National Republican., 1884-05-08
THE RAILROADS MUST GO.
Disguised Citizens Hold q Mass Meeting 10
Proclaim Their Wrongs.
The Authorities Denounced as Enemies
Of the Citizens.
Even The Ladies Take Part in the Fight and Will
Good Effect
Speeches by Many Prominent BJen Who
Consider Themselves Abused.

Speeches by Many Prominent Hen who
Consider Themselves Abused.
Tho open air mass meeting held last night
at Ninth street and Virginia avenue by the
citizens Of Southwest Washington, who de-
mand n removal of the railroad tracks from
| Virginia and Maryland avenues, was an inn
posing demonstration. The meeting was at.
tended by at least 5000 people, representing
the business, tho capital, and labor interests
Of Southwest Washington. Upon the stand
were the members Of the executive committee
aud quito number of citizens from other
portions of Washington. Music was fur.
nished by tho I'd artillery band from the
| arsenal
Tho meeting was called to order by s. s..
Baker, who nominated tho following list OF
officers: President, Dr. C.. r. Culver; vice
| presidents, @. b. Church. Prof. O. NJ. Gal
laudet, J. II. johnson, II. A. Bacon, William
G. Dodge, Henry NJ. Knight, DIR. j. Il. Nor
gan, NJ, M. Rohrer, John Grinder William
II. Smith, Morris Murphy, John Webster, A,
+. Barker, and John l.. Cox; secretaries, DIR.
Charles Allen. w. b. Browne, and DR..
schairt. The nominations were unani-
mously indorsed
DIR. Culver briefly stated the object for
which the meeting had been called.
| Dr Inarlcs Alien, chairman OF the commit
teo upon resolutions, read the following:
-. hesgrcd, That we, the people and taxpayers OF
| Washington city, in mass meeting assembled, do
most earnestly protest against the permanent con-
| tinuance OF the Baltimore and Ohio and Baltimore
| and Potomac railroad corporations within their
| present locations in the city and that we hereby
earnestly npneal TO congress to pass the morrill,
| senate bill, No. 1888, with such minor modihca-
tions as, in their wisdom, they may deem best,
and which locates the several roads entering tho
city on tho squares of ground between and l.
| streets south and the NAVY Yard tnunel and w.
enth street southwest. and thence along Water
street to the Long bridge.
| Resolved, That in the judgment of this meeting,
| composed of the business men OF ofWashington city
and especially those interested In the river trade
and commerce of the city and the navigation Of
! struct the FREQ passage to and from the river by
the location of railroad tracks on the surface or
! grades OF the streets anywhere between the mall
and the river.
Resolrcd That We hereby respectfully petition
congress to relieve us of tho wel.nigh intolerablo
| nuisance now created by these railroads, aud one
! that must be increased by the entrance of new
roads and the ever.increasing business Of the
| roads already in existence.
Resolyed, That we will never, as we cannot in
justice to the trust conded to us, relax our oppo-
sition to the present status or that now proposed
by the railroads and Conourred in by tho district
| commissioners; and that we will as we are in
duty bound, oppose TO the last the destruction OF
| our property and the menace of our lives and
health, and will leave nothing undone that Is
| within our power, within the pale of the law TO
obtain redress otthe grievances OF which We here
complain.
Mr.. Z. D. Wright made a scathing denun-
citation of the railroad corporations in taking
| possession of tho streets and avenues of South
| west Washington, and the powerless efforts of
the authorities in preventing tho citizens
| from being tyranniZed over by them. The
people of Southwest Washington, he said, had
| been made serrs by these railroad monopolists
| and had long suffered without having
had any redress for their grievances.
| When Commissioner Dent was appealed to he
replied that "he did not know what to do in
the matter or how how to act" Mr.. Wright
| referred to cars of Barnum'B circus remaining
on Virginia avenue all day on Sunday. In
decent things were done there and citizen,
upon asking policeman if such things were
| not in violation of law, was answered. you
must swear out warrant" We must make
this an open and determined movement prefer
charges against Lieut.. Groen himself, If
necessary, and note down every violation of
the law. Mr. Wright closed with strong
appeal to tho citizens of South Washington to
demand that their rights of liberty, person,
and property should not be interfered with
by tho railroad corporations, and predicted
for them success in their efforts.
DIR. Allen read the following communica-
tion from lady:
Please allow lady, resident of South
Washington, and for many years sufferer
from tho grievous annoyances consequent
upon the existence Of the Baltimore and Po-
tomac railroad along Maryland and Virginia
avenues, through your secretary, to present
her ideas from housemother's standpoint
concerning railways through cities as affect
ing their aesthetic, sanitary, and ethical con.
ditons.
These three characteristics are 80 inter-
woven that they can scarcely be considered
separately; and yet they follow each other in
orderly sequence, for it is quite impossible to
conceive of q sanitsrium or of locality
nod hWva all tNu1. l. 81
elements of beauty and good taste are elimi-
mated, or indeed where they do not claim a
large percentage Of consideration, and where
these two conditions exist we naturally
look for q corresponding mental and moral
development.
My first proposition then is that narrow,
dirty, obstructed, unventilated streets tend
more to the degradation of a community than
all other causes combined. A very super
fetal examination will attest the truth of this
proposition. Give an intelligent, progressive
people, light, sunshine, pure air, clean space
and their mental and moral natures are apt
to keep pace with their physical. They grow
aud develop steadily the higher and no6leI
characteristics Of humanity. Change these
surroundings, shut out the light obstruct the
suns rays by smoke and dust, YitRte the all
by foul gases, choke up and render filthy
the open spaces designed for business and
recreation, Introduce deafening and contiuu-
| GUS uOlsCS, anu luD Iebulb IL uOWu-
ward, downward, with every decade
until the slums of New York and
the Rehennas Of London are finally reached
First, tho saloon is introduced, half hidden
behind tea coffee, and other groceries; then
tho grogshop, with its bold and tempting
array Of bottes in its wake comes the pawn.
shop, the old clothes shop the rag-pickeT's
den, the dog kennel, and lower still, beyond
a gulf almost impossible, we see lying be-
smirchod and besotted humanity. Tho un.
fortunate and the vicious seek out these
places; the first, because rents have fallen
the second, because of tho facilities afforded
to hide from justice ; and such Of the original
inhabitants as are compelled by circumstance;
TO remain in o few years go to swell the mass
Of lost, degraded beings ofwhich all large cities
complainant the dealing with which present
to municipal governments their most puzzling
and knotty questions
Ny second proposition is, that one oCthe cas-
lest and quickest ways to bring about this de-
plorable condition Of things is to run steam
railways through the streets and on the street
grades. First comes tho obstruction; the
street is either partially or wholly closed Il
ordinary travel and business; tho crossing
are barred; there is perpetual danger Il
{ children; perpetual dread TO parents; houses
must be closed against smoke, dust aud sicSly
; cases. the air is vitiated; the sunshine il
ObsGuTed; the constant noise of passing train
becomes an rritant so painful that, IL
addition TO the dread of accidents tho house
! mothers life becomes living death, lie