Evening star., 1940-07-28
Fifty Years Ago
In The Stur

in vigorous campaign or pubnclty ana
argument for the clear
Roilrood Fight ance from the Mall and
Continues the public streets Of the
railroad tracks and
structures which had been established
there long previous. Legislation IA
vorable to the Pennsylvania Railroad
was pending, and this was quite the
most important question then at issue.
The Star of July %. 1890, says:
The advocates of total surrender to
the railroad pronounce absurd and un-
warrantable the assumption that If Con-
gress now grants what the railroad asks
the railroad will henceforth close its
ears to what the people ask. The road
has been deaf to the appeals of the
people for, 10, these many years, and
if it can get from the public and Con-
gress what it now needs without gratify-
ing any OF these requests by way Of
compensation, what earthly reason will
exist to justify the belief that its ears
will hereafter be opened?
Every citizens association which has
been organized in Washington. down
to and including the Board of Trade,
has asked for these improvements
Nearly every Board of Commissioners
has made the same appeal, and a num-
ber of them have vividly pictured the
evil of existing conditions and presented
practical plans of relief. During all these
years the railroad has steadily ignored
every request for improvement 1t has
intensified these evils by habitual viola
tions of law, and, confident of its grip
upon Congress, it has shown a lofty
contempt for the people, the officials
and the courts of Washington, as well
as for the laws.
The Railroad and Transportation
Committees Of the Board of Trade, COM
prising some of the most prominent citi-
zens of Washington, held a conference
last January with Vice President Thomp-
of the road to introduce the measure,
condoning its illegal acts and granting
it various privileges, which was after
ward presented by Mr.. Atkinson. The
objections to certain details of the bill
were then suggested and the request
made that provisions for improvement
in the conditions of the railroad occupa-
ton should be coupled with the bill.
These committees were most friendly
in feeling toward the road and indicated
that If it would insert in the measure
which it was preparing some reasonable
concessions to the public they would
work with ali their might for the speedy
passage of the railroads bill The same
fate has met every other suggestion of
compromise and common concessions,
both those made by the directors of the
Board of Trade in a resolution and by
the Railroad Committee at congress
sional hearings.
"The railroad has consistently acted
as If it owned Congress, as if the mere
indication of its wishes to that body
would suffice to secure their gratifica-
ton, as if the requests of the people for
the protection of life and property were
presumptuous, as if it rightfully ex-
ercised despotic rule at the Capitol so
that the people must crawl to its feet
Win their requests Wnlch would be con-
sidered in its own good time and granted
or refused at its royal pleasure.
"A public spirit is developing in
Washington. The Capital is getting too
large to be trampled upon and kicked
by single corporation. The people are
reaching that stage in municipal develop
ment in which selfish, Jealous snarling
factions and sections sink their differ
ences and combine for the common
welfare. The people Of the city need
better protection of life and limb and
a reduction of the slaughter at grade
crossings. The merchants of the city
need greater freight facilities. The
Capital, for its beauty as a city, needs
the Mall, or at the least complete
covering of the ugliness of railroad
tracks upon it. All these needs can be
and should be satisfied at once, and
no class Of citizens should selfishly insist
that one need be met In such . manner
% "a ss8idee thu othe1A"