Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-23
The Memorial Bridge.

Despite the action of the House Saturday
in refusing to accede to Mr.. Grosvsnor' $
motion to recede from opposition to the
Senate's Memorial bridge appropriation on
the suudry civil bill. there is still reason
for the friends of the project to continue
their hard work to secure this legislative
start on the enterprise. The vote Saturday
was not an instruction to the House con-
ferees to resist the amendment. merely a
refusal to accept it formally. The question
remains open.
Considering the weakness of the argu-
ments brought against the bridge project
by the four men who voiced the opposition,
it should not prove a difficult task to per-
suade the House of the necessity of making
a beginning now. First Mr.. Robinson of
Indiana. who was born the year the civil
war began refused to appreciate the me-
mortal. patriotic character of the structure,
but insisted upon stigmatizing it as a
scheme to connect the Virginia constituents
of Mr.. Rixey with the District at the gov
ernment's expense. Next, Mr.. McRae of
Arkansas. who was only ten years old when
the war began, and therefore did not par
ticipIte in the struggle, declared that the
bridge project had not been considered with
sufficient care. or by the proper committee
entirely ignoring its bulky record of COM
mittee hearings. official reports. architects
recommendations and departmental and eX-
ecUtive reports. Mr.. Mann of Illinois. who
was only five years of age when Sumter was
fired on. asserted that there is no sentiment
in favor of the bridge on the part of the
old soldiers of the north. with whom, of
course. he enjoys a close. sympathetic COM
muniOn, and that the whole affair is a
game to enhance private property values.
Finally. Mr.. Cannon who, despite his name,
has no war record other than that of hav-
ing served as district attorney of his county
from March. 1851. to December. 1868, ridi-
culed the bridge plan as an old one as a
scheme to boom real estate as unnecessary
in view of the repairs to the Aqueduct and
the replacement of the Long bridges, as a
drain upon the public funds while the Dis
trict-which is to pay no share of its cost
needs many important betterments, and as
the child of perfunctory official recommen-
datiOns. lifeless until vivified by the all
wise. all-powerful Congress.
Thus four representatives not one of
them a veteran of the war. misstated or
miscOnCeived the purposes. history and SEN
timent of the proposition while the House
was listening to the earnest but necessarily
curtailed arguments in its behalf of two ex-
Union soldiers, one ex-cOnfederate and one
representative of the new south. Strange
to say, the House refused TO cast the vote
which would have settled at last for all
time the long doubt as to the nations in
tent in the premises. 1t stands pledged,
from another year. to aCcede TO this plan.
A stubborn deadlock in conference was
broken a few sessions ago only when the
House managers solemnly promised that if
the bridge item were surrendered then for
the sake of the appearance Of economy
there would be no objection 10 it the next
year. The Senate, always a true friend of
the enterprise. yielded. only 10 find later
that it had been tricked when the House
again blandly refused 10 aCcede TO the item.
ignoring the pledge.
How long Is this process to be continued?
How long are the people TO ask respectfully
for the memorial 20 American patriotism
in the form Of this bridge at Washington,
only TO have Congress fail TO answer?
How long are the words of President Nc
kinley, urging the construction of this link
Of reunion between the sections. to be dis
regarded? How long are the petty econO-
mists and thu narrow sectionalists to con-
troll the situation against the wishes of the
people of all classes. both sections and both
partieS2