Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-15
Largest Circulation in the District
Reading Matter on Every Page.
WASHINGTON CITY:
THU February 10. 1872.


The people of this District do not now stand
in the attitude of beggars to Congress. They
have voluntarily assumed the burdens OF carry
ing out the onerOus and expensive system of
Improvements made necessary by the "mignif
cent" plan upon which the city was laid out
Justly, this expense, or much of ID, should have
been shOuldered By Government, since the city
was planned in this way, not for the convenience
or use OF the citizens, but for the purposes and
convenience of the Government; but as the
work Of improvement needed to be done for the
credit OF the national capital, the people have
undertaken il and will carry it out.
IL Is not, therefore, "a supplicants to Congress
for a favor, but as asking only the p'ainest
Justice, that they now ask their share of the
public lands for school purposes. Have men,
bers of Congress ever given a thought to the
enormous burdens thrown upon this District in
the support OF its school system, simply by occa-
sion OF the seat Of government being here q?
The reports OF School Superintendent Wilson
and Census Commissioner Walker present data
showing these remarkable facts:
That the annual expenditures for the public
schools Of Washington have increased since 1S6a
from So, coo to $4,000.
That the tax now paid by the people of Wash
ingtOn for the support OF the public schools is
the highest of any city in the country. The
school tax of Chicago in the last fiscal year
reported was III cents for each 500 of taxable
value; of Boston, I7.9 cents; OF Baltimore, q
cents; of Philadelphia, % cents; of Cincinnati
50 cents; of st. Louis and San Francisco, 40
cents; Of Washington, 60 cents,
That one reason for the remarkable difference
to our disadvantage which is here exhibited
between Washington and other leading cities of
the country is found IN the large amount of real
estate which is exempt from taxation as the
property of the General Government; cOnsti-
tuting not less than one-third of the total value
OF real estate.
That another reason why the school necessi-
ties of Washington are found TO be more bur
densOme than those of any other city in the
United States, is that far more than one half of
that element in the present population OF the
city which makes the largest demand for such
expenditures, without having the ability to con-
tribute in any apprcciable measure to the public
funds, was brought upon us during the war by
virtue OF acts and laws OF the General Govern
ment. which looked to the interests OF the whole
country. BY reason of this action of the Gov
eTnment-and it is stated in no sense OF com
plant, for the policy was inevitable, but simply
a fact in the case-the number of cOlOred per-
sons in Washington has been increased since 1860
from less than IL 900 TO nearly OO0 As thisyas
influx of unPrOvided and uninstructed freedmen
= III oOcuitnCt 10 no SOCIAL OF economical laws,
bat is the result of the direct acts of the General
Government, that Government is in duty bound
to share in providing. at least for their intel
lectual and moral needs.
Another reason why Congress should feel the
justice of granting to the District at least the
proportion of public lands for the support of
schools so freely given to the various states and
territories, is the fact that nearly all OF the gov
Crnment clerks and other employees who for the
most part pay no taxes here, and nothing what
ever to the support of the public schools, are
enjoy ing all their advantages.
Does Congress think il fair that we should
sustain all these burdens, without receiving at
least our proportion of school lands?