National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-29
HOW no GOVERN TEE DISTRICT

HOW TO G0VBRN TIE DISTRICT
The invention of plans and projects for
the government Of the District of Columbia
seems likely to be the fvorite summer
amusement Of the more pretentious
Of our editors Already we have had tour
or five articles on the subject, in which the,
whole question was treated in that easy,
of-hand style for which the modern jour
nalist is SO distinguished. The manage
ment of city the size of Washington is
slight and insignificant matter to the gen.
tlemen who are accustomed to govern
States, or tell how they should be governed
not only States, but the whole country.
| The New York Times has, however,
printed one really good artiniN=--Pvl Aase
sugJecC. We were rejoiced when We saw
it and wondered howit got there The
Times Is such dreary, stupid paper, so
ignorant of everything American, and SO
painfully posted" about England and Eng
Iishmen, that it was genuine relief to find
at least one topic discussed in its columns
with something like intelligence. As We
said, we do not know how it found
its way into the pages Of the
Times The unnaturalized editor was
probably away. If so, it is to be hoped
for the sake of the Times that he will stay
away for the summer, if not altogether.
The writer in our cotemporary, the Times,
says: THE whole country is interested not
'fonly that the affairs of the capital shall be
administered with liberality and efficiency,
''but that they shall be free from corruption
@rand unseemly practices of every kind, and
that the officers who administer them shall
+fbe held to a strict accountability. Under
'fhese circumstances few will dispute that
'the administration of the affairs of the
capital should he placed. in some way, in
''the hands Of the National Government,
''that its officers should derive their powers
explicitly from that source, and should be
''held strictly accountable in the same de-
"gree that other agents of the National
Government are. There are, of course,
certain rights of local property owners
ffthat cannot be, and need not be, ignored;
t'but these are very subordinate. As in
every other part of the country, the own
GERS of private property should be made to
contribute in proportion to the benefits
'they enjoy, and in the disbursement of
'fhe funds derived from their contributions
'fhey should have voiOe. But on the
lone hand there js-no reason why the ma
''t1onal Treasury should not have the major
sfpart of the expense and on the other there
els every reason why its representatives
IL, If ~ NJ
''ters The one proposition is as incontest-
cable as the other. It is puerile to under
'ftake TO submit the management of the
"District to local representatives, and it is
unjust while refusing to do this, to throw
'!the greater part of the burden on local
property holders. We shall not under
take to suggest in what way the officers to
'thave charge of the District government
should be chosen. There are several ways,
"either of which is worthy of considers
'tion. Conceding the election by the Dis
''trict of proper representative or repre- !
'tsentatives, the remainder might be ap-
pointed by the President and Senate, or
form branch of the Department of the
Interior. or be chosen by joint ballot by !
Congress. -.. s-.-
1t is, perhaps, somewhat early to write !
upon the subject, when the joint commit
tee to which the task of framing govern |
ment has been assigned has not yet assem- |
bled. The ideas of the Times will strike
the majority of the people as being, ia the
main, fair and sensible. Local government
by purely local agencies and methods is
out of the question. That has been the
main trouble with the District in the past, /
and it Is to be hoped that it win be avoided
In the future. The whole country has q
direct and immediate interest in the matter,
and it is only right and proper that it should
have voice in the direction of affairs. /
But the citizens Of the District are also en- I
titled to some consideration, and provision
for their Representative ought to be made
in some way. five are to be governed by
commissioners the President might ap-
point portion and certain number might !
be elected by the people. A total disfran-
chisment is out Of the question. 1t would
be contrary to the theory Of our who'll