The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-02-07

-. Bisou-"BunCh of k' vs.
KknsAN's- uydc's Big show.
THE SCHOOL SITE INyEsrIGArIOS.
The Congressional Investigation into
the alleged improper purchase OF sites
for school houses by the District Com
missioncrs is substantially concluded,
and rs every good citizen had conf
dence would be the result, no evidence
was adduced showing any motive ON
the part of the Commissioners but
what was for the best interest of the
District.
The prices at which the various sites
were secured were fair and reasonable
as testified TO by the leading lisintcr-
ested real estate brokers of the city.
The investigation casts no taint of
suspicion on the honor and honesty of
the Commissioners, or in any way re.
fleets upon their integrity of purpose
in administering the affairs of the Dis
trict for the best interests of the com.
muDity.
The attempt to smirch the Commits
sioners by base insinuations and false
innuendos was signal failure.
No Board of Commissioners ever
worked more faithfully to promote the
-welfarc of the people and advance the
Interests OF the District than the pres
cnt board.
The petition addressed to the Senate,
signed by the leading business men,
property-holders and representatives
of the progress and development of
our beautiful Capital City, asking for
Mr.. Webbs confirmation as his own
successor as District Commissioner, is
an expression of the respect and conti.
denco in which he is held by his fel-
low-citizens, and is conclusive
answer to the unwarranted attacks
against him invoked by disappointed
greed.
The Board of Commissioners have
commended themselves to the respect
and confidence of the community by
their independent course in distrib-
ntipg the District advertising among
the several city papers, and in not
permitting their action to be dictated
by any one Of them.
Competition is the life of business,
and fair play is the best policy always.
GENERAL MALONE and Mr.. Hoar are
both of opinion that the colored man
should not set up claim to official
recognition simply because he is
colorcd man, but that his assignment
10 any place Of trust should come di-
rectly from his own individual merit
and qualification. Their theory is
that all other things being equal there
10 no good reason why colored man
should not have office, but they do not
believe in mere race representation.
PROBABLY NO ONE CONGRESSMAN is
quite as great as one great newspaper.
however or whatever may be his own
or his friends opinion to the contrary.
When we speak of Representative
Breckenridge Of Arkansas so closely
in this connection, we do not wish to
imply anything. 1t merely happens
that ON Monday correspondent of the
New York Herald sought to secure an
opinion from the gentleman on the
Clayton assassination, and he replied
that he had nothing to say. The Her
aid of yesterday, taking as text what
the Congressman did say, namely, that
he had nothing to say, which, by the
way, was the worst thing he could
have said, gave him an editorial mem
tion Of nearly column, which was
caustic in its compliment, cruel in Its
irony, murderous in its suspicious, ir-
REPUTABLE in its suggestions and mercl-
less in its conclusions. 1t was unkind
for the Herald to do this, but it was
probably warranted. There was no
possible excuse for Mr.. Breckinridge' 8
saying he had nothing to say. He had
n great deal TO say, and il was not
necessary to 60 into political discus
sion or a moral homily to say it. He
could have condemned the deed and
the doer, and set himself fairly forth
as opposed to any such lawless pro-
ceedings, without going into any
particulars. That was all that was
needed And it was exactly what
Mr.. Breckenridge could have said AS
his honest belief, for no one thinks he
besieVes differently. Why he didn't
say so can be accounted for only on
the ground that Mr.. b. took foolish
notion into his head that ii was none
oil the newspapers business what his
views were, and he proposed in this
way to teach it the proper Difference of
the press to the statesman. Mr.. B.
mas littleWeakness that way already,
and no is nGN4uring it to his discom-
fort and possible downfall. A states
man can never beSniured by news.
papers spite when Nc witbholds from it
what he should not %khhold; but he
can be destroyed by itsN justice when
he attempts to check public opinion by
haughtily ignoring public inquiry.