Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-16

Pennsylvania railroad. They not only tisre-
garded the party decision, but were willing 10
saerinee party measures OF importance to Sc
the democrats defeat the Evarts resolution 20
investigate election outrages in the south"
thing relating directly 10 the present election
bill; to defeat other measures pending and 20
vote to confirm Mr.. Stevenson. a democrat and
not a District man. as successor TO Judge Mer-
rick on the District bench in order 20 secure
the confirmation OF Mr.. Webb Party dis
cipline was disregarded, and il was only by
continual watchfulness that the republican
managers prevented the contamination Of the
deal
The Baltimore Sun, on the 18th Of February.
1889. said: The indications at the Capitol to-
day seemed to be that several of President
Cievelands nominations may be confirmed.
Locally, special interest is attached TO the NOM
nations OF Commissioner Webb TO succeed him
self and Of Mr.. Stevenson as Judge Merrick's
successor. These anticipated results are as
cribed to an alleged combination between GER
tain democratic and republican Senator'S
THE WRONG DONE TO WASHINGTON.
common carrier, whose political adherents
put its interests above those of party, aud
whose lobbyists. as i'm the idemnity bill case.
go to the penitentiary in their devotion t. il.
can accomplish great deal, and as an antag-
onist OF IT before Congress the District IL
simply not in the fight The President of the
United States and Congress act in these mat
tiers as a local legislature. and il the mayor and
common councils Of any American city with
American privileges should dare 10 take similar
action in the face of the public protest they
would at least be retired in disgrace to private
life at the very next election. For the city has
expressed IN every way II can Its condemnation
of this legislation. Thirteen thousand citi-
zens, representing every section and al
the trades and professions Of the city. have
signed petition protesting against il. which
has been sent 10 the House. Every local ASSOC
citation which has considered The matter has
denounced the Atkinson bill. The board of
trade at the most largely attended meeting
which il has ever held, about 200 being pres
ent. adopted without dissenting vote the re-
port of the railroad committee condemning il.
The Federation Of Labor, representing nine
teen workinginen's organizations OF the city,
denounced il in the strongest terms. indicating
the intention of calling congressional voters for
II to account through affiliated labor organiza-
tons In all parts OF the country, and this con-
domination was Endorsed by the local assembly
of the Knights of Labor. A long list of minis
tiers signed special petition and protest
against it. Voluntary organizations Of citizens
in two sections Of the city have fought ylcor-
ouslv. But all has been of no avail against the
skillful manipulation Of Congress by the read.
WHAT THE RAILROAD GAINS.
II the railroad. as now seems likely, passes
the bill in the shape which it desires il will
gain condonement of illegal encroachments
upon the property of the United States for
which it is now under indictment at the i'll
stance of the Attorney General % the United
States and a former commissioner OF public
buildings and grounds il will secure an addi-
tional land grant from the United States in the
shape of authority 10 occupy with Its tracks
six small reservations, IL will indirectly
strengthen its hold upon the mall and il will
gain directly power of condemnation and other
valuable privileges. II was estimated in the
House that its acquisitions would be worth TO
it so 00o. 900.
From one point of view the legislation is
worth vastly more than this to it. for without
this Law il cannot legally transact its business
over certain tracks which are absolutely essen
tial to its operation. The measure is practi-
cally rcchartering of the road and ought to
he accompanied by conditions.
One Of its principal gains by the VIC
tory will be the fact that it obtained
what it wanted without a single concession to
the public in return, and that this proof Of Its
control of Congress will suggest the hopeless
ness of attempts to compel decrease If the
Disagreement and danger of it's occupation in
the future. The hill. the railroad framed
1t, legalizes and perpetuatcs surface tracks at
points where the removal of these tracks and
of the accompanying grade crossings is sought
1t authorizes the multiplication nf such tracks
at these points in the future and the indefinite
increase of the persons - whose interest II will
he to retain these tracks the surface. BY
dozen small reservations without oempensa-
ton it establishes principle which would rem
der hopeless any attempt to shake Its legal
though theoretically temporary occupation of
the mall. 1t gives away for nothing to the rail-
road the concessions winch ought to be the
price of public relief from some of the evils of
grade crossings and the surface occupation Of
the mall, and thus denies this relief. 1t is re-
ported as a settlement of the railroad problem
as preference ~ measures which include with
the enlargement of :he freight facilities treat
ment of the question of grade crossings and the
occupation of reservations. Endorsement Of il
il a refusal of them and perpetuation Of the
conditions which they seek to change. The
people have long sought unsuccessfully i'm
provements in the railroad occupation while
they had concessions to offer the railroad in
return. Will il not completely DESTROY all
chance of their success to rob them of their
only means of bartering with the road for pub
lie relief? As Representative HeIphill very
pertinently said: If you want to get anything
out of a railroad company the time TO get it is
when the railroad company wants to get some
thing out of YOU" In the light of experience
present neglect or postponement Of the peo-
pies requests is equivalent to their denial
NUTS FOR THE FARMERS ALLIANCE.
A prominent republican of the House said
recently TO a STAR reporter: "If the inside his
tory of the manner in which the Atkinson rail-
road bill was passed could be faithfully written
up it would be one of the best cards in the
world for the Farmers Alliance" And it
would. 1t is Just such sacrifices of the inter-
ests of the people TO the influence of corpora
tions in the trickery and double dealing of
politics that give birth to Farmers Alliances
and similar organizations among those who are
not farmers.