Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
Fifty Years Ago
la The Star

Fifty years ago the area now known
as Potomac Park, where the cherry
blossoms are
When Potomac Park abloom. was
Was a Foul Marsh. q Io'l marsh
cure its reclamation through river
dredging had failed, but hope persisted
that this might soon be accomplished.
The Star Of April s, 1881, says:
Though Congress failed at its last
session to pass any direct measure for
the reclamation of the malarial flats,
there Is still a possibility that the
needed work may be initiated through
the expenditure Of the appropriation
of fifty thousand dollars in the river
and harbor bill for the improvement
of the Potomac at this point. Last year
in executing the work under the appro-
priation in the river and harbor bill
the dredgings were dumped into the
river opposite Giesboro, and 1t is be-
Heved that their presence there had
much to do with the formation Of the
ice Jam that backed the river food into
Washington so disastrously in Feb
ruary. In other words, the dredgings,
instead Of going where they would be
OF positive service in the way of re-
claiming the flats, have been carried
down river and dumped where they
serve TO make a new impeachment to
navigation. The Government Engi-
neers have heretofore felt it their duty,
in expanding the appropriation, to
dump the excavations where it would
cost the least money to do the work,
and as the bids of the contractors were
a trifie lower for making the deposits
down river than on the flats, the former
bids were accepted. The experiment
of dumping down river has worked so
badly, and there is such an cutlery against
1t from all interested in preserving the
navigation of the river. that it is mani
fest the system must be abandoned.
The true economy will be to dump the
deposits where they will aid in making
dry land of the pestilential flats, and it
IS to be hoped that no objection will be
found to Gen. Wright's proposition to
that end"
In The Star of April 8, 1881, the fol-
lowing appears:
The District authorities have promptly
Endorsed Gen. Wright's plan for com
mencing the reclamation of the Poto-
mac flats by depositing the channel
dredgingS upon them and there is now
prospect that the good work, once in
1tlated, will go on steadily until the ma
lartal marsh nuisance will be the only
thing Of unpleasant memory. This i'm
prove lent is the main one now needed
to mAes Washington and its surround
1ngs both beautiful and healthy. The
river front Is the one thing remaining
offensive to the eye and the nose. It is
likely that when Congress sees that q
positive step has been taken toward this
work Of improvement the necessary APP
preparations for carrying it through
with speed will be readily voted The
trouble has been to get the thing
started"
X X
Congress, and in fact all the legis-
lative bodies Of this country" says The
Star OF April 8, 1881,
of Congress. emily criticized, con-
nounced by the press. 1t is a common
thing for newspapers to speak of a GER
tain Congress or Legislature as null
sance or as an evil, but Chicago
paper takes a step ahead of all others
and condemns the system. 1t advises
the adjustment of Congress and of
State Legislatures but does not pro-
pose anything in the nature OF a sub
Stitute. AS long as this Government
rests upon the will of the people, legis-
lative bodies cannot be abolished. To
do away with them is to revolutionize
our system of government. Undoubt-
eddy. many mistakes are made by Con-
gress, mistakes which call for proper
criticism by the press, but the habit of
referring to these bodies hippansiy has
become almost general with the press.
Reading continually such paragraphs,
implying and expressing contempt for
Congress, many people have. fallen into
the way Of speaking with habitual dis
respect of our national lawmakers. To
denounce a whole Congress as corrupt
or imbecile Is in effect to put precisely
the same stamp of condemnation upon
the people, for the Representatives are
chosen by the people. But what Is in
fnitely worse, this habit of referring to
Congress in contemptuous terms is
working a great evil. 1t is instilling
into the minds Of The youth, who must
ere long rule the land q positive feeling
of disrespect for the lawmakers and for
our Government. This constant depre-
citation of our Government gradually
saps the feeling Of patriotism which the
youth of allPast generations have felt
for our free institutions"