National Republican., 1885-06-09
rnE rupLIc ANn rnn wArrn.:


EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: | have
noted with great interest the laudable efforts
ofTHE RtPuELicAN to correct the abuses that
exist Ia the management Of our District affairs,
especially those relating to the important
question Of our water supply aud the preseryq.
ton Of our city froln the ravagcs of that dread
iul sc2urgc the cholera. II appears % me That
at this ilnCturc few inqilirles into the
methods Of our functionaries by the people,
whose lives aud property are at stake, would
not be inappropriate or untncly.
do not suppose that any one will deny that
the people Of Washington city have right to
demand of the public servants Of the District
that service to the city and 10 the District
which is commensurate with their pay and
allowances.
II Is ltist and proper ilia, these servants shall
devote, to their duties the same average NUN
devote 10 their yOcatiOns
II II eminontly 1T thntAu army officer. whose
selection ns commissioner not only sigllhlHcs
his corps a. pre..emihent in scigncn ana sEill,
but also marks him personally With Rccu!iar
distinction among his professional conirade.'
shall b. cxpCcted to have 50 displayed MS
| energy, skill, aud devotion 10 public duty that
no question could uxisl regarding the apprO,
bgtion of his ofilclal career, or the fitness Of
his selection. These iacts can not DO cof'ro'
veded.
is this the case with our engineer commits
! sloner?
Isittrue that distinguished engineer officer
whose name and reputation holds highest
rank among his fellow officers and with INC
country generally, was relieved from dlly III
charge Of the water works, including the tin'
| ncl and Great Falls dam, simply to throw into
I Maj. Lydecker's hands the imtnonSr patronage
! that periained 10 this enterprise and to tho eN
| tcnsivc, condemnation of property Tor inc
Is it true that at the time this distinguished
| officer was relieved irom the charge of these
works he had made study for years of this
! whole problem of supplying our city win
! water, and that his removal and displdGe-
| mcnt by young man without peculiar dis.
| tinCtion, who know nothing OF these works
| and was ignorant Of oil the conditions OF the
| water supply problem. was an act OF gross
| Injustice both to the ofiCor sO removed ana 10
| the public, who believe that they suher from
! the ineihcency Of the man who took his
| place?
Is It true that Maj. Lydecker has ever said or
! authorized any one TO say that he is over
worked-that he has more duties imposed upon
him than he can give personal and thorough
attention to2 n 80, why did he accept or II
accepted why has he retained his assignmenl
To duty In charge Of the tunnel, dam, and
wetor works generally, especially when Y Is
said to have been hnjustly taken from a
brother ofiicer and with equal injustice given
| TO him?
! II his duties are so laborious, why Is II that
he does not appear at his Office until O'Clock
| D. m. daily? Ii this the hour that Intelligent
business men usually appear at their desks,
OF Is II rather the honr for laggards and PAM
| pered indolents 10 rub from bleary eyos the
evidences of the festivities Of the preceding
nght2
Why has Mai. Lydecker made such infre-
qucut visits to and Inspections OF the dam Mt
the Great Falls? These questions arc asked
for the reason that there are painful and plen'
tiful rumors regarding them, aud the public
has right to know whether they are true or
false. AMER answering these there are others
of equal interest to the community that he
will be requested to eluoldate, unless per
chance he should in the meantime resign OF
be removed from his place.
Typhoid fever and cholera may perchance
come TO us through the slums aud sewage oi
our water works, and may sweep away nun
dreds of men, women, and children. VIII the
indolcncc or inefciency Of public function
aries be accepted by the public as balm fol
/ the atlliction2 CITIZEN.