The Evening critic., 1882-05-09
The TIat-FiiIers Defeated.

razor STAR.
Another District day having passed in tho
House without bringing up the flathlling bill,
admits Its total defeat. But in case It did
come up you published on Saturday an elabo-
rate editorial In favor OF the swindle, In which
you say: "The recommendations Of the Engi-
neer Commission seem to supply all the data
needed for intelligent legislation, and II the
plan made after such thorough study OF the
subject, and by engineer officers of such
standing as Generals Wright, Gilmore and the
others Is not safe and practical one It is
Piled. In fact the draw back to the adoption Of
the plan is that It is so entirely honest
and and siraightforward a,S,n in Its purposes i
not not in s the interest @ Of any rEDOf y the nI iand
grabbers. 1t proposes to have the work
done under Government control, and that
every foot OF the ground reclaimed shall be
the property of the Government The meas
nre, therefore, naturally has the active hos
tility OF the land-grabhers who want to get
possession Of the river front; of the tramp en-
gineers who want to get a job,i and see no
chance to do so II the work is done under Gov
ernment control; and 1t is further antogonized
by the 1obbers who work upon principle
against any project that does not give them a
divide and by the subsidy schemers who
object to any diversion of the appropriations
from their own channels"
There was perhaps never printed in as many
lines as many falsehoods as in the above. The
fact is, that this plan to MI the flats was first
proposed twelve years ago by Shepherd, the
greatest OF all 1obbers, and was not originally
an engineers plan, and you know 1t. Never
iheltsh, inc army Engineers controlling tne
work in this city finally adopted 1t, after Boss
Shepherd had actually nlled In a portion of
the upper flats, which Colonel Albert followed
out by dumping for ten years the mud dredged
from the virginia channel ON the flats, which
had caused the malaria IN the city, ana now
General Wright has for several months
been nlling up the flats below the bridge,
for all OF which there was no authority
from Congress, but an attempt to fore
stall the action of Congress by beginning
the job, for which act the Army en-
gineers ought to be removed from the city.
In the next place you say that II has nothing
for the " lobby or "land-grabbers, or the
"tramp engineers who oppose the Job. on
| the contrary, the bill presented by Mr.. Neal
| had only one page devoted 10 the work, while
Ave pages provided for paying the claimants
| The bill is a huge job, and was unquestlon
| ably written by the attorneys OF the claimants,
| including the Kidwell claim TO he paid out OF
| the S1,000,0O0 appropriated in the bill, which
| they doubtless Intended 10 gObble up. But II
| Is defeated, and that Is enough. No plan can
pass Congress but to remove the flats upon my
plan, with no claimants TO pay,
IL Is great pity that the President is not
| well acquainted with the fat-nlling ring, fol
II he was, doubtless the District Commission
ers and Engineers, who are pushing Tho
swindle, would be Immediately removed, ant
men OF Intelligence and integrity, In whom
congress has confidence, be appointed In theil
| places. A. WATSON.