The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-07

While, OF course, this paper would be sorry
to see any one deprived of anything that be-
longs to him, either present or prospective, in
the interest of the peace OF Washington II is
TO be hoped that the vein OF gold-bearing
quartz said to have been discovered in the
Rock Creek region will not pan out very
rich. 1t would be very awkward and disa-
greeable to have the beautiful and well-kept
Washington we all now enjoy suddenly trans
formed into a bustling mining camp, with a
horde of gold-hunting prospectors swarming
in the parks and squares stalking off their
claims in sordid disregard of the ''keep-off-
the-grass" signs, and obliterating in day. the
slowly-perfected work of the landscape gar
deners. The thought that such result
might follow should the Rock Creek gold
vein prove very rich would almost drive one
to performing the operation just the reverse
of what is known as sailing a mine No
matter what happens, however, the reassuring
thought comes that while moderately rich
gold vein might pay for development in the
suburbs, it would have to be a very rich one
indeed, that could show a greater intrinsic
value than real estate in Washington proper
possesses for ordinary business and residence
purposes. Those who had the wisdom and fore
sight few years ago to make investments i'll
Washington real estate have something as
good as gold mine, with none of the un-
certainties which proverbially attend mining
operations. And there are still plenty of op-
portunities for thousands of Others to get
hold of just as good things in the same line
In this sense there is gold to be found in
every foot of ground in Washington.
-e>.-
of fhn inf ,,,,ll
spirited citizens generally learned with much
satisfaction of the decision of the court in the
case of ex-Policeman Hutton. This decision
is understood to have the force OF annulling
what is known as the Army and Navy clause,
relating to the appointment of members of the
District police force. This clause had for
years been stumbling block in the way of
the Commissioners and the Major of Police,
seriously hampering all their efforts to make
up their limited police force of the most
available material. They were compelled by
the supposed force of this clause to give the
preference in police appointments to honor
ably discharged men who had served in
the Regular Army or Navy. This law was
relic of the days when the District OF Co
lumbia was looked upon as having no rights
which anybody was bound to respect, and
when its Offices were doled out to political
tramps who drifted in here from all parts of
the compass and bulldozed or pestered
Presidents and Senators into quartering them
on our helpless citizens. The policemen who
were obtained under the restrictions imposed
by law were often, according to the testimony
of police officials, Ignorant stupid, and en-
tirely out OF sympathy with the spirit of civil
law. 1t is not to be expected that the best
class of men will serve in the Army in time
of peace for the remuneration paid; but these
men when discharged had to be good enough
to take upon themselves the important duties
OF policeman, guarding life and property
and maintaining order in the District of 10
lumbia. 1t was the yilest imposition ever in
dicted on an American community and would
not have been tolerated anywhere else but in
Washington for such length of time.
There seems little doubt that the decision of
the court will be coincided with by Comptroller
Matthews, who has something to say in the
premises. 1t is another point won in the
struggle for home rule in the District, and it
is an important one.