Evening star., 1909-02-14
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

AAV u "a - ~ a "a ~
Fifty years ago "retrenchment and re-
form was a popular shibboleth in some
circles. In Congress the
Tubllc dominant democracy had
grown timid lest the public
expenses were growing too
rapidly, and economy WAS the order of
the day. The Star of February = 1859.
has the following to say on the SUBJ
ject:
THE demagosues Of the opposition are
making the best possible use of the means
OF the gentlemen on the democratic side
in whose eyes dollars are notoriously of
the diameter of cart wheels. 1t is fortu
nate for the reputation Of the demo-
cratic party among the voting public,
however. that there never fails to be in
legislative public life here gentlemen who.
like Mr.. Sam Smith of Tennessee. have
acumen and industry sufficient to enable
them to collect and condense for popular
reading ample data to put to flight In
short order all the bugbears concerning
democratic party extravaganza. which
the opposition leaders may manufacture
out of the Jeremiads over governmental
expenditure with which cart-wheel gentle
Pile MIR. Smith shows beyond dispute
that taking the circumstances of the coun-
try into consideration It's affairs are now
quite as economically administered as at
any previous period of its history. The
existing panic in Congress concerning the
public expenditures is the work of the
adroit misrepresentation of the opposi-
ton press and public men. Of the COM
plants Of others who cannot comprehend
why 1t should cost more to feed and
ciothe an army in Utah. for instance, than
when stationed in the Notifications on the
Atlantic coast"
President Euchanan's reception on the
night of February S. 1889, was we'll at
tended by curlously
Mixed mixed company. as The
co~ro,, Stars report the next day
would suggest:
The President was In his usual good
health, with the exception of slight
| cold, causing noticeable hoarseness,
and Miss Lane appeared to charming ad-
vantage in all respects. She was as
sisted by Mrs. Roosevelt of New York,
and Mrs Craig of Georgia. both of whom
are now guests at the White House.
Among the notable persons present
may be mentioned Senator Gwin lady and
daughter: the venerable Senator Hous-
ton, with a fair young lady clinging to
his patriarchal arm: Senator Mallory,
with the accomplished Miss Davenport.
the actress. at his side: Lord Napier and
Count Sartiges and company. without
ladies'; Mile. Piccolomini'' Ga then popu-
lar Italian opera singer accompanied
by the Sandman minister, her father.
mother and sister being also present. and
many others whose names cannot
now call to mind. A delegation of Pot
taWctomie Indians were else present.
who seemed to enjoy themselves amaz-
inely.
The wife of the Hon. Mr.. Bishop Of
Connecticut seemed to be considered one
of the most beautiful women present
and we heard particular resemblance
between the beautiful Piccolomini and
Mrs. d. f. Sickles of New York. much
commented on"
The House having passed bill grant
ing to company the right to construct
street railway along
avenue Pennsylvania avenue. the
po;lr,.d Senate began its consddera-
tion on the 29th of Janu-
airy. strong opposition developed and
the Senate adjourned on that day without
action. week later, on Saturday, Feb
| ruary ), the bill was debated once more
| at such length that at last the quorum
| disappeared and the measure went over
1t was discussed on Monday without re-
suit. and on Tuesday. February g. 1t was
carried to the point of final vote when
| it was rejected. 90 to 25> The opposition
to the bill was chiefly inspired by the
fear that the charter proposed in the bill
was too broad. permitting the corpora
tion to do all manner of business with
out sufficient restriction. On the last
day an amendment was adopted au-
thorizing the metropolitan Railroad
Company" to construct the road and pro-
Wong that It should not pay dividend
until it had built a line from Georgetown
| to Point of Rocks. One senator explained
that he voted for this amendment In
order to defeat the bill, as he was op-
posed to placing any track on Pennsyl-
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany. with the only line entering Wash
ington fifty years ago. was
b. q o. desirous OF extending its
Rr.pch road through the capital into
Virginia. In The Star Of
February II is an article setting forth
the various means whereby 1t was pro-
posed by the company to pass through
the city. concluding:
80 TAR as the interests Of this city are
cQncerned. we have no doubt that the
proposition to extend the railroad to Buz-
| zard point-the high headland between
| the navy yard and the arsenal-will prove
| most advantageous, as 1t will open to
settlement, as 1t were. that section Of the
city. and will thus result in a consider
able increase of the corporations reve-
nue. from the sixth ward. The condition
of that portion of the city has been an
eyesOre for the last quarter Of a century.
The construction and use Of railroad
through it will at once cause it to wear
the air OF Improvement incident to every
other portion Of Washington.
$50 far as the Long Bridge project is
concerned. we are satisfied that no time
would be saved by resorting to 1t, using
horse power, and that unless the enter
prise be restricted most stringenty 1t
might vitiate the contract of the govern
ment made when it purcha sed that struc-
ture, that 1t shall be kept up as free
bridge for the use Of travel by ordinary
vehicles-a matter of great Importance to
the interests of the seventh ward particu
larly. as we'll as to the consumers Of
marketing in the District Of Columbia.
The government is now bound by formal
contract, embraced In the deed in which
1t purchased the Long Bridge, to keep It
up in perpetuo free bridge. To deed it
to any railroad company under the ex-
pectation that 1t would use 1t as much for
the original purpose of it's purchase by the
government as for source Of revenue