Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-20

In the House yesterday afternoon, Mr. KaSson,
from the committee having the subject In charge,
moved 10 suspend the rules and pass the bill
RENTING certain taxes due by Eliza n. Patterson,
widow of Carlisle p. Patterson. The bill contem-
plates the remission OF taxes to an amount In the
neighborhoOd Of SO 900, On property located in
the District of Columbia, worth at least $150,OOO.
The passage OF the bill was warmly advocated
by Mr. kassOn and Mr.. Robson, but the motion
TO su pend the rules WIS lOSt-yeaS 1884, nays SO,
not the necessary two-thirds in the affirm alive.
It Is strange that bin of this character should
have any standing in Congress. 1t is virtually
q propo-itson to make the District taxpayers
generally, many OF them comparatively poor men
and women, pay $4,000 OF a private debt In
addition TO their own burden OF tax. Congress
made great blurder and perpetrated q great
wrong upon the District taxpayers by passing,
Through Mr.. Conklngs active I0bbying) q SIM
far bill relieving Mrs. Kate Chase Sprague from
large amount OF taxes In arrears This bad
precedent Is likely to be followed by continuous
Efforts to relieve people prominent In social life
from the burdens OF taxation Messrs. Robson
and is>on, VINO labored so industriouSly to get
this bill through, have no E.ore right to require
the other taxpayers OF the District to shoulder
Mrs Patterson's taxes by act OF Congress than
they have TO put their hands Individually into
the pockets or the said taxpayers and abstract
that amount OF money.
The record of robberte5 by Parker made public
In The STAR Of Saturday, together with the state
ment OF McGiIl, extracts from which will be
found In another part OF to-days paper, diScloses
most extraoriIn Try and disgraceful state OF
things existing in this city We doubt whether
any other place in the country can show so thor
ouSh and compact an organization for criminal
pu poses as W IShin ytOn has been cursed with for
a number OF years past, and OF which tangible
evidences are now coming to the surface every
"A
that all forms or robbery could not be SO long and
so succ ISL lly carried on without at least the
tac1t PERMISSION OF some person or persons in au-
tnority. or representing those In authority; but
nobody, We presume, supposed for a moment that
there WAS perfect understanding and complete
AMI active cooperation between thieves, mi idle
men AMI members or the police for the systematic
AMI constant spOliatiOn of the public. or course,
everybody understands that the statements of
these criminals cannot be accepted conclusive
testimony. They are. however, not to be rejected
On that account. They bear on their face the full
est CIV q nee Of then truth, and they can be and
ara abandantly corrobortJed by the knowledge
and experience OF Others, AMI In nearly every
oy the victims In the several Instances cited. They
are important because they throw flood OF much
needed light on the general subject of crime In
washington, and point out the way to procure evil
dence which cannot be dlSCredited In the courts.
This step must naturally follow, and II it does not
Hhaiiy result IN landing IN the penitantiary a
dozen or 20 or the gentry implicated the public
VIII have abundant cause for surprise as well as
regret.
For inaugurating the movement which brought
about these disclosures The STAR takes no little
credit 10 Itself 1t was the first to long ago point
Out the existence or this corruption, and it so fire.
quehtiy and strenuously urged such action as
would bring about a reform that public sentiment
on the subject finally crystaised in the organiza-
Zion known as the citizens committee That body
TOOK the matter up, and has since pursued 1t with
acourage and persistence rarely equalled In the
face oil threats and opposition Of the most danger
Gus Character its officers and active M mbers have
moved steadily forward satisfied there was need
fortheir laoors as well as prospects, of success until
at last the fruits OF their energy and pluck are
beginning to be realized To these patriotic few
the community owes debt which 1t will never be
able TO repay Fortunately, however, their action
In this liter Is Included in the category Of good
deeds which are their own reward.