National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-24
NOTHING TO KEEP DARK.
The Letter Of Senator ingalls, to the District
Commissioners Explained.
He Requested That One Communication
Should be Considered Confidential.
Because Of This the Commissioners Have Kept Their
Minute Book Shut All Winter
Tho "stnr" Replies 10 tho Commission
NrS Letter i'm Vigorous style.

~ was very much surprised" said Senator
ingalls, last evening to o REPUBLICAN re.
porter who called upon him, ITO SEQ my namo
mentioned in conspicuous manner in THE
REPUBLICAN,, as q man who wanted to keep
some things dark. Once when wrote TO tho
commissioners for some information concern
ing pending matter In which the public
had no interest, except in the ultimate, tho
information appeared in full in the news
papers before tho committee received it. l
then wrote a note to the commissioners
requesting that such information whom
asked for by tho committee bo
withheld from. the press until acted
upon, or at least until tho committee
received it. II / chose to give II to tho press
that was another matter. The information
was intended for my use in making up my do
cision upon certain thing. | asked that 1t
should not BIO made public until acted upon,
as had the right to do. am surprised that
such request could have been construed
into an intimation that wanted anything
about the commissioners office or any Of their
books or records kept from the public have
nothing to do with the business of the COM
missioners, don't know anything about their
books, and certainly have no desire If had
the power to keep anything dark there. As
them, and they are not at all obliged to con-
slider my request as binding up them"
Don't you think" asked the reporter,
that the newspaper reporters would have
respected your wishes in such matters just as
readily as the commission :"
Certainly, l do, My experience with
newspaper mon convincos me that they can
be trusted. / have frequently given them
information which requested should not DO
published until it had been acted upon, or
until certain things had been DONE and |
have never yet known one Of them to botray
my confidence"
1.-THE question has been and will be asked
Senator, what communication upon public
matters there can be between you and tho
commissioners which the public haven't the
right to know all about. L wish you would
answer It,"
81 do not now remember what that partic-
ular case was, but 1t was information of q
confidential nature the publication of which
would defeat all action upon the matter. My
recollection is that it did defeat it,"
But haven't the public the right to know
it whether it defeats legislation or not ?"
II don't think SO. The public has the
undoubted right to know the results, the
decisions reached, and it does. But this in
formation is of n private character. 1t isn't
question of right at all, but u question
whether legislation shall be defeated by some
petty antagonisms which will overshadow
the main question"
will you give an illustration"
take this question of the location of rail-
road tracks and depots in the city. The
people on Capitol hill want tho Baltimore and
Ohio depot removed, highlands graded of, and
the streets continued through as they were
intended to be. The people in the southwest
ern part of the city want less railroads tracks
on their streets and avenues. The people
about Sixth street want the tracks taken from
that gtrpnt Tbara ia n nrOnnSitinn nnnIin ~
to make union depot on Maryland avenue,
and to SO locate the tracks as to suit
the great body of tho people. Now,
suppose, just for an illustration, that in get
ting our information in order to arrive at an
intelligent decision, some of it was of such a
nature as to arouse antagonisms and excite
enmities among few people with differing
views upon the subject. There is likely to
grow up fight which will distract all alton
lion from the main object, defeat all legisla-
tion upon the matter, and leave things just
as they are"
Isn't this your position, then, that it is
wiser TO get done that which the great
mass of people want done than, by making
everything public, to bring on a conflict be-
tween two little people who are only inter
ested In their little houses and barns, and SO
defeat the wishes of everybody else?"
YES, that will do as an illustration"
Isn't it expediency then, rather than
absolute right, which you urge as a reason
for non-publicity in certain really triding
matters? ?"
Eyes, it is. The public have an absolute
right to know of everything that is going on
in pu bile business, but in such cases it would
not be wise, IL would not be practical states
manship, by making public things in which
the great people, except some few persons,
have not the slightest interest, to force do
feat upon measure in which all arc inter-
ested."
How often does it happen that there are
communications of a nature which it would
not be expedent to PUBLISH"
Very rarely"
"Do you remember when your note to the
commissioners concerning the information
which you wished to have considered con-
fdential was writtenW
Not exactly, but it was early in the
winter"
'-"Have you received from them or sent to
them communications of like nature since
that timer"
81 do not remember that single commune
cation has passed between the commissioners
and myself since that time which might not,
with perfect propriety, have been given to
the press. But have nothing to say regard
ing the action Of the commissioners, for |
don't know anything about it. / certainly
never requested that any other matter than
communications to me personally of such a
nature as / have indicated should be kept
from the public. ] had no desire to do So nor
any right, for l have nothing whatever to do
with the business of their Office their records,
or their books. 1t isn't exactly right to
parade me as a man who wants to keep things
dark, when you know and every other news
paper man who comes to me or TO any com.
mittee room for information knows that am
always willing to give the fullest information
j can"
The senator was assured that ii was only
on the authority of the district commission
ers that he had been represented as in favor
Of secrecy. Any other intimatOn would DO
met with aprompt denial from many reporters
who were indebted TO him for information.
PRESS COMMENTS.
Saturdays star.