Evening star., 1900-12-20
A Dangerous Legislative Tendency.

The national capital iS to be congratulated
on the passage of legislation which Will
eliminate grade crossings from the city.
abolish the dangerous nuisance of Long
bridge and give to Washington imposing
and attractive terminal stations and equip
nents in place of the present eyesores.
These improvements have long been fought
for by public-spirited Washing tonians.
While the capital Is pleased that these
beneficial changes are to be brought about
nobody but the railroads can be congratu-
lated upon the terms upon which the m
provements are accomplished. The public
paws in land and money practically all of the
direct cost Of the elimination of grade cross
fnes the railroads in a general way meet
ing the expense of building new stations
and improving for their own business benefit
their terminal equipment. In the case OF
the Baltimore and Ohio the public even
pays cash toward terminal improvements
meeting half the expense of its new right
of-way where streets are not grdtnftouslF
used. contributing half the cost OF new
round house. water tank. and freight yard
filing and Improvement, and paying one
half the expense Of elevating its new sta
ton and terminals on the remarkable plea
that Its station would not need TO be eie-
waited except to conform to the elevated
tracks In the whole history of grade
crossings elimination there was never
case even when the final tribunal was
corporatton-controlled board of aldermen
and common councilmen. in which similar
improvements were accomplished under
terms so advantageous to the railroads and
80 detrimental to the public
To secure the great benefits Of elimlnat-
Ing the South Washington grade crossings
Goo.
ton Of the Mall has been permanently
abandoned to railroad occupation. desc
Grafton and municipal Disagreement against
which long line of District Commission
ers and engineer officers in charge of the
capitals parks have vigorously protested,
and the Long bridge. loaned to the railroad
company on conditions of public accommo-
dation which have been violated, is turned
over gratuitously. permanently and exclu-
sively to the corporation, the public reserv
ing the Pickwickian privilege of building
at its own expense another bridge some
where else.
II is doubtless better that these Improve
ments should be accomplished under terms
which disclose that the railroads have out
witted the municipal authorities and un-
duly Influenced Congress than that they
should not have been accomplished at all.
Very clearly the large. hasty and in the
beginning inequitably apportioned expendi-
lures which under Shepherd transformed
Washington have vindicated themselves.
But 1t Is regrettable that at this late stage
in the capitals history absolutely essential
municipal improvements could not be Sc
cured except on terms which Chicago, Buff
falo. Rochester. Elizabeth and a score of
other cities, large and small. would as
4hat~
show. have scorned to accept
There was absolutely nothing logically to
be said In favor of the Baltimore and Ohio
million and half gratuity, except that the
public had presented to the Pennsylvania
road two million dollars worth Of land, to
which 1t was not entitled; and consequent
ly. not having this amount OF land in the
vicinity of the Baltimore and Ohio tracks
TO turn over to that corpora tion it became
the duty OF the public to make UP in cash
from the public purse a like undeserved
gratulty to the Baltimore and Ohio The
equities between the railroads as competi-
tive undeserving beneficiaries at the public
expense were TO be scrupulously preserved:
'he equities OF the United States and the
District of Columbia could be safely dis-
Regarded.
There Is an obvious danger both to ths
republic and to the republican party in the
present tendencies of congressional leeisIa-
ton. The republican machinery was ruth
iessly used to push these railroad bfIls
through practically unchanged A railroad
combination Is hostile to the Nicarap7,an
canal Tor which the national and popular
demand is 50 strong. and threatens the de-
feat OF the project The allied transpor.a
con interests which Will be benefited by the
selves, as II the project were TO distribute
the money among them or part of them
on the basis Of campaign usefulness, aid
not Weli-considered nationally beneficial
scheme Of developing by rational methods
and Judicious expenditures an American
merchant marine. Comparatively inadequate
attention is paid to such measures as the
oleomargarine bill, legislation demanded in
the interest Of farmers and dairymen
Ihe strongest campaign argument against
tht republicans in the recent presidential
eiectOn was that which under the cry of
trusts imputed undue influence in the
party councils to corporate combinations
al the expense of the individual and of the
municipality and of the nation. To carry
out the important public policies outlined 5y
1t the republican party will need to carry
the next House of Representatives The
administration will take a Just pride not
only in placing during its second term rec
ord OF notable achievement among the
chapters of the republics history, but also
IN so shaping wise legislative and executive
acts that four years hence it may with he
nations sanction transfer power to a sue
oessor of the same partisan faith If these
hopes and ambitions are to be gratified at
tention should be paid In time to perilous
tendencies which lead into the political
quagmire
Mr. Bryan is too much opposed to irregu-
lar methods in politics to permit him to
think OF accepting votes in lieu of cash pay
ments for scriptions