National Republican., 1884-04-03
yvantcd-A Union Depot.


Washington has outgrown the village char
acteristics that chung to it for half century,
and must be dealt with IS n big city. The
form of government and modes Of admins
tration which were we'll enough adapted to
the period when boys played ball in tho pub.
lie squares and COWS pasturod in the uufre.
quented streets, but the requirements of
population of 10000 souls cannot be met by
patriarchal autocracy, in which tho arbi-
trary judgment Of few persons is assumed
TO represent the will Of the whole people.
Concessions TO railroad corporations, which
may have been proper enough at tho time
they wero made, havo become irksomo by
reason of the growth of tho city and the do
velopmont of business, and it is now tho duty
of congress to adjust tho franchises which it
has granted to the changed condition of
things
Congress has abundant authority to correc
the mistakes of the past in tho matter Of
locating railroads and depot sitos and tho
time has como when this authority should bo
exercised. The best interests of the railroad
companies arc involved, as well as the rights
Of the people, whose property has been do
preciated and whose lives arc constantly i'm
porilod by tho running of trains past their
dwellings
Tho Baltimore and Ohio company is most
anxious to mako a connection with tho Vir-
ginia Midland and thus secure through line
TO the south. The city of Baltimore regards
this connection as of the highest Importance
to its mercantile interests, and is bringing
powerful pressure to bear upon the company
to induce it to supply the necessary link to
join the two roads. To do this the company
must either take its track across the city or
around it, Tho route that has been projected
goes through Capitol hill and thence to tho
present limo of tho Baltimore and Potomac
road, and by the same, or a parallel route to
the Long bridge. Thisinvolvos the tunnelng
Of Capitol hill to which there is very great
in a section of the city that is already sorely
incumberod.
But the strongest argument against the
tunnel route is that it does not change tho
present location of the road on the north side
of the capitol, and will fix the tracks in tho
streets which they now occupy for an indef
mite period-perhaps for all time. In order
to relieve the north side from the aunoyances
and perls caused by the constant running of
trains through a busy and populous part of
the city, it is proposed that the company
should abandon its present depot, and, at
some convenient point beyond tho boundary,
should defect its line to tho southeast, pass
around to the Baltimore and Potomac tunnel =,
and that the tracks Of the two companies
should run from the western mouth of the
tunnel into union depot to be located at no
very great distance from the junction of
Maryland and Virginia avenues.
The idea that railroad depots should be ban.
ished to the outskirts ofa city has been entirely
abandoned. and the object is to get them as
near the center Of business as the public con-
NeuloHSc auu Vhp puoAiS salSty WIZ pSrlnlV.
In legislatng upon this matter congress
will take into consideration the fact
that tho hundreds of thousands of
people who come TO tho national
capital every year by rail do not want
to be discharged from the cars in tho outer
suburbs. They want to be brought as near
to the hotels and the main public buildings as
circumstances will permit. We think the
locality for o union depot which we have
suggested would be satisfactory both to the
people of the district and to the visitors who
are constantly coming to the city and depart
ing therefrom. The railroad companies
should not interpose violent objections to
any plan which is most convenient and most
advantageous to the public, aud which will
impose no loss nor inconvenience upon them