring, the Straw-bid Ring, the
Military Ring, aud other corrupt combina-
tion-, the Washington Ring was upheld by
the President and his Administration, and
to-day Boss SHEPHERD is the head Of thu
81. 4
pho,ty in these frauds was long ago known
but that fact in no way weakened his in
nuenCy or impaired his standing, until Tho
exposures in II. Louis OF his connection
with other vilaiuy made it impoltic t,
shield him longer Now that the House o
Representatives is organized, the time ha
come for turning this corruption inside
out.