Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-22

"thFf 's'a'N pupfFs HPfc HUueu ieEPtueF.
Inv STAR ofice Is connected with the Telephone
1xchar2e- Advertisements, orders for the paper by
ELL aiai otherwise. any information bust
Its~ ie sent day night. free Of eharre.
Ses.se siIsappre ensiOns Cleared Up.
From the letter OF the District Commissioners
% THE ST.Rit seems that the current idea that
there any difficulty in getting access to the pro-
Gee din az the DiSrigf Offices Is altogether mis-
apprehension. With the trifng exceptions that
the press and the pubic are refused at!mttance to
MI tie JlaT meetings If the board. because the
Commissioners choose To regard their business
sessions in In" light Of secret Cabinet consultations:
are ShHf ont from he special meetings with dele
CatDn~ Or citizens because the visitors request
crecy; and denied access To the recorGs-letter-
books. containing al the official correspondence,
IerJU-r tar chairman Of the Senate District
mttee objects 10 publicity Of CommutIcl-
lions between the commissioners and his
eommlrtec,-With these slight exceptions every
thing about the District offices is open and
accessible to an unlimited extent. But the report
tTs do not seem to appreciate the facilities afforded
them l"r setting information ut the District offices.
Some time ago when they found the District doors
Slammed somewhat unceremOnOuSy iii their faces,
the following minute made by one of them at thu
time shows the ground upon which the restrictions
were then based:
'Dr. TIndaT sail that Commissioner EdmonIs
had tod hun that il W. desirable that there should
10 some different method of giving out District
news; that he (Dr. TindaI might make Ip the
news IT different hours in the day. and the report
ers could call at these definite hours and get what
might b. prepared for them. He (dr. Esimonds}
dt moi ike the books ana papers OF the office hand
ied 10y the reporters Of the local press did
le like to have them about the Office SO much 1T
int@TicTCd with the clerks duties"
The reporters ako found themselves confronted
IL their search for Information by the following:
''OFFfCE or THE CONNISsiOSERS)
or THE pISTRiCT OF CoLrNB!A
Dec % 1sS2.
Ordered. That all officers and employees of the
District government prohibited from furnish
Ing any information relating To the affairs of the
District unless the SANE be communicated through
the Commissioners or i provided for by existing
laws and regulations: PTOrided. That this order
Shall Dot prohibit being given To the press on
matters Of public interest and concern when duly
authorized by the Commissioners"
ON approaching the quarters for the promulga-
ton of the ''tiuly authorized" public information
they again struck NO TEOroughf;.rer barrier in
the printed piaCaTtj. '.The Commissioners are i'll
Private Session." that usually adorns the Commits
siOneTs ti00r, which. by Tho way is provided with
an excellent spring lock.
Altogether the reporters got a little discouraged.
They felt as il they werG-n0 wanted about the Dis
tict offices. Ii Will he gratifying them. doubt,
to nh' from the Commissioners letter that 1t was
oil a HIs'ppf,henaion and that they are wei
come aS the day. We do not think the Commits
sionerS viii have cause to regret giving the press
free run through the District offices. The Wash
1ngt"n reporters are morally trustworthy. and
can be relied upon not to abuse any privileges
given hem by publishing matters preinaturc!y or
That they requested rot 10 publish.
As THE STAR has made no unjuStifaDIe attacks
"hoding up the police force of the District as
criminal Cr incompetent. or stlgmatiZin@ the Ci-
zenS a. unusually addicted TO The vice OF intcmper-
ahee. AMI its executive authorities regardless of
the interests intruStei,to their management" il
has nothing to say to The remarks OF the Commits
si0nnrS in that that
Ii any paper has Sinned in that way the complaint
Should De addressed TO the Offender. THE STAR
Favored the adoption of the cOmmi-Sioncrship form
OF government originally, and is sincerely anxious
Tor the success of the experiment 1t believes that
The Commissioners are Inspired by good motives
and coInmendabe ambition, and though not
blindly supporting all their measures it has been
able To commend very considerable proportion of
them.
The issue OF call for democratic caucus Tues
day night brings TO a head the tariff discussions in
the democratic ranks. The call is general In its
TERMS merely Inviting 1.-The members of the demo-
cratic party OF the House of Representatives to
meet on Tuesday evening next at 73O O'Clock tn the
hall OF the House OF Representatives. Ii Is based
on the request OF twenty members among whom
are Representatives Tucker, Blackburn, Curtin
Sloeum, Morrison, Holman, Hurd Ellis Rosecrans
and Gedles. The signatures were. solicited by MIR
Morrison.
IL VIII be noticed that the call does not state the
objects OF the meeting, nor does it define how far
Its powers shall go IN the way OF binding the s,isa
quhIt conduct OF those who attend Hence no
member II the party need stay away in order to
reserve his independence. The call, however IS
regular IN form, ana The meeting Will be- most likely
TO follow The ordinary precedents: that is 1t Will be
party caucus.
IL remains 10 b. determined how far the caucus
VIII deem IL wise to commit the party to free trade
SFli WHAT severity a H.
IrotcctantS- II anything lihe an iron-cad LOYALTY
10 the Morrison bills attempted there will be a row
and probably split. The Randall democrats will
not submit to any such dccislon but VIII appeal al
once % the national convention.
ANON other things. The caucus NAV have an i'm
pertain bearing on the presidential nomination
The present movement is part OF the Mcdonald
'5ooin- WattersOn Is The executive officer OF this
e'b-hd'i", ANA his utteranceS reflect the views OF
ii9 en- ana ar made afterconsultatOn with hin.
and his particular friends If the caucuofeads ain
ciental protection cut OF the party II reads ont
at The same time, the candidates which oppose Me-
pOiald- hopes for the nomination namely Ran
0ali, iIii@u. Payne and other men of that STAMP
The Question is will they go out even II the cauc1ls
reads them ont? Mr. Eaton, for instance saws net
h thinks that tt. Ir,rlaclas are hi.,.ar ,bar ,b
ship.
This point must be decided at the convsntio,
Al that body the question VIII come I'D in two
ways; l'sst, Ga tie Candidates and. second, On the
platform. one side or The other must there win ca
iar a. l>-l i concerned, and # will then appear
whether thr controversy has become 50 radical that
tic detected faction WI bolt
Hal! las just gone through a parliamentary
crisis, and England seems 10 be on the brink Of an
Other Ihr d.nCcrdts have booked theirs Tor next
Tuestiay nfgh..
T.'inaSnT has managed TO give Mr.. Randall a
sAot nom ;he rear h endorsing the Morrison bill,
rH.F