New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-27


also the title to all Of the avenues and nearly all of
the parks and public squares The city was laid
out in accordance with most magnificent plans, anu
to carry them out requires expenditure of money
such as private property alone cannot meet. What
ever form of government Therefore, is determined
upon the United States ought to, and probably VIII
hereafter, pay its proportonate share of the eX-
pcnSe, and its administration should be OF such
character as to command the confidence of the
people of the whole country. This is a sef-eydent
proposition. Public sentiment throughout the
United States will not sustain Congress in making
the necessary appropriations to bcautify this city
in the future. AMI to keep III order the improve
mcnts that have already been made unless the peo-
pie are assured that the money Will DC spent hon
estly and economically. There can be such
assurance long the men who are to disbnrse 1t
arc chosen by the people of the District without
regard to their intelligence or their wealth.
SHEPHERD ADMIRED BY CoLoRED VOTERS.
What guarantee could Congress have that, were
the people to elect men to administer the local gov
crnment in Washington. they woald not restore to
power the Ring which was overthrown last Spring
EX-Goy. Shepherd stands as high in the estimation
of The coored voters of this District to-day as lie
did year ago and is likely to retain his position as
long as the Administration continues to make pet
Of HIN. Onc-third of the voters here are black
and during Mr.. Shepherds administration they were
furnished with work which they have not had
under the Special Commission. l. it strange that
these people should associate the Shepherd rule with
good times and the overthrow of the king" with
hard times? The press of the District also, with
two or three exceptions among the weekiles. stu
clings to the broken political fortunes OF the
Ring" The property-owners of the District, and
the intelligent voters who pay no taxes but who
Il. !ho
ring" might with safety be trusted, and IN these
classes should be included a great many of the col
ored voters. But tie majority of the blacks, who
are ignorant and pay no taxes, and many of the
whites, would be more likely TO be used by design
ing men than not.
GOVERNMENT BY TIE DEPARTMENTS.
The government of the District through the De-
partments would be approved by many of the cit
liens of Washington most interested in securing an
economical and conservative administration. IT,
for instance all accounts for worl; of every kind
done in the District had 20 be audited in the Treas
ury Department and passed upon by Controller
before the money could be drawn on tEom, there
would be none Of that ruinous disregard Of the Inn
ita,ions of law which marked the admlniStratlon0f
affairs here from 1871 to 1914. The same would be
true Of the management through other Depart
ments The Engineer Bureau of the Army would
without doubt Superintcud the Improvements of
the streets and parks much moIo honestly and
economically than it could be otherwise done, and
assessments made by competent and educated Of
cers would be far more satisfactory to the citizens
than the rough glesses and estimates OF the Board
of Public Works measuring-wOrms, whose IL
norance and incompecncy were demonstrated in
last Winters investigation
GOVERNMENT BY CONGRESS.
Another plan that has been suggested is direct and
specific legislation by Congress for the government
Of the District. Formerly day in two weeks was
set apart by the House OF Representatives for the
consideration Of business pertaining to the District
of Columbia. If the executive power of the District
should be conferred upon Commissioners selected by
Congress- and all legislative power retained and ex
ercised by that body, an honest and efficient admin
istIation might be secured, provided Congress did
not shirll It's duty But il has always been the
tom of many members Of the House, when a dag was
devoted 10 the consideration Of District affairs to
leave their seats and allow bills to be passed with
out proper scrutiny. With an honest, Independent,
and thoroughly competent Committee on District
Affairs this neglect would be less dangerous; but if
the men who prepared the bills and reports relating
to tie District were easily captured by tie wine and
the dinners of District "jobbcrs,' or by being put
into real estate pools" or by receiving contracts
for their friends and positions for their strikers"
the most careful watching would be necessary to
prevent the reGstablishment Of the Ring"
TAX-PAYERs SHOULD RULE.
believe that it is very generally conceded that if
the people of the District have any voice in the
Government hereafter, the Influence Of the ballot
will be very small. There viii be 10 more voting
away of millions Of money by men who own no
property and pay no taxes. said that the report of
the Committee appointed to prepare a new plan for
the government Of Washington will give rise to a
discussion in Congress Of the whole question of
universal suffrage and have shown that the ex-
pertinent as tried in this District has been made
under such circumstances as to deprive it OF nearly
all its value an example of what the result Of
negro suffrage Will be or has been III the South.
| fear such discussion Will do little
good except to lead to better understanding
of the condition of affairs in of the Southern
States III several la;e letters from Alabama at
tempted to show what some Of the natural results Of
a government based upon ignorance and poverty
have been. The question in the Southern States,
in many Of the Northern cities is not how to get
the ri yht to vote away from the ignorant and pen
nless masscs-that something that every thought
full man knows cannot be doDebut how to reduce
TO tic minimum the evil effects of unrestricted suf
frace. The Republicans attempted to do this in
New-York City by tic creation OF commissions ap-
pointed by the Governor; the Democrats OF AT
kansas hope to accomplish the same thing by making
it unconstitutional for the State an tf lis coun
ties to lend the public credit,
hEsrMCIlNG TIE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.
So when, IN writing from Alabama, said that
negro suffrage had failed in that State to accom-
plsh any Of the results that were predicted of 1t,
merely stated a fact that is susceptible of demon
straton; but it does not follow that the remedy