Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-23
nix. PERRY's ARGUMENT.
Closing the Governments Case Before &
Park Commission.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. r Ross Perry be-
gan his argument for the government before
the Rock Greek Park commission. In antici-
patton Of Mr.. Perry's effort the old Circuit
Court room was filed with an audience COM
posed Of counsel land owners, members Of the
bar and citizens interested in the proposed
park.
Mr.. Perry, who still suffers from the effects
OF severe cold. said that it was matter for
conGratulation to all concerned that these pro-
eeedings, which had continued for SO long and
which had tried the patience and strength Of
every one connected with them, we're % nearly
ended. In length of time occupied. in extent
OF energy expended. in the vastness OF the ter
ritory to be taken, the present case was per-
haps unexsmpled. 1t certainly was in the op-
position against which the government had to
contend. 1t seemed to have been the main,
indeed the single, purpose Of counsel
for the land owners to convince the
commission that this government of ours.
great and glorious il was, had but one OBJ
feet in view in these proceedings, viz, the de-
| struction Of the private rights of its own citi-
zens. 1t appeared TO him as if there were no
limit to this almost neyer-ending discussion OF
| private rights
THE RIGHT OF EMINENT DOMAIN.
But there was a limit, and that limit wss
| found in the rights of the government The
| right order of things was sought to be reversed
by counsel on the other eide and they had en-
| deavored to convince the commission that the
| citizens rights not the governments. were
paramount. Yet, notwithstanding this I'M
ceasing effort OF those gentlemen, he felt that
there was little need for him to combat this
| idea. for he had every reason to believe that
! the commission knew full well that the reverse
| Of this proposition was true and that one Of
| the first obligations due the government wac o
ready. cheerful acquiescence from its citizens
| in its just and lawful demands.
One OF the first rights OF the government
| and one which demanded an instant and willing
obedience, was the right which was sought to
be enforced In these proceedings, the right OF
| eminent domain This right. however, had
not only been stoutly resisted in the present
case, but also in almost every other such case
| from the very inception of the government
up to the present time. Yet, through the
exercise of this right Of eminent domain
the vast territory west Of the Allegheny
mountains had been opened and peopled,
light houses and life-saving stations lad been
established, hospitals had been built and school
houses had been erected. If ever this right of
eminent domain had been sought to be exer-
cised in a cause just and humane it was in the
present one, which had for its object the per-
petuation of a resort wherein the poor the I'M
fortunates of this great city, and its little
children might breathe the fresh. pure air of
wood and field and feast their eyes Gods
green grass and running water. Therefore,
when he realized. as he did now. that he was
speaking not for the rich, but for the poor, he
trembied under the responsibility imposed
upon him And he would say that unless we
give such Of our people taste Of the good
things of this life we rest upon a reed. The Sc
curity of society rests upon OUT doing 80. The
encouragement of their humble aspirations
was the correct answer to the question as to
their iuture-not the work house; not the peni-
Tertiary, Such solution of the problem WAS
not alone sound religion; it was as truly good
politics
THE CHARACTER OF THE LAND.
Mr.. Perry then spoke of the general features
of the land sought to be acquired. 1t was, as Mr..
Maddox had said Of Mr.. Pages tract, unique.
There was other land like it in the District.
Rock Creek valley was chasm 800 feet deep
lying between hills There was no thorough
fare in the park or near it, 7th street, one-half
mile distant. being the nearest one. The his
tory of lands in the proposed park was that un-
tai 1885 they were at a standstill. Then the
park project was thought of.vultures smelt the
carri0n from afar and the SPECTATORS rushed
in. Since then Washington had grown from a
provincial town to a great metropolitan city;
millions have been spent in its growth, hum
dreds and hundreds of houses have been
| erected, but not one In Rock Creek Park.
Thomas Circle, Mr.. Perry said, had been cited
/ by counsel for the land owners as the center of
"
| denied the statement. The object of locating
the center Of value there TOO obvious to
! need mention. Referring to the attempt to set
an average of value on the different tracts, he
said one might as well attempt to lind the aver
| age value per piece of twenty five-dollar gold
pieces. ten tens, five twenties aud Ave forties.
No greater fallacy ever existed than this idea
\ Of average value.
SPECULATION IN LAND.
/ Mr.. Perry then began a discussion Of the
value to be given each tract. beginning with
No. 81, belonging to Mr.. Harvey L. Page. Three
| thousand dollars per acre was, he thought, more
than fair price for it Referring TO Rosemont
| Park. he said it WAS a most absurd subdivision:
| one which existed only on paper, with a gully
for its single street and alleys to its lots 1t
| owed its existence to the. proposed park, and
| the sales in it had the same foundation. On
| such transactions and the purchase of a tract
| in the park limits 800 feet wide and one-half
mile long by Mr. Forest he was willing to rest
his whole argument The purchase Of land
| in the park by the Rock Greek Park Company
after the park act had become a law was an
other illustration Of an attempt to make the
| government pay an exorbitant price. 1t was
l bad enough to have to deal with the land
| owners themselves. but what could be said of
| the outside capitalists who had thus acted. To
the bona-fde homestead owner he trusted q
/ just and liberal compensation would be given.
and justice to the speculators, Tor that is what
/ the latter do not desire.
Mr.. Perry, having compared Rosemont Park
with Petworsh and similar tracts. Mr.. Maddox
said:
| Mr.. Perry, why don't you compare Rose
| mont with Ingleside3'
Mr.. Psrry-why don't you compare me
with the Apollo Belvidere?
Mr.. Maddox invariably do.
| Mr.. Perry-well. 1 trust you will not; for
/ am far from being he.
Outside of the gold in this case nothing else