Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-23

The libellous reflections upon the motives OF
some Of those who are justly honored by the
public as responsible for the creation of Rock
Greek Park, which have been printed in the
Washington correspondence of one of the New
York papers, were not repeated in the
formal statements before the House appropria-
lions committee. This abstention was wise and
prudent This slanderous matter has I'M
doubtedly been foisted upon the correspondent
in question by interested persons, and is
better adapted to be whispered irresponsibly
into the ears Of Congressman and newspaper
men than to be publicly charged when the ac-
eused and the accusers are face to face.
The obvious attempt of those who would
place private before public interest in this
matter Is to destroy the prevailing view Of the
park project as a great public Improvement
for the accomplishment of which citizens OF
intelligence have been working at intervals for
more than twenty years, and in the attainment
Of which the whole community rejoiced, and
to picture it to new Congress as a mere
real estate speculation, recently concocted
and engineered by the California syndi-
cate, of which soulless aggregation Of capital
the citizens who have been active In creating
the park are represented as the tools The
well-known history of the successful park
movement and Of those which preceded it
demonstrates convineingly the absurdity of
this attempt. 1t Is Indignantly denied by the
commission and by the prominent citizens in
strumental in establishing the park, who are
aimed at in these innuendoes, that they own or
are interested in any property abuttinS upon
or directly benefited by the park, or that they
have been manipulated or imposed upon by
anybody And the public believes their state
ments-
There is no occasion. however, for any one
who has been active IN the park project to be
ashamed of this activity, even if he owns prop
erty which is benefited. Ii the California syn
dlcate had framed and practically enacted the
park legisla ton solely in its own interest, and
the public had not ,srticipated in the action,
1t would not have been likely to permit the
passage OF the act with the provision which
Assesses upon it special benefits. What an alb
surdity as a grasplng Octopus it would be to
secure this legislation for its benefit and then
provide for taxing itself in proportion to this
benefit,
Every citizen who has had hand in the mag
Observation-Disclosures to the healthfulness and at
Effectiveness Of Washington whichis involvedin
ling. picturesque stream instead of an open,
sinking sewey is proud Of his connection with
the movement. and at every stage of the pro-
ceedin2s takes and will take a lively interest in
perfeetinS this grand project. OF what con-
sequence is it to the public if in the great multi
tude OF those who favored the park (substan-
tally the whole community indorsing the pro-
jecD there weres fewwhose property would be
specially benefited by the parks creation in
addition to the general public benefit? What
does it matter if in these few persons con-
siderations Of self-interest mingled with pub
Ec-spirited motives in determining their atti-
tude? Every public Improvement means such
special beneiciaries, and Congress in recog-
milton Of this fact provided for an
assessment upon those to be directly and
specially advantaged by tine creation of the
park. II any real-estate Spectator specially
profits by the park he can be made to pay to
the public for that benefit under existing law
The only obvious and reasonably probable fleet
Of this appeal from the President and United
States SUP RENE Court to the House committee on
appropriations will be to give vigor to the
assessment-of-benefts provision. If there is
no misuse of the present appropriation and no
request for an additional appropriation the
only way in which the committee can save
Uncle Sam money will be by insisting upon the
assessment and payment Of special benefits to
the last cent This result is not at all what
the few dissatisfied Rock creek property
owners, who are kicking up the cOmmotion,
are working for.
/; is suggested that the bill to provide for an
Investigation Of Rock Creek Park expenditures
may be referred to the judiciary committee.
What in the world has this committee to do
with the District or with District expenditures?
II law of the last Congress is to
be construed, is not the executive
aided by his legal advisers, to construe it in the
FIRST instance in enforcing il, and are not the
courts provided to settle disputes which may
arise concerning the construction of laws?
Moreover in this case 1t is not legal questions,
but expenditures, which it is proposed to inves-
tgate.