National Republican., 1884-04-07
FROM THE PEOPLE.
An And-SuffragSt Has Word 10 Say on
That Side
Another Letter From Capt. Walker on
the Reservoir system.
ToMs Efitoy.

The official acts Of the executive officers
Of every form or branch of govern.
ment in this country, whether munic-
ipal, state, or national, have been so
long the object Of public criticism that tho
courts, yielding to tho progress of the age,
have held that the public press is not only
privileged, but that it is duty it owes to
the public as u conservator Of the liberties
Of the people to criticso the official acts of
the people. This right, no doubt, our
commissioners recognize in theory, but its
practice seems to somewhat annoy and gall
them. Conscious Of tho faithful discharge Of
the duties of their Office TO the lest of their
ability, they seem to, and doubtless do, feel
that the public paess and private citizens
ought to appreciate the difficulties of
their position and not mako them
and their doings the subject Of criticism and
attack.
No matter how we'll and faithfully they
may discharge their public duty some persons
are bound to find fault. But it seems that
ihe spirit of fault finding is becoming moro
senoral and SO widely spreading as not only
to include tho malContents, which are found
in every community, but many of the best
citizens, whose recognized duty it is to
uphold the hands of those in authority who
are faithfully discharging public trusts. Why
is this? Is it the fault of tho commissioners
complicated. Our form of local government
is distasteful TO many. Others consider
it radically wrong that at the seat
OF the federal government the prin-
ciple Of elective franchise, tho very
basis Of our political system should be abso-
lutely ignored, and others still who are
willing to endure much rather than have an
elective government restored, feel that tho
commissioners are to blame for the strong,
increased feeling of dissatisfaction with our
present form of government. Personally the
commissioners are strangers to our people
They have not and cannot have that SYM
pathy with the citizens which long acquaint-
ance and life in their midst can alone in
spire. Instead of acting as the servants of
the people they assume to be masters. In
stead of regarding the many questions which
come before them from the standpoint Of the
interest of the citizens they seem to consider
them solely from financial view of pecuniary
benefit to the government. Could any citi.
zen whose property was destroyed by change
of grade of the street on which it was located
or burdened with an unjust and heavy special
assessment, go to them for aid in some meas
ure to obtain relief and feel that he would
meet with the slightest announcement or
sympathy? Does he not know, on the con-
trary, that they would oppose any and all
measures of relief? In the matter of the
location of a bridge at the Three Sisters, do
not the public generally feel that the COM
mls5l0nerS, although not IN any way inter-
ested in maintaining that public outrage, the
Aqueduct bridge, yet by their supinoness and
lack of etfort-if not quiet opposition-will
prevent the construction of any bridge at all ?
Would the public expect the mmissioners
to devise or even to encourage any scheme or
enterprise to establish a geological garden, a
grand public park, or any large i'm
provement such as this city as
the capital of the nation ought to possess i?
DO we feel that we can expect their aid in
making this city what it ought to be, the
model capital of the world? Do We not feel
that they are narrow in their views, and care
more to see that the current receipt are suffi-
cient to meet current expenditures of routine
government than to advocate measures OF
relief to the citizen and tho advancement OF
large enterprises for the public good. and the
beautifying of this as the federal city? Do
we feel thae the present commissioners have
in the past would in the future do what as
the executive heads of our local governments
they ought to do in instituting and develop.
ing the idea in the congressional mind, 80 es-
sential to our growth and progress, that it is
the duty of the United States to relieve our
citizens of burdens imposed upon them by
laws with which they had nothing to do, and
to develop, adorn, and beautify this the ma
tion's capitol.
of government here; is opposed to the many
evils which he believes the elective fran
chise would entail upon us; and has viewed
with regret and alarm the growing opposition
to the form of government, caused as he be.
lieves by the conduct of the commissioners
themselves. The remedy he believes is in
the commissioners changing their line OF
action and getting, rs has been so we'll said
closer to the citizens. NJ.