The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-07-10
cable and Eloquent"

The more we study the remarks of our
able and eloquent friend, Senator Vest, the
other day, the deeper becomes the mystery
into which we are plunged. We said that
private corporation or association of re
sponsible persons had offered to reclaim the
fats for the land that would result from
reclamation, but that the Government had
thus far insisted that it wanted that land
for park and would neither make the i'm
provement itself nor let anybody else make
it.
Thereupon our able aud eloquent friend
assumed that we had intimated q relation
of cause and effect between the existence of
the private association and the failure of
the Government to act which assumed
intimation he denounced with far more
vigor than Tertinency. In the course of
his remarks, Senator Vest said that he hal
never heard of the offer of private persons
to reclaim the flats for the land. In order
to dispose of this doubt summarily, we will
refer our able and eloquent friend to his
colleague, Senator German, whose dis.
tinguished constituent, the Hon. Mike
Bannon, was at the head of the association
making the offer.
But we expressly disclaim the purpose to
reflect upon the select COMMITTEES or upon
any member Of it, which Senator Vest evil
IDENTIFY imputes to us. We cannot permit
even SO old and SO valued friend as the
able and eloquent Senator is to impute to us
design to reflect upon the motives of Sem
ator Ransom, the chairman of that commit
tee or upon the motives of any other mem.
ber of it. we mentioned the fact that q
company had made the Offer etc, simply to
enforce our criticism upon the dilatory pol
icy Of the Government, not with the least
intention of intimating that the company
had influenced the non, action of the com.
mittee. On the contrary, it was and is a
matter of indifference to us whether the
Government or the company does the work
and gets the land, 50 that the flats are 70.
claimed from their present pestiential
state.
What the people Of Washington ant
Georgetown want is the reclamation of th
flats and the confinement of the channel t,
permanent limits by sea-wall, in tn
joint interests of the public health and o
navigation. This being the nam point dc
sired, it is a matter of comparative uncon
cern to the people of the District, whethe
the work itself be done under public aus
pices or private, so that it is efiectual.
The fact that the Senate has adopted tn
Flats Reclamation bill as an amendment :
the River and Harbor bill indicates tina
the Government will take the matter il
hand, which is we'll. Let it go at that.
Now, passing to another branch of th
subject, it affords us pleasure to be able t
concur with our able and eloquent frien
in his general expression of sentimer
touching the consequence of newspaper
He doesn't care much about them. W
don't either. If he will search our flt
Senator Vest will discover expressions {
contempt for the opinion Of the averae
American newspaper which it would b
difficult for him to excel as to strength
whatever he might do as to grace of die
tion. They are bad lot, and his indifie
enee to them evinees sound judgment an
praisewortby Independence of spirit. BI
he should be careful TO avoid confoundin
the wheat with the chat.
He should not denouuce The CRITI