Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-07
THE DISTRICT OF coLUMBra

taken occasion to scatter broad cast. These
classes are, FIRST: Those very extreme repubIi.
cans who. desiring to control all things here
for their own personal benefit and advance
ment, are becoming aware that they eanno,
rely on the colored vote to put them in our NM
nicipal offices over the heads Of tried faithful
and justly popular public servants, and seek
10 inouce Congress to legislate them into the
administration of the local affairs of this Dis.
trfct, without any responsibility whatever To
those whose money tney are ambitious of
handling. The other class are our conner-
head leaders and intense rebel symp ithIsers
These latter are terribly disgu sted because
Congress has seen fit to accord the right of
suffrage TO the colored people Of the District
These prefer 10 resign their own RICH,
Of suffrage to voting side by side with the new
made voters. They are desperately bent on de-
feating the purpose of Congress in passing the
new District franchise bill. That is: on pre.
venting the successful mutation here of the
policy OF political equality OF all men not in.
eligible on, account Of crime or mental imbe
cility. As wide asunder as the poles upon all
other points these bitter antagonisticaI eIe.
ments OF our population have joined hands in
the work of inducing Congress to abolish the
right of the citizens Of the District TO rovarn
themselves in their local affairs Their ioint
aspersions upon the corporate governments n,
the District are destitute OF foundation in
truth. We affirm, without qualification. tina,
there are no purer, fairer or more honest adj.
illustrations Of municipal affairs in eiths
hemisphere than those of the cities of Wash
ingtsn and Georgetown. Fiscal corruption
and OH ial maladministration have effected No
lodgment whatever in matters gre al or small
in the administration of these municipal gov
ernmens.
In the matter of their treatment OF persons
OF color In our midst, the Erening Post takes
occasion to do ample justice to their past his.
tory; saying truly that up to the Beginning n
the war free negroes were better treatea nv
the corporate authorities o. the District ana
by its whites than any where else in the unitad
States; and that as q consequence, there ware
more weii-to-do negroes domiciled here than
IN any other American city, in proportion IN
population; and that our negro popsIatio,
were, as class, far better OF and better trsat.
ed than that Of any other city Such in ,ha
drift OF what IL has to say on these points W.
may not inappropriateiy add that by our cor.
porate authorities and by all thoughtful white
people In the District they have been ouite a.
well treated ever since the war began. TIN.
q lew bitter copperheads and rebel sympa
tni7srs among Us inveigh against their race az
the cause OF the result OF the war-ths sucea.s
rant and brutal whites, rrecipitated upon n,
from the North during the war seek 70 tra,,
them, In the matter OF allowing them the priv.
tlege OF earning their bread by the sweat o.
tneir brow as best they can, as they are treared
BY too many In Northern cities. Bot these Are
but exceptions TO the general rule prevailing
mere Far more channels Of labor are open To
them mere than in Philadelphia, New York
Cincinnati, Chicago, or any other Northern
city, except perhaps Boston. Our corners
lions spend ten dollars Of taxes collected from
white property holders and other tax.pavsr.
Tor the benefit of the colored race among US
an proportion to the aggregate number Of our
taxpayers and the aggregate amount collect.
ed nom them-where one dollar Is similarly
spent by any Northern municipal eoysrnm.nt
for the benefit of the colored race in their our
midst.
We can assure the Erentn1 Post that in this
District there does exist ali the many dssidsrala
which u mentions as being the duty of Con
gress to provide. There 10 MEMORABLE enforce
ment OF "sanatory rules" here The nroof e.
q the fact that in proportion To population ana
the means OF all glasses of people among us.
Washington and Georgetown are as bes,tnv
and have been for years and years past as anv
otner cities In the world. There exists here
ian ample and impartial corps Of police officers
an
oy the way-who discharge their duties a.
effectively and honestly as do similar func
uonaries IN Any other cities in the Union
There -, further, as secure s.ten ure ana ready
transfer OF land under the laws of this D,s.
trict as exist any where else under the law. q,
any Government under the sun .Mauhood
suffrage" Will exist here in q lew DAYS a. per.
feet a. legislation can make IL, uniess the com
oina'ion OF extreme Republicans, ana Coppsr.
heads and Rebel sympathizers referred 70
above succeed In inducing Congress to de-
Pfivs the people OF all races here Of the rieht
OF SELF government in their local affairs. which
ID the condition In which IL Is now sought tn
place them.
We assure the Post further, that ,hsrs IA M
more "vigorous supervision and prom OF repair
OF highways" anywhere, than exists hare
when the amount coilectable 10 that end from
our populauons means and numbers and the
Square area OF streets, roads. ana avenues of
the District to be supervised and repaired. are
taken into consideration. The Post will douht-
less realize the shameful Injustice of REQ uirinv
the people OF the District TO pay for all ths
damage to and wear and tear of the District
highways, resulting from the aggregation of a
military population Of between one and two
hundred thousand souls here, and their street
and road destroy ing operations. Congress has
perpetrated 9 great wrong on the people of
this District In throwing upon them any Dor.
fion whatever Of this burden, which our m uni
cipai governments and population have borne
manfuiiy, and 70 obviats which they have
xpended and are yet expanding every dollar
hey can rake and scrape together to that end.
We have still further TO assure the Port. that
"provision for the poor" 10 as ample and ed.
dent here a. In any other cities in the world i'm
proportion to means and taxable population
IL should remember that the war has precini.
ts,ed upon our population an addition of fun
tpenty per eentnn Of untaxable negroes from
the South, and perhaps Is many unaxable
whites from the North. who, together, fur.
nish OF least three fourths Of our present
paupers requiring private or corporation Aid.
We trust with the Post. that Congress will
speedily realize the justice OF making some
adeo uate provision for the necess,tiss n ,h...