Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-09
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TIE washiSgton STAR misconceiyes the
mesuing OF tie RepubiteGH on an important
point IN its recent criticis m Of the plan Of GOV
eminent propOsed for the District OF Columbia.
We said: Lett the government keep its hands
on, make no more promises and assume 20 more
debts" from which The STAR Strangely sup
poses that "ouT taxpayers are invited to paw the
bills Tor paving government property" Not at
AL The District should collect its paving bills
from the government as exactly aud Justly as
from every other abutter and precisely 10 the
extent TO which the government abuts. The
onlted states armory occupies large tract IN
this city, but we should never think OF asking
congress TO take mp the right of suffrage here
(eVen in the obstreperous fifth ward) and
assume part Of our city debt on that
ton il that, instead of treating the gov
eminent Ike any other abutter, they over
measure the work chsrgesble to IL and other
wise sWindie II in way that no private prop
eTty owner would stand a moment. We repeat
what we sad that n the government will as
sumo the position of vigiiant and intelligent
self-intere.t that every other taxpayer Is sup
posed 10 assume, the problem az Washington
viii be greatly simplihed AS to the lat asser-
tiOn that popular government il a failure in
Washington, as instsnced by the late lower
house OF the District legislature, we must sim
ply say that we don't believe the people at
" n, sA dss Isf 70 govern themssves
than IL Is other cities Of equal or greater size
and iaFser population of the illiterate and the
UntaXed? Popular government has not failed
there; il has not been tried. Is it not so, You
STAR?'-SprinGfsld RSPaJIicdn.
The point IL, oh, Springfield Republico., tn at
We have nothing and nobody TO vote for; and
while the exercise OF suffrage il. under the cir
cumstsnces, meaningless farce, its expensive
ness to the taxpayers causes it to be anything
but JOKE to them. Among the enumerated
powers of Congress in the Constitution is that
Eto exercise exclusive legislation in all cases
whatsoever over the district of Columbia" and
the House judiciary Committee, in their report
upon the legal relations Of the District of Co.
lumbia and the United States, state that they
understand this clause of the Constitution 0r0
vest in the Congress OF the United States abso-
lutte legislative authority over every rikhtful
subject OF legislation within the District with
out any reservation whatever to any State or
States or 70 the people within the District ITSELF,
And again, the committee say: sin strict Ieg.,
sense there can be said to be no such thing as a
local government of the District of Columbia.
for there can be no government within the Dis
trIet independent OF that Of the Federal Govern
ment" The debates which occurred on the
adoption Of the Constitution suggests the rea-
sOns which impeled the States to provide for
this exclusive control by Congress; that it WAS
necessary to bestOw dignity and independence
upon the government
But whatever the reasons, the fact reEains
that the Constitution does 20 vest in Congress.
this exclusive legislation in all cases
wEatSoever" over this District. 1t is doubted
by lawyers Of standing if Congress can delegate
the ieht TO the citizens OF the District TO par-
ticiTate in the exercise of this power. Certain
IL is that they cannot delegate any powers
really SOrth having. If they sllot US a delegate
in Congress they do not give him the right 70
vote and . representative who has no vote in
that Jog rolling body il Of exceedingly little
weight. They can give US sO-called legisla-
We tCffv- q
ton Of their valuable time every session in re-
seindiug the acts of that legislature. But our
SPrir gneld friend thinks the people of Wash
ingtOn haven't tried to govern themselves; and
inquiries If il is more diff cult to govern Wash
iLgtOn than 1t is other cities OF equal OF greater
size, and larger populations OF the iIliterate and
The untaxed. Frankly we may say that
We know OF no city where the tax-pavsrs
end bsDa-hde citizens are so honaIesslv
swamped by the illiterate and untaxed as
Washington. From the nature Of the case the
seat of government always will be oyerrun by
q floating population OF non taxpayers. To saw
nothing OF the large number of government
employees, who are generally non-taxpayers. we
have here always gOodly sprinkllng Of Office
seekers, originally from the States, but stranded
here 20 hOpelessly, apparently, that they con-
slider themselves qualified voters in Washing
tou, though paying no taxes Then we have
the immense "cOntrabsnd" armY brought upon
us by the war, and who have been kept ahost
here by our local politicians tor voting ma
tertal- To-day thousands who should be at work
on the farms Of Virginia and MARYLAND, where
their labor Is sorely needed, are lOsfug about
Washington, subsisting on stray jobs, charity
or worse; and for whose support through the
winter months Congress will be called upon for
an appropriation this session (as il has reyu-
larry in past sessions) to enable them to pull
through until the political strikers can utilize
them at the polls again-in case the ge-Iorious
right Of electing Legislative assemblies is re-
stored to the District.
Under these exceptional circumstances II is
not very strange that the taxpayers should
not banker TO any great extent for the
right Of suffrage. Like Dickens much
whipped charity boy in his tribuIations
learning the alphabet, they doubt if it is worth
while going through go much to get 90 little.
As Congress has ''suIreme legislative power
over the District" they prefer. As at present ad-
yised, that Congress should exercise that power