Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-09
RAILROAD MURDER.
Washingtonians Opposed to Grade
Crossings and the Atkinson Bill.
STANDING BY WASHINGTON.
Citizens Who Wish 60
Protect Life Adorn the CITY and Re-
move an Obstruction 20 Trade and
Travel-A sample List Of Names.

The petitions against grade crossings and the
Atkinson bill have poured into TIE STAR office
by the thousand and they continue to pour in.
In very many cases the printed form has been
cut out and pasted upon slip Of note, letter or
f0olscsp paper and a number of signatures at
tached, 50 that the petitions are of all sorts of
shspes and sizes, and the mass of expressions
Of public opinion presents . formidable APP
pearsncel Here all the adults of family have
signed, here 3 business man and his adult eul-
pl0yes. Fhen there are long lists containing
signatures collected by volunteer eIrculators
of the petition. These volunteers have been
most numerous Of course, IN South Washing
ton. but the other sections have not been lack
ing in philosophical citizens who we're ready
70 take little trouble IN the interest of hui
mainly and good citizenship. One young lady
who served AS an enthusiastic csnvasser in q
part of East Washington collected several hun
dred names Business men gave of their time
10 collect signatures. number of store keep
ers kept copies of the petition for signatures
on their counters.
An important feature Of this expression Of
opinion IL its voluntary character, and the
large extent to which the signatures indicate q
real decision and act of labor, however
slight, 70 give it expression. Men have not
been paid two cents a name. as III the case OF
the railroads petition to secure or invent sig
natures, aud there is consequently no pecuniary
inducement offered 10 any one to pad the list
with the names Of dead men. or fictitious names
sscribed to fictitious residences, or to forge
names, or to secure proxy signatures, as where
head of q room was induced by the railroad
canvasser to sign for the government employees
under HIM The petition has also been printed
and discussed in The STAR and the oppor tunity
has been given TO sign with a full understand
ing of what the act meant This fact has pre-
vented the obtaining of signatures under false
pretenses, a frequent complaint on the part Of
signers to the railroad petitions.
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 and two hundred
signatures were obtained good while ago by
the railroad IN favor of the Atkinson BILL and
these are the only petitioners who directly op
pose the thousands who have signed the pro-
test against the bill A considerable number
OF the business men who signed for the Akin
son bill in this original petition did SO, how
ever, through a Misunderstanding of the
situation 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
nOns sent TO IHE STAR and known opinions of
other Signers indicate that a very large major
ity of the signers Of The STAR petition favor
the more radical method of remedying the
syil of railroad occupation Of the mall by a re-
nOyal of the station there are. however. a
considerable number of the sigRers who are
indffere Mt on this point OF who favor "a reten-
ton OF the station on the mali. but IndOrse the
other suggested improvements. The latter in
clude some oi the bes: names ON the unpadded
potion 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 10 The STAR petition are
notable not only in quantity but in quality
They include, rs stated. most of the weighty
names on the previous petitions, and hundreds
of others. who have 'unfiinchingly stood by
Washington from the first
The business men. the merchants of the CITY,
mike a tne showing ON the petition in spite of
the IntimatiOn of the advocates Of the Akin
sou bill that they the class upon whom the
railroad could exercise the greatest pressure
would hesisate to saw a word even tor the pro-
lection Of life the adornment of the city and
the removal OF trade obstruction. The mer-
chants have nobly indicated themselves
from the imputation Of cowardy selfshness
Almost every line Of trade in the city is repre-
sented III the list of petitioners against the
Atkinson bill.
1t will be remembered that the board of
trade at al extraordinarily well attended meet
ing on March 49, 1880. at which the Post
reported that fully 800 of Washington's solid
citizens" were present. adopted. without a dis
sentlng vote, the report of the railroad COM
mittee cOndemnlng the Atkinson BILL and
directed that committee to urge the views of
the report upon Congress. This unanimous
action Of a nearly full board meeting remains
as the action Of the organization. The ralrOad
has attempted to break the force of this con-
demnstlon by causing it to be published that
some nifty of the members Of the board favor
the retention Of the station on the mall IL
fayOring the present station site meant indoors
ing the Atkinson bill. as il clearly does not the
alleged revolving board Of trade members would
constitute only fraction of the full member
ship of several hundred, and most of this frac-
ton have confessed that they failed to per-
form their duties members of the board
and were absent from the meeting at
which the board declared the policy in respect
TO railroad matters which binds the organiza-
ton The signatures Of many of the members
Of the board. a very large number. however,
being now absent for the summer indicate
clearly that the board does not 20 back upon
Itself. but IL still In line upon ths subject with
the people and business men OF the city. Some
of the small number credited with opposing
the policy Of the board have signed the petition
against the Atkinson bill
AAc well as the merchants
naturally figure largely on Ink stan petition
The Federation OF Labor. representing nine
teen vOrklngmens organizations of the city,
had condemned the Atkinson bill m the
strongest q rms. and the condemnation was IL
OOrsed by the local assembly OF knights Of
LaoOr. Very readily. therefore. the repre-
sentative men among the wOrkIngmen attached
their names TO the printed petition. In this
connection IHE STAR has just received com
ANNEXATION from the Federation of Labor pub
lshed elsewhere in this paper) in which il is
stated that the federation. by a unanimous
vote. has instructed It's officers TO sign officially
Tor the organization The STAR petition.
The ministers Of South Washington have
sent vigorous protest against the Atkinson
bill 10 Congress, and their action is supple
mented BY the signatures of = number of the
:leTgymen IN other parts of the city to The
STAR petition The clergy is naturally inter-
ested IN q movement to decrease bloodshed aud
10 practically a unit against grade crossings and
the Atkinson bill.
The ladies have not availed themselves in
any considerable number Of she privilege
which was granted them Of voting in this mat
ter. Probably they rely upon the men to pro-
tect them IN protecting themselves
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.
In publishing few sample names from its
hst of signers The STAR Is embarrassed BY ex-
cess of riches. Space will not permit rhe pub
ncAtlon Of more than a very small number in