Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-10
washirgton was silent city las. night. Voices

washirgton was silent city last night. Voices
shat ordinarily harsh and strident were soft
of tone, and the sounds Of music that make
evening harmopiously sweet and jubilant were
pushed. Children ceased to plsy-loitered on
the streets and told each other Of what they had
seen or heard; men and women clustered
Ground doorsteps and In subdued tones dis
eussed the horror that will haun. thousands for
some time to come. Here and there an unin-
aured survivor would be the central figure in .
group Of soberly- glad relatives and friends. In
many homes cruely-mutilatsd men moaned the
night through, while the soft hands and sooth-
fng presence Of women who were near and dear
nobly endeavored to subdue fever and allay
pain. Then there were darkened chambers,
where the widowed and the fatherless sat in
oppressive silence or wept over the distorted
Bodies Of their beloved dead. Since the night
when the martyr President was carried from
out the building which yesterday claimed so many
victims this usually happy city has known no
such grief. But the sorrowful indignation that
had its origin in the awful catastrophe In which
men were murdered and hearts were broken
suffers no subsidence. The voices Of all. save
those to whom some degree Of responsibility
may attach, are heard in condemnation Of the
men whose methods made such . frightful &C.
surrsncs possible. and a. the days 60 by the
denunciatlon will gather strength and by it's
earnestness and dynamic persistence must COM
mand attention Of the practical and desired de-
scripron- First to investigate the causes that
aed to this sanguinary approximation no sane
man dares call it an aceident-will be the cor
oner and his jury. Let them be thorough in
che task given them by Law and fearless in the
Judgment they render. Primarily, OF course
that vague authority known to the world the
United States government ID the burden bearer,
Blu. IL works through individuals who
have distinct responsibility. Except by the
vigorous language Of reproof some Of
these-and probably the srch-criminals-
may not be reached. but the indictment, futile
though 1t be, should nevertheless be read so
loudly that the nation shall hear, SO plainly that
the fool may understand what manner Of men
are those who misrepresent the most liberal Of
peoples, Who in economys name shed the blood
Of good citizens and bring desolation to homes
that but FOR legislative niggardliness might
never have known discomfort. Owning and
controlling the structure the United States
must be held to accountability. II it was unit
for habitation and VIGOROUSLY unsafe Congress
b TO be blamed for its failure to erect a sufi-
cheney Of government buildings; and the ad-
ninistration forces also, for they alone could
practically compel occupancy. Questions still
unanswered are. "was the third floor over
loaded and did its weakness cause the
vrsch?' or Did the eIcavating beneath thelower
floor bring about the COLLAPSED" Somebody
must be to blame and he, no matter what his
standing. should be specifically condemned II
b early yet to discuss what Congress may do
for the families Of those whom its penurious-
ness killed or for the crippies it made so
.eheapiy but no one can doubt that the next
House and Senate will be shamed into dealing
literally with the unfortunate survivors. In
%he meantime il Is enough to know that local
bensvolsncs will do its utmost to avert such
distress as is subservient to money; that SYM
patty will not soon cease: