The Washington critic., 1890-05-20
wAsHINGroN,s SHAME.


Hon. Mr. Thompson of Ohio yester-
day introduced in the House resolu-
tion which entities him to the fervent
gratitude of every respectable resident
of the city. 1t was high time that some
one in Congress should turn aside for
moment to inquire into certain local
affairs of the District. Since 1t appears
that there is no one among the local
officials assessing both the authority
and the disposition to interfere in be-
half of the people, it was happy
thought on Mr. Thompson's part to
ask why such things should be and
whether there was no remedy for them.
The worst of the evils mentioned in
Mr.. Thompson's resolution is that of
fast and reckless driving, especially
upon our most crowded thoroughfares.
This evil is fragrant, it is steadily in
creasing, and the infuriating feature of
ii is that the police regard it with
apathy as though it were curse en-
tirely beyond their reach. Only when
some hapless creature has been actually
run down and crushed beneath the
wheels of a wildly-driven vehicle, does
il occur TO the average police officer
that he has any part to play. AS for
doing anything to prevent harm or TO
punish drivers for their hourly viola
tion of the law, that is simply not
thought Of
Most of this reckless and criminal
driving is done by colored coachmen.
= he negro is, now, precisely what h ;
was fifty years ago. Heis arrogant and
il solent in exact accordance with what
he cenceives TO be the prominence and
p wer of his master Take him out of
the gutter or the cornfelds, wrap him
mp in gaudy livery, stick a feather In
his hat and mount him on the box of
dashing equipage, and not the haught'
cst plutocrat in twenty States holds the
pedestrian rabble in more utter scorn
Than he does. 1t Is the same feeling
that in ante bellum days inspired the
rich Shareholder fatted flunkey to treat
with contumely, and even violence, the
poor white trash" who ventured into
the way of his reflected greatness.
These fellows, driving swell tl'dn- outs
for wealthy or intiuesltial employers,
think nothing Of funning down foot
. ..s.ss-csser9S and have been encouraged so
long. by the immunity they receive at
the hands of the authorities that they
now look upon 1t as pastime which
they are privileged TO enjoy.
1t is hardly worth while to give in
stances, for nearly every citizen of
Washington has been either the victim
or the eye witness of some outrage of
the kind. Only yesterday afternoon, a
little after 3 O. clock, at the intersection
Of Pennsylvania and New York avenues
and Fifteenth street, negro coachman
driving handsome landau made as
deliberate and vicious an attempt tC
run down two pedestrians as has ever
disgraced this city. He was a young
smooth shaven ruiiian, driving at a
pace for which alone he should have
been sent TO jail, and dozen bystand-
ers saw unmistakably that he was bear
ing down swiftly on the two pedestrians
without the smallest effort either to
warn them or to check the headway of
his team. But for cry from some one
on the sidewalk one or both OF the
gentlemen would have been manned, II
mot killed outright. AS It was, theil
escape was Of the narrowest. The Ian
dau almost brushed them with 1t.
wheels as it dashed up Fifteenth stree
ard disappeared beyond the Shoreham
To say that such performances a
these are disgrace to the city and ;
blot on our civilization is to waste time
in trite and petty axiom. What the city
reeds isthat Mr., Thompson shall pres
his inquiry until something is done tc
check these insoent rowdies, and no
10 hold his hand until the District au
thOrities are made to understand tina
they must keep them checked.