Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-14

Reading Matter on Every Page.
WASHINGTON CITY:
fRIDAY-............ February II, 1873.
"New WashimStOu..

NeW W a>n1mStOn.S
This is the title of thoughtful and in the
main just, article in LiPpinooH's NaqaSise for
March, upon the new Orler of things in Wash
ington. 1t ought to be matter of encourage
ment to the men who have labored so jealousy
to improve the city through all sorts of fac tious
and malignant opposition, to find, as the result
OF their labor, the tone of intelligent criticism
so greatly changed in regard to Washington
within few brief years. The writer in LipI in
cot first depicts the Washington of the past and
saws in this connection:
ssThe candid observer wonders not that Wash
irgton is so far below what it ought to be- but
that il exists city at all 1t has suffered ca
ismitles that would have extinguished any other
Place. The vitality that could survive them
S STuu sem capable OF surviving ANYTHING.
raj disadvantages, but they have had the aid OF
citizens who knew what they wanted, and who
used the public money and energy and brains
Tor Ahe public good. But here has been the
noVN sight OF a city having every natural adj
vantage, Yet compelled to fight it, own citizens
Tor life; TO see the public money and energy and
braDs-what little there were-used to kill not
only the town, but the people in it."
Reviewing the series of drawbacks that the
city has encountered, he concludes that its
growth under all the circumstances cannot be
accounted for without recognizing an inherent
strength that has never been acknowledged by
the multtudes who come 10 ''see" Washington.
III proves that she may have a significance of
her own. The visitor should remember that
New York and Boston are enjoying, and Phila-
delPhia has nearly reached, the third century of
their lives The phrase OF Dickens describing
the great houseless thoroughfares here as
beginning nowhere and ending in nothing"
sets old Washington before the reader as the
literal truth could never do. But the reader
must now remember that old Washington is
going, that new Washington has come. The
city sis no longer disposed to make apologies,
wait for generosity or beg for patronage. Ii is
disposed-and has proved its disposition-to take
OF its seedy coat and go to work in its own way.
Its waiting Is now only for enlightened judg-
ment from others, and Its begging is only for
justice" The magaZinist, after depicting the
practically unmanageable condition of the pub
lie affairs of the city prior to the change in the
mode of government effected by the public
spirited labOrs of few energetic men, proceeds
to saw:
''The Baron HausSmann here is the Board of
Public Works 1t - grading, filling, paving,
Planting, fencing. parking and making the thor
cughfares what they would never become by
binary means. At last We see what Washing
tOnians never saw before-vast public operations
having consistent and tangible shape; obeying
a purpose that can be understood, defined and
executed; beginning somewhere and ending in
something. Within its sphere this board has
despOtic power; il would he worthless with any
less. IL daIes to strike without fear or favor,
and hit whoever stands in the way; the way
would never be cleared ii il did not 1t makes
bitter enemies by its memorable eyactions; the
public cannot be served except at the expense
ct the individual. a strong party has fought it
no doubt continue TO fight, while the board will
10 doubt continue to vindicate itself and go OH
with its work. Ii made some mistakes which
wrought hardships to individuals who wished it
well, but such were the difficulties before il at
the outset that it might have made greater mis-
takes and still been forgiven. liz i to be hoped
that IL will have enemies enough to watch il
closely criticise il sharply and hold il to strict
accountability; but should il have enough to
really interfere with its present course. then we
shall have TO add one more, and a great One to
the list of Washington's calamities The new
blood that created il is able to sustain il, while
the air i has done so much to purify is already
laden with blessings from the lips of strangers.
In the matter OF public improvements an
equitable adjustment of relatiOns-always here
tofore uncertain and neutrality-suspicious.
the District and the general government still
remains to be accomplished, and at this writing
II impatiently awaited by the city. Congress
should explicitly define for itself a course that
can be depended upon, so that the city can go
ahead and know what it ought to do. The
general government, promising great things
which began nowhere and ended in nothing,
laid out the city for it, own use, and gave more
space to streets and ornamental grounds than to
buildings. The plan was wise and good, but did
not appear so until the liberal citizens, unable
to endure the disgrace Of such city as the
nation thrust upon them, taxing themselves six
millions of dollars for street purposes, went
generously to work, with their own money i'm
proved the immense fronts of the government
property, which pays no taxes. evolved some
thing tangible out of the old cloudy agnificent
plan, and gave the country, so far "a they could,
decent capital.
There Is another important matter for adjust
ment. The city has left nothing undone that
mones and labor could do to make the public
schools the best in the United States. 1t is
doubtful whether there has ever before been
seen in any city or state anexpenditure for pub
lie schools so generous, under all the circum-
stances, as that of Washington within the past
few years. The best school houses here are the
bestthe Prussian commission. who lately came
20 inspect them, had ever seen. A very great
number OF the punilS educated nv fha eitV -
the ch'sIren of government servants whose
homes are III the states, and who paw no consid-
cradle taxes here. Every state and territory
n ,nr IeeeiveG liberal allotment Of public land
lanbid, which has probably done more for
schools without the endowment considering the
any state has ever done with it,
VI course the city has received MANY benefits
rom the general government. but the consider
s .n. ones nave been indirect The excellent
"ater-wOrks, for instance, costing about three
mlllons OF dollars, were built with the nations
money AMI by army engineers. because the nation
heeued them, and show how entirely identical
are the interests of both parties Their respectiye
uuues, while they need defining anew are so
Heuaed that there Is no room for serious differ
tI.t a.! II Is really matter for eongratulation
no, TAKE more OF the improvements into its own
nah.s The city's present claims are by 80
mnch stronger the two governments can work
IN harmony, and any efforts that are now made
WI not De thrown away. Had Congress acted |
Stnhef. Nc plight have had more Washington
Canals, and washington and Georgetown |
street-ears, and similar congressional elm |
PrOvements," beginning nowhere but in igno- |
rance or selfshness, and ending in nothing but |
nuisances. The Improvement of the interiors
of the national grounds, however, by the gen |
eral government, is now keeping pace with that |
of the exteriors by the city nearly as is pos
sible under present legislation, and their super
intendence has become at last Office of some \
practical consequence to Washington. Ike |
general government owns about one half of the |
property in the District, and during seventy |
years has expended for the Improvement of the /
thoroughfarts little over one million of dol |
lars. The city during the same time has en- |
pended Tor the same purpose nearly fourteen I
millions of dollars"
What's the matter with Boston? The Spring-
field Republican undertakes to show BY irrefu- |
table data that - no American, and perhats no |