National Republican., 1883-10-02
SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT.
Views OF Mr.. Solomon j. Faguc-Hc Is
EmphnticnIiy I'm Favor OF IL.

SUFFRAGE IN TIE DISTRICT.
Views OF Mr.. Solomon y. Faguc-Hc ts
ImphnticnIiy I'm Favor Of IL.
A REPUBLICAN reporter met hr. Solomon
]. Fague. who is one of the old residents of
the district, and intcrrogatod him as TO his
views about suffrage in the district.
81 nm and always have been in favor of
universal suffrage" said Mr. Faguc, and
cannot SEQ why our fellow citizens, or any of
them, desire to deprive themselves of hertz
age left us by our forefathcrs. Their note
worthy struggle was brought about for tho
reason that George III taxed them without
giving them representation, and one of tho
fundamental principles upon which our gov
crnmont is founded is that there shall bo no
taxation without representation. l, for one,
do not wish to he deprived of my right to
vote. If /. rs citizen, do not feel sufficient
interest in the conduct of our city affairs to
attend primaries, then | ought TO suffer for
whatever may beiall me. This is an inherent
right which claim and which any member
of congress would not dare refuse TO give me
in his own home. If not there, why here? :?
But, say some, the colored man votes, and he
is transported from Virginia and Maryland
Then provide ample punishment for the of
fanso and throw safeguards around the fran
chiSe which will protect every citizen who
has legal right to vote.
"The colored man has been clothed with a
vote, aud by proper treatment will vote as
others, either republican or democratic, rs
his interests may suggest"
"But what kind of government would
you havcY
81 would go back to the old form--mayor
and city coumcil--so that when | had business
to transact | would not meet the cold auto
cratic face of n stranger nor tho more lordly
OvCrbearnE manner of n West Point graduate,
with has tyranncal ideas and theoretical
plans but friends with whom / was familiar,
and who could be approached without giving
insult either in manner or act.
To-day the two civil commissioners no
more rule this district than does some Euro
pean prince. The engineer commissioner
and his subordinate engineers lay down all
plans submit them to the commissioners,
and thoy become the essence of law. Why?
Because the engineer commissioner binds one
or the other commissioner to him because of
Il vote he holds in the board which makes one
or the other president. Thus, o captain at
the foot, another in the middle, and major
OH top, inferior officers run tho district with
out practical knowledge, but upon theoretical
plans"
But the engineer commissioner and his
assistants do the work of improvements
well p
Now, what has been done by the engineers
of this district that is new? A sewer has
been built but not of sufficient size, from
Ninth street down New York avenue to the
river and dipped into it, which has already
proven exactly what was prophesied by every
practical man of Washington. Nothing but
gases throughout the land, spreading disease
and death along its line aud around its bor-
ders, and in floods throwing its filth over the
surface, and then these army engineers blame
tho plumber and mechanic instead of the
worthless plans made by them. If this is
called West Point education and engineering,
then, say, from such Good Lord deliver us.
I'VE have an inspector of buildings, and
yet he is subordinate in his position, and, al
though having an experience of nearly half
a century in his business, is the subordinate
of Il captain that | do not believe knows
to-day what a balloon frame means in the
familiar use of the term by mechanics.
"Why should this be? If we have an in
spoctor let us have laws by which we shall
be governed, and not by the whimsicl order
given to-day and changed tomorrow, rs in
| the case of the "tree box ORDER" by these
men, who have no other education that the
books of West Point. Every man who has
had experience knows that in order to be
| tradcsman u must must commence and go III
until he masters his business, whatever il
| may be; but now a man emerges from sChoO
to be master of art builder, mechanic and
every conceivable thing. The acts Of
tho engineer department of the dis
trict government have never yet had
an investigation. Even in the revision
of special improvement assessment measure
ments have never been made to test the truth
of their statements. Had this been done some
brass-huttOned gentlemen would not now be
occupying high places in the department
'Tho water works is another dragging mat
ter which, had it been put in hands of practi-
cal men, would-like the bridge II prominent
general ordered built in the late wnr--havC
been finished before the drawings were out Of
the engineers hands.
81 am therefor in favor of n practical civi
engineer, and the sending of these highly edu
Gated gentlemen to where they were intended
to build forts and plan barricades to protec
tho army" from the attacking Indians. 1t i
a fit place for them. They can then put OF
as many French airs as may bo convenient"
| United States Naval Institute Report.
The ninth volume of the proceedings of the
United States Naval institute has just beer
issued. 1t is published quarterly by the in
stitute at Annapolis, and contains an article
on "Our New Cruisers by Assistant Nava
Constructor +. L. BOwles, who acted as as
sistant secretary to the naval advisory board
Tho :" Lines" of the new and beautiful stee
steam cruisers are those Of Chief Constructor
7. d. Wilson, Of the bureau of construction
and repairs. The designs were prepared by
! this bureau under his direction, and sub
mitted to tho naval advisory board before
adoption. Tho latter made but few unim.
portant changes. Fourteen plates of tho
cruisers accompany the article.