Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-19

rhoIksI AGAINST MR.. WEBB 5 CONFIRMATION.
| There was considerable indignation and out
spoken protestation at the meeting of the East
Washington Citizens association last night at
Weller & Repetti's Office, that bubbIed and
boiled whenever the words District Commits
sioner" happened to be uttered. In fact the
meeting was from first to last a frank protest
! against the administration of the present board
OF city fathers. The meeting was called to
order by Col. T. $. Farrow, and Secretary
Stocking read letter from Mr. John Z. Her
| rel, thanking the association for its courtesy
in nominating him as its choice for District
Commissioner. Mr.. Stocking, in explaining
the cause of the letter, stated that at the last
meeting of the association it had been deemed
only an act Of justice that an East Washington
man should be made Commissioner and they
had selected Mr.. Herrell.
Mr.. Weller said that there had been O con-
ference meeting between representatives of
the northeast and southeast to agree upon a
man, the former naming W. G. Dodge and the
latter J. Z. Herrell. Those from the southeast
had claimed that as Mr.. Dodge was already an
applicant for the position of commissioner of
patents, he should confine himself to that as
piration. The principle was that East Wash
ington was entitled to represen tation. and in
dividuals should be lost sight Of The north
fasteners would not indorse Herrell and the
others suggested q. F. Dawson. but without
result. Mr.. Dodge, continued Mr.. Weller. has
since said that he is not a candidate, and he
(the speaker) was confident that if Mr.. Webb
had not been nominated. either Mr.. Herrell or
MIR. Dawson would have been
EAST WASHINGTON MATERIAL.
1--WE are not deficient in material" he went
on. East Washington has hundreds of men
who could fill the position more worthily than
either of the present incumbents Since the
conference the northeast people have made up
their minds that they are in favor of anyone
from the southeast. and have passed resolu-
tons condemning the confirmation of Mr. Webb.
We are on record as being of the decided opin-
ion that this section ia entitled to representa-
ton. If we do not get that the Commissioner
should be some fair-minded man from the
other end of town who could familiar
ize himself with the conditions and needs of
this section. But at any rate he should
not be a man who could stand up publicly and
say that he did not know where q street south
east is; that he had been asked for improve
ments there and could not find any such street.
Such man should learn the geography of his
own city
Mr.. wheatley and Mr. Webb" interpolated
member, do not seem to be aware that
when they were boys street southeast was
one OF the principal avenues of entrance to the
city,
The last Congress passed bill" continued
MIR. Weller. authorizing the extension Of the
line OF certain street railroad along G. street
southeast to the Congressional cemetery as
as soon as that street had been put in proper
condition This was based on a report, made
year ago by the Commissioners. that such an
extension was public necessity. yet when a
committee waited on them to urge the i'm
provement of G. street they were told that the
Commissioners had hunted for G. street and
could not find it. That is the kind of Commits
sloners We have, and it's high time We had
change.
MR.. wHEATLEY's ATTITUDE
"Mr. Wheatley has been the persistent enemy
to East Washington; in the case of the extern
sion of the fire limits, which he opposed, we
should not have been successful but for the aid
of Col. Ludlow; again. in the case of the me-
chanics' lien law Mr.. Wheatley has been the
great stumbling block to a repeal of the most
infamous measure ever saddled upon the
people o. a community. We all know WHY
Mr.. Whe alley took these two attitudes. We
are all aware of the fact that he Acknowledges
himself TO be still connected with one of the
largest lumber firms in the District, and that
Is excuse enough for such man as Mr.. Wheat
ley.
The schedule of streets for Improvement
has always been selected by the engineer de-
partment. but when the last schedule was pub
lished in The STAR. Mr.. Wheatley, the next
day, dlsavowed it, and prepared one of his
ONu, pTesuulnR 10 KNOW more ABOUT the con-
ditlons and wants of the streets than the Dis
trict engineers. whose business il is to be per-
fectly familiar with such matters. The trouble
lies right here. Mr.. Wheatley is the Mephis-
topheles, the evil genius of the District gov
ernment-he is practically the Board of Com
missioners.
1T now looks as though Mr.. Harrison would
have to make both of the appointments on this
board, and 1t is to be hoped that he will be Just
enough to make clean sweep and appoint two
new men.
Our LAST GRIEVANCE
Is In the non-paying of the eastern end of Penn
sylvania avenue. A committee consulted with
Col. Hams. the engineer in charge Of the build
ing of the Eastern Branch bridge within the
last two months, as to the desirability of paw
ing the avenue to the bridge, and he replIedby
letter that he could see no possibility of two
opinions as to the necessity of the work A
member OF this committee took this letter to
MIR. Webb, who promised to lay it before the
Senate committee. but we have not heard any,
thing more from it. 1t is buried, and all our
efforts have been fruitless. | have spoken of
our grievances TO show why we should be in
favor OF an East Washington man, or any fair
minded West Washington man."
EAST wAsHINkToS's CLAIMS.
Mr.. Sperry moved that committee be ap-
pointed to draw up a document setting forth
the claims Of East Washington for the Com
Inissionership, to be presented TO the incoming
President. If We had artillery we could
shoot cannon-balls, if we had votes We could
strike blows; but we've no such weapons, and
we must go to the fountain-head of appoint
ments with our memorial"
Mr.. Stocking, in advocating the motion. said:
"Our form of government is good enough in
some respects, but in others it is exceedingly
dangerous. 1t has been, liz, and will ever be
run on the principle OF fayoritism. The three
Commissioners are responsible to no one for
what they do, and that Is sufficient basis for
danger. When James A. Garfield was elected
President and came here he was fully
informed of the history of cur form Of govern
ment; in that all of the District Com
missioners that had ever been appointed
had resided west of 18th street. and
that by far the larger portion of the taxes
we paid were expended west of 9TH street: also
that certain street was paved that was not
authorized by any law, appropriation, or
schedule, and the only earthly excuse for its
improvement was the fact that il run from the
door OF one Commissioners house to that of
another Commissioner. Had Garfield lived
the order of things would have been changed,
and we should have had a representative on
the board.
TO SEND TO INDIANAPOLIS.
"a new President is always surrounded by a
certain clique of men from the northwest, and
We must try to forestall these schemes by send
ing our petition to Indianapolis before Mr..
Harrison starts for Washington and warn him
of the state of things"