National Republican., 1884-04-01
FROM THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Klinge Pays His Respects to the Com
misSiOnerS Once More
He Fortifies the Position Taken by
the Citizens Committee,
Delegate Gaines Trade Made Text for a Letter
on District Suffrage
An Interesting Communication Touching
che Propaganda Properly.
10 inc Editor.

To TIC Editor.
Resuming tho review of the exhibits Nos
3, 4, and at the point where it closed in THE
REPUBLICAN, of March 20. In the interview
of March 25 Capt. Greene is reported to havo
said: "A false impression might (may) be
created in the minds of persons who had not
(do not havoc a thorough acquaintance with
the methods of the district government and
the published reports As "the methods Of
tho district government are profound
secret to tho uninitiated, any statement
whatevor according to tho first branch of
this apothegm, will create "a false impress
sion. The second part of this utterance is
Delpho in its character, and conveys no
meaning to the finite understanding. Taken
as a whole, the remark may DO held to mean
that the reports are comprehensive to the
initiated alone. If this be a fair interprcta.
tion of the language ascribed to Capt. Greene,
he has said more in chsracterizing the
officials with whom ho is in contact
than the memorial has ventured
to suggest. If it be true that
it is necessary. in order to arrive at fair
impression, to have Thorough acquaint-
ance' with both the methods and the reports
we cannot understand the one unless we have
"thorough acquaintance" with tho other
The methods are secret. The reports" do
not give tho true impression" unless the
methods are understood. Tho methods"
are things which no fellow can find out
There seems to be great number OF them
AS birds of n feather they must go in flock.
But Capt. Greene is made to say they must
all be captured in their modest retreat before
we can touch tho reports. The memorial is
based on the reports. These reports arc
Executive documents" transmitted to con-
gress by tho president of the United States
They are not to be falsitied. Each particular
matter in the memorial is stated with
reference to the page of the report to which
1t may belong.
One of the averments of the memorial is to
the effect that no statement of the receipts
and expenditures on account of the improve
ment fund from July /, 1871, to July /, 1876,
is to be found in these reports, but that by
bringing together the various items of re-
ceipts and expenditures, as stated in the
reports q summary has been made and an
account has boen stated, which makes the
showing as follows:
To be accounted for. S22i2S,502 II
By Improvements made. ............. 190G9,02l 50
To balance. Observation-Disclosures. sS3sS,5sO 2S
In Elk. Doc. l, part &, H. r., d7th cong, 1st
session, being report of the commissioners for
the year 1881, it is said, at page POS, There
has been presented to congress, with each an-
nual report of the commissioners since 1873
an approximate statement of the account of
the United States with the special improve
ment tax" The revisions having been COM
pleted it is found that the amount chargeable
to
The United States is ............... s3,32i,707 90
Credit by appropriations ........... 3,o22,9Sd Is
Balance to credit of United States. l0S,22S 10
This balance is the only balance stated in
the reports in account with any part of the
Improvement fund. 1t is q bald statement
without items. .-..
From a nm nn1a N Npyan, har
1881, before the appearance Of the report the
following is transcribed:
Improvements charged to the United States:
Work done by board of public works
(rep 70, 428J ........:.. sS,16i 0S
works deter February, 1851, 5D.... 1851 "A
Total for United States by board
public works. s....:........... sl,2is,2l5 96
Work for United States by commissioners:
;seport 1879, 424. ........ sl.l3Sl lo2 sc
Less (page i23) ............ S3l6i 03
Total as per report,
letter February 1881, III. 1883 90
Total by commission
ers for United States. ,..,........ 1,S30,5 SO
Miscellaneous work (reDort, 1879, 3G5. 2i59 50
Total improvements charged to
United States. 3,32i707 90
BY various appropriations made:
BY congress (report 1879 page 365.... 3522 03s 0s
oyerpayment by United states........ Slgs ,22S 10
Balance due, as per memorandum. Sl0S, ,2as 10
Balance due, as per report 1851, 2OS.. 1882 10
Perhaps Capt Greene may be disposed to
think this may create a false impression"
If so, he is at full liberty to express that
opinion to Capt r. l.. HoXie. The report for
the year 1881, from which the question is
made, being signed at page 2lS, Il. i. Hoxie,
lieutenant engineers, United States army.
An illustration ofthe violent contradictions
in these reports, comparison with the report
made by (then) Lieut. Hoxio in 1879 may be
interesting to psychologists. At page 3G5 of
the report for 1879 report of William Oscar
Roome to Lieut.. II. l.. Hoxie), it is said This
will mako the total deficit of the United
States on account of the work of improve
ment since 1871, approximately, $1,0i0,-
l51 54."
This was reduced Us follows: ,. ..
Charged 10 United states not revised
rep 70, S62l sl,Os5,226 10
vision Qetter Isl, 2l ............... s2l, ,265 6i
Amount of reduction ................ S2G3 O6D az
Claimed as due by United States TO
,, District Of Columbia Jun .::.;,...,,, 776l9l OS
Item charged 1879. page SG5, but not
charged at page POS, report ISL, 974iI0 81
Due by District of Columbia to the
unlleu SlnleS',,.s l9S,29S 10
If this were merely an error which NAV
have crept in by putting the item of $97i,
41D.21 on the wrong side of the account
though rather large mistake, it might pass
as a clerical error. But an attempt was act
ually made by the chairman of the District of
Columbia committee in tho house of repre-
scntatives TO amend the appropriation bill.
The amendment Of Sl,000,OOO for this item
was ruled out on point OF order. 1t NAV bo
seen from this digresson that notwithstand.
ing the snoer of Captain Green some of the
methods of the district government" do
creep into the view of tho multitude, and
that the "reports" arc not altogether caviare
to the vulgar,
MARCH 30, 1884 j. +. KLINuLE,
a VAIL FOR FREEDOM.
10 ne EdH0y.
read The REPUBLICAN, this morning as
Usual. and among other things Delegate
,aipe's protest or TRADE, whichever you
l--.-- 4 /. l.... 4