New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-27
PLANS FOR GOVERNING THE DISTRICT.

ILANS ION Wv 4hNINO liz I4C
EVIL EFFECTS OF UNIVERSAL sUFFRAGE-A sUG-
GEs1ON THAT TAXPAYERS SHOULD HAVE THE
SOLE CONTROL OF THE DISTRICT Treasury
A RESUMPTION or POWER Ii CONGRESS.
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2i-Universa suffrage was
established Ill the Disr.c; Of Columbia by act of
Congress passed over the veto of President Johnson
Jan. 7 and s. 1857, antcdatiug BY more than amonth
the flst act Of Southen Legislature enfranchising
the colorel race Since that time negro suffrage has
been an important element il each Of the two dis
finctivc folms of government on trial here both of
which nave proved utter failures. The first
was in itself too slow paTtaking more
of tho apathy and shftessnoss of the
South than Of the wide-awakc, progressive
eprit Of tic North and the last, by its eXtraya-
gance and pronigacy, brought the District to the
verge Of financial ruin Under the first Washing
ton would have continued TO be a mud-hOle in the
Winter and an ash-bed in the Summer; under the
last had il not been checked the entire real estate
Of the District held by private individuals would
have become in the end so ncumbcred with assess
meuts as TO he Of le or no value to its 1t
is now proposed to try new experiment, and the
report that Senator MorrilIs Committee appointed
10 devise the plans for this final reconstruction will
recommend q government to be administered
through tie Departments, and in which the people
shall have little or no voice, has brought out
era expression of opinion in regard to the subject
from all classes of citizens, and when the Commit
tees I'LL comes up for consideration in Congress, it
will be sure to give rise to a most interesting dis
cussion on the general subject of universal and
limited suffrage.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE AND ITS RESULTS.
The experiment of negro suffrage has been tried
In Washiu etOn under the most favorable crcum-
stances. The colored population of this District is
only about One-third of the whole, although, for
obvious reasons. there are not probably twice as
MANY white persons VINO vote here as black.
Again the negroes of this District the most
intelligent of any in the South. The majority of
them came from Virginia AID Maryland, two States
in which Slavery existed in its nildcst form. and
where from constant Intercourse with the white
people. who far outnumbered them, the negroes
attained higher state of civilization than was
possible in the Black Belt. Daring and since the
war they have always been better provided for here
than elsewhere. Their schools have been
the best in the country, and they seem gen
orally to have improved their advantages in
Washington better than elsewhere. If, therefore,
under all these favoring circumstances, the expert
IneDt Of universal suffrage was successful here, that
fact would furnish no conclusive argument to prove
that it ought to succeed 10 Alba or Mississippi
or Louisiana; while if it has failed here ana Con-
gTess should conclude to d. away with suffrage al
together in this District, in order to get id Of the
temptations TO corruption furnished by this Gem
paratiyey ignorant and irresponsible element in
politics it might open the eyes of the people to
some Of the causes which have led to the deyasta-
ton now seen in the Southern States.
In framing a new form Of government for this
District Congress should remember that the late
Ring vas not created by vote OF tie people. II
gas set up by Congress and by the Administration,
without consulting the voters of this District, and
was endowed with such large irresponsible powers
that the people were unable to check it, and would
have been so had they been unanimous their Op-
position. The organic act of 1871 gave to the Presi
dent the appointment Of all the important executive
officers aud the patronage of the Governor was al
most as extensive that of the corresponding
officer in a Southern State reconstructed on Garnet
bag basis. A Legislature was provided for but one
branch of that was named by the President. and if
the Rug with all its appointments, its contracts
and its immense payrols. had not been able To con-
troll the other II would have been because it failed
to use the power Congress put into its hands But
IN order that there might be possible obstruction
to the operations of the Board of Public Works il
made in almost all respects independent of the
District Government. For these reasons say that
universal suffrage has had no fair trial in Washing
ton under the Territorial Government; very little
was left for the people to do but pay the taxes
but, SO far as it tried, it not marked sue
cess.
VARIOUS FORMS or GOVERNMENT PROPOSED.
Shall the new government be one of and by the
people of Washington, or shall it derive its power
from aud be responsible to the Government of the
United Statesf The conditions in this city IN