Evening star., 1870-02-28

dangerous progress in this District. 1t is con-
soling to know that the weIl-meaning but vision
airy citizens who, from time to time, roll up their
sleeves and essay to pull the District out of the
Slough Of Despond, will never be allowed to
''jerk things in a way to seriously disturb the
serenity OF that delightful puddle. The current
movement for change in the form of District
governments would seem to have enlisted the
sympathy and support OF about everybody in the
two cit es or the county having the interests of
the District at heart; and certainly no public
demonstration ever made here brought together
so many representative men of the community
OF every calling, As the Lincoln Hall meeting 1t
would be natural to suppose that these men have
apretty good idea of what the District needs and
that their views would be worthy of attention
But now that they have prepared a remedial
measure, drawn under the advice of some of
our best legal minds, and embodying the practi-
cal views Of some of our most sagacious and
thoughtful business men, every croaker in the
pool has An objection:-"Don't stir the puddle,
ut Is pretty good puddle as it is'', "You NAV
make the puddle worse by stirring it,, .sDon't
agitate our beautiful green scum'y "It ia un
healthy to agitate scum! sit will make bad
smell to sgitate the scum'I "You have no right
to disturb the puddle'I Congress alone has
the power 10 meddle with the puddlert econ
gress cannot transfer its right to deal with the
puddle. eff you remove the scum more will
come, and it is just as well to have the good old
scum! '|four puddle-agitation is a plot of the
aristocratic bull-frogs to destroy the rights of
the tadpoles." and so on, and so forth.
That this sort of ignorant or selfish clamor
should be raised by those who know no better, or
who have reason to be satisfied with the present
order OF things, is not very strange; but we con-
fess we are surprised to find the Chroniels. a
paper usually taking an intelligent view OF our
local wants, disposed to argue in favor OF leaving
the puddle as il is.
The Chpnieie contends that Territorial gov
ernment, in the true sense of the term. should
contemplate an ultimate State organization.
WIN It's State officials, and its Senators and Rep
resentatiyes in Congress, and that the proposed
iofm OF territorial government will not avail
niueh' because mo such position as that of State
can be attained by the District of Columbia ;,
OF course not. But because of this shall we no,
reach after the highest legislation the Const,tu-
ton VIII allow? Will it be of no ADVANTAGE In
us to be able to enact laws regulating the dav;se
ana descent Of property? to provide for t,e
punishment ef crime, the establishment ef No.
ice courts, &c? to enact q code of practice. re-
he'ine ourselves Of the old, expensive and cum-
bersome machinery of the common Law and
"riis tnat no modern lawyer understands In
get nd Of the present expensive system of con-
Eeyaneing, and provide short, simple. and con-
.enient forms? VIII 1t be OF no service to ms
70 DC aDie 10 enact laws regulating contracts.
ui.oioes, usufy, narket-houses, charters to pri-
'a'e companies, street-paving, sewerage, canal
Improvement, river improvement, and all the va
red interests that promote the commercial. nro-
unctive and Industrial interests of a people?
1he distinction is clear. Territories reach ONT
after double power, political and Legislative.
we know We cannot have both but we nav
nave one-the legislative. This is what we ask
NO more no less. Territories are capable of
large growth and prosperity simply through the
power to enact their own laws, but their peop,e |
knowing they may have political rights strike |
noidiy Tor them But We shall be forever con- |
,e,t =. we but have the power to legislate over
al interests.
Again. it is urgeu by the caronic,e that under
\ Territorial form Of gove..n e..nmenf, and with .
delegate in Congress, we shall hare less in
fuence in that body than now, because Con-
2ressmen viii then feel relieved from giving
thought to the Capital of the nation, and be-
rause under the existing order OF things "va-
rious Government officials here have care for
District interests with Congress, to whom many /
Of them report; there are committees upon the
District of Columbia in both Houses of Congress,
and days are set apart periodically for the con-
Of District business"
IL the Chronicle was apt to Joke, we should say |
that just here is where the laugh should come |
in. We are all familiar with the workings OF /
that remarkable piece OF eircumlocution which ]
our conhding cotemporary breads to see dis
placed. The /" various government Off cials" /
most certainly report with due diligence and |
eOpiousness; there l. no lack OF reports-the sub
officials report to the big government officials, |
and the big officials report to Congress, and |
Congress passes the reports over to the District |
Committees, and the District Committees pre-
pare reports to make to Congress thereupon, |
but never get an opportunity to present their l
reports, and therefore they 60 to the everlasting
limbo Of the committee-room pigeon holes. And
all this because Congress, having to lesislate for
forty millions Of people, and for territory ex- !
tending from ocean to ocean, and from the !
tropics to " Nova Zembla, or the Lord knows
where" cannot and will not apply this immense
and expensive national legislative machine to the
work of making pins-of legislaticg for munich.
pality in the matter Of lamp-post street-ruts,
and sewer-traps; which, il undertaken by them
and attended to properly, would occupy half
their time. At the last session of Congress but
four District bills were passed, and these were of
the most trifiiDg description, and in which not
twenty people in the District had any interest
whatever. They got through simply because they
were 100 lnst Snluc1nt 10 call out any ucDate. AT
the same time the desks of the District Commit
tees we're loaded down with important District
business that there was no possibility Of getting
action upon. Ask the House District Commit
tee how many District bills they expect to get
through this session? Said Senator to us the
other day, why 1t Is impossible for me to get
attention to business affec ting my own State.
III bring 1t mp, there Is at once a motion to 90
on with national b1siness; and IL members are
not able i'm consequence Of the pressure OF busi-
ness Of national importance to get the interests
OF their own States considered, you can see how |
little chance there Is Of Congress being able to /
give attention to your minor municipal affairs.
OF course you ought to have . Territorial yov- /
eminent, or the power IN some shape IN ,eg;s
late about your own affairs"
Is there any prospect that Congress viii ever |
be able to give more attention TO District affairs?
Is ii not probable that 1t will give less and less
as the country grows, and the amount OF ns-
tional business grows with 1t? Members readily
admit that there Is no chance OF Improvement,
and are ready to give rs the power
to legislate on our own affairs. Shall we avail
ourselves OF this favorable disposition on their
part, or shall we tell them that everything Is
lovely, and we don't want any change?
.l>as foil sh.< H..