The Washington bee., 1886-06-26
LET SOMETHING BE DONE

by the Committees on the Dist t.,
are being watched with a lively in.
terest by a large number of citi .
zens. The first prov des for new
Board of Audit to settle the balance
of the claims for damages to real
estate, and the last provides for
the proper construction of the laws
of 1878 and 1879 that directed the
correction of erroneus and exces.
sive special taxes. The people who
are interested in these measures
have from year to year trusted to
their meritorious character to pass
them. No organized effort has been
made to press them. A bill to set
tie. the balance of the damage
claims has been favored by each
Board of District Commissioners
prior to the last one. There was
no need of such a bill as Senate
1887 until the failure to correctly
interpret the acts of 1878 and 1879.
The position of the board of which
Mr.. j. B. Edmonds was president
was well known to be opposed to
granting any relief, and the reasons
for this hostility to fair play were
difficult to gather from his letter.
Many people expressed the belief
that when President Cleveland 'ap.
pointed new Board of Commits
sioners truly representing the resi-
dents their rights would be protect
ed. The new board has been ap-
pealed to to grant hearing on the
merits of the above-named bills
looking to cOmmendation of them
by the present Commissioners. Iu
reply to this application for hear
ing on the merits of these two sep.
crate measures the Commissioners.
in a note dated June 9th, have de-
clined, and state their views in the
premises are fully presented in a
letter by Mr.. Edmonds, of the late
board, addressed to Senator Black
burn, February 23rd last. 1t is be-
lieved by the gentlemen who made
the application referred to that it
is impossible that the new board
have authorized their secretary to
place them in such position as op-
posing both these jnst measures of
relief, and they have replied to the
Commissioners accordingly in a let,
ter of the 19tn instant, a COPY of
which has been shown us, which
will be printed in full early with
the whole correspondence for the
information of the public and Con-
81 eSs.-Sunday Herald.
The above, cut from the editori-
al columns of the Sunday Herald
presents,,a case of the grossest kind
of injustice inflicted on a larre and
deserving class of our citizens by
the late Board of Commissioners
r ---L;oL T--Lov I1rl 1rlnIv--,lp- w sp,
President and mouthpiece. Many
of our readers and subscribers were
ruined or injured in their property
here by the reckless course of the
Board of Public Works and their
successors in changing grades of
streets and leaving residences high
above pavements or burying them
as much below. Down to the time
that Mr.. Edmunds was made Com
missioner the Board unanimously
recommended the payment of these
claims but, he has taken high
ground against any claim, no mat
ter how just, that was presented
against the District and has gone
out of his way and made incorrect
statements in official communica-
tlOns to Senators and members of
Congress in order to prevent the
passage of any measure of relief
The worst part Of this whole mat
ter is that those whose property
has been ruined have been taxed
heavily for the very thing that
ruined them. We know many who
lost their all who are now denied
hearing or trial where they might
have their grievances redressed.
Senate Bill No. 2153 provides
tribunal to set on these claims and
we think that no fair minded man
can or will oppose its passage.
There are two many interested in
this class of claims to he silenced
by the opposition that originated
in one man, which would now have
no weight were it not that some of
onr officials, have indicated a pur-
pose of "following i'll the footsteps
of their illustrious predecessor"
We do hope that congress will not
adjourn until something hasbeen done
for these worthy claimants. eLet
justice be done though the heavens
fall"