Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23
THE PEOPLE PROTEST.
Their Voluntary Vote Against Grade
Crossings and the Atkinson Bill.
STANDING BY WASHINGTON.
Thousands Who Pray for Protection
Against Railroad Homicide, the De.
sfruciion OF the City's Beauty aud the
Obstruction OF Trade and Travel.

o. Washington have avalled themselves Of the
opportunity to record themselves opposed
to legislation which ignores the earnest appeals
made to Congress year after year by citizens
OF the District to have suitable provision made
for the protection OF life In the streets and the
prevention of the serious aGnoyances to trade
and travel incident to grade crossings and sur
face tracks, and heeds only the demand Of the
railroad to be confirmed in its illegal possess
sion of streets and public ground. These tbir-
teen Thousand signers are chiefly heads OF
households. The manner of collecting the
signatures gives unusually weighty character
to the petition. Besides the published inylta-
tion 10 the readers of The STAR to sign there
has been but little solicitation. No canvassers
have been hired to obtain names. In some
parts of the city puDlic-spirited citizens have
voluntarily taken it upon themselves to see
that their neighbors had opportunity to add
their names to the list, but the great majority
OF signatures given have been sent to The STAR
without personal solicitation, but in response
to the general invitation Already many or
carnations in the District had made emphatic
declaration against the Atkinson bill The
board Of trade at largely attended meeting.
March 10, 1890, adopted without a dissenting
vote the report of the railroad committee con-
demning the Atkinson bill. and directed that
committee 20 urge the views of the report upon
Congress. Among the signers of The STARS
petition are a large number of the members of
the board Of trade, whose voluntary Endorsement
of the petition shows that there is no mistak-
ing the position of that body, Notwithstanding
efforts made to b-esk the force Of its action by
misrepresenting the character and attendance
of the meeting at which the railroad report
was adopted The STARS petition is not
business mems petition or wOrkingmens petit
tion. 1t IS the protest Of the people Of Wash
ington against vicious legislation. Still if the
signers were classified according to occupa-
tions there might be obtained from the lists
business mems petition with formidable
array of Names and a workingmen's petition
which would have all the force that it is posi-
bic for the organized labor bodies as well as
the individual workingmen to give 1t. There
is, however, no distinction made of this. but
the names OF merchant. workingman and pro-
fessional man appear together.
The Federation of Labor, representing nine
Acknowledgements organizations Of the city had
condemned the Atkinson bill in the strongest
terms, and the condemnation was Endorsed by
the local assembly of Knights of Labor. Very
readily, therefore. the representative men
among the workingmen attached their names
TO the printed petition. The federation, by
unanimous vote, instructed it's officers to sign
officially for the organization The STAR petit
lion.
The ministers of South Washington have sent
n vigorous protest against the Atkinson bill to
Congress, and their action is supplemented by
the signatures of a number of the clergymen in
other parts of the city to The STAR petition.
The clergy is naturally interested in a movement
to decrease blOodshsd and is practically unit
against grade crossings and the Atkinson bill.
Prominent men from all sections of the city,
old and young, rich and poor. of all occupa-
lions, trades and professions, have signed this
petition.
An effort has been made to obscure the issues
which the Atkinson bill brings before Con-
gress, and to give the impression to those who
have not examined the subject we'll that there
is a large number OF business men and citizens
who favor the Atkinson bill This was done
by circulating petition against the removal Of
the Baltimore and Potomac station from the
mall. An examination of the Atkinson bill
will show clearly that the signer of such pc
tition cannot necessarily be counted as favor
ing that measure. Undoubtedly many citizens
are opposed to, or in doubt about the advisa-
bility of, removing the station across the mall
influenced in part by exaggerated statements OF
the inconvenience that would result Still ex-
aminations OF the railroad petition show that
1t has been padded enormously, and is entirely
Enthusiastically expression of public
opinion Men were paid two cents a name for
obtaining signatures and they appear to have
added greatly to their list by filling up with
fictitious signatures and Of men residing in
fictitious places and with the names Of dead
men.
number Of the signers Of the railroad Pc
titions have signed the one printed in THE
STAR Especially is this the case among the
business men. Between one aud two hundred
signatures were obtained a good while ago by
the railroad in favor of the Atkinson bill, and
these are the only petitioners who directly OPP
pose the thousands who have signed the pro-
test against the bill. A considerable number
of the business men who signed tor the Akin
son bill IN this original petition did so. how
ever, through a Misunderstanding of the situa-
ton and of the meaning and effect OF the bill
and they are now found enrolled in the list of
those who protest against the measure. A
mere handful of the sIgners to the petition for
the Atkinson bill remain unchanged
The letters accompanying many of the petit
tions sent to The STAR and known opinions of
other signers indicate that a very large major
lty Of the slgners Of The STAR petition favor
the more radical method Of remedying the
evil of railroad occupation of the mall by a re-
moyal of the station; there are, however u
considerable number OF the signers who are
indifferent on tins point or who favor a reten-
other suggested improvements. The latter in
clude some of the best names on the unpadded
portion of the railroads petition against the
removal of the station. Two or three indicate
their preference for the second alternative
method of treating the tracks on the mall by
striking out from the petition all suggestion of
the removal of the station.
The signatures to THE STAR petition are
notable not only in quantity but in quality.
They include, as stated. most of the weighty
names on the previous petitions and hundre eds
of others who have nhinchingly stood by
Washington from the first.
The list Is so long that to publish il compile te
Is lmpracticable. Below, however, will be
found few columns OF them showing the
representative character of the thousands who
have signed
Some of the Signers.
II. K Willard. Kellogg Building.
Chas. Weeks. 637 louisiana ave. NV.
T. NJ. Gallaudet, representing the many in
mates Of the Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb. Kendall Green.
Fitzhugh a Shute, 202S I4th ST.
q. D. Spicer. $50 Louisiana ave.
Brodhead i Co., 90I ST. NV.
L. G. W. Burton. GIL II. NV
Campbell Darlington, sos ID st. NV
W. b. Moses Sons Except Sd clause), 18th
and sts.
A Z. Steele, 600 A me-, pastor st. Marks CHI.
J. z Rankin. pres Howard University.
Jno. I. Cassell. CAS- Nd. ave. aw
q. - Shields, 14O5 NV
Robert Leitch Sons. 1914 ID NV
James q. Bowen, 627 New York ave- NV
Frank i. Rawlings, 1905 Pa ave- NV.
Great Chlna and japan Tea Co., 73l 7th st. n w.