Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-01
An Open Letter to the Commissioner
OF the District Of Columbia.

GENTLEMEN: We congratulate ourselves In living
under republican form OF government, and have
guaranteed to US, under the Constitution, the in
alienable right to ''ife. property and the pursuit
OF happiness" We further congratulate ourselves
In being governed by honorable Commissioners,
who. by their personal integrity of character no
less than their oath of Office may be presumed to
exercise authority without favor or Partially,
knowing no north, no south, no east and no west
but actuated solely by those lofty principles Of
exact justice, which shall secure equal rights to
every section OF our beautiful and growing city.
We are unwilling, moreover, to add to the bur-
dens OF your Office by any captious or unreason-
able anmadversiOns OF the administration of the
such burdens, and rs good citizens, cooperate
With you In your Efforts to make OF Washington
model city and develop its latent resources.
We feel proud OF the many improvements al
ready made. and share in the general belief that
the future Is bright with promise OF still greater
teliigence and refinement For these and other
reasons we feel impeled to protest, earnestly and
positively, against gigantic wrong contemplated
upon the whole city, but especially upon us re-
siding In this portion OF it. mean the bin, ac-
cordng to the provisions of which the greater part
OF south washington is virtually put at the dis
posal Of the Baltimore q Potomac railroad com
pany, for the use OF their tracks and depots. or
course we cannot suppose for moment that you
had any hand In framing such an outrage:
although the hand OF the railroad company Is as
manifest as though we saw them engaged In the
act Possibly you are impressed as We are and
II interrogated on the subject. would Indignantly
disclaim even the suspicion of counte-
nancing, much less abetting, so ubiquitous
scheme. II so, we again congratu.
late ourselves, and would intensity our pro-
test against the proposed outrage Certainly the
railroad company must be blinded by the pro-
verbal greed OF monopoly, or emboIdened by the
patient fOrbearance OF our people for the last ten
years to think they will quietly consent to
an arrangement which would depreciate the
value OF their property, render understandable their
houses, destroy their business and subject them
to danger by day and discomfort by night
We make prominent the railroad COMPANY for
although proposed by the Senate committee OF the
District, almost blind man can see that it must
nave emanated from IT, Is framed altogether In its
interest and proceeds entirely upon the mistaken
assumption that our citizens have no rights which
they are bound to respect We are no obstruction
lists We are not tnimtcal to the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad. We welcome 1t to our city, and
even TO our part OF the city, and we will continue
10 rejoice In It's growing prosperity. But we an
peal 70 you, honorable Commissioners, as we al =
peal to our national legislators. by a sense Of
belongs to the humblest Individual not to infiict
upon community, embracing q population of
iU,UO INHABITANTS wrong, which, II permitted
would destroy their vested rights, drive them from
their homes and cripple, II not compel them to
abandon. their business. And all this when there
are acres OF vacant ground so well adapted for
depot purposes, and which, II 80 occupied, instead
Of tnjuring would positively improve the city en-
nance the value OF property and thereby increase
the pubic revenues Yours truly,
SOUTH WASHINGTON.