Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-02
Largest Circulation in the District
Are We to Have n Governments

There can be no question of the paramount
necessity for the passage of bill for a per-
manent government for this District. We
are not disposed to discount in advance the
chances in the next Congress for favorable
legislation; but IL our citizens are deluded
- into the belief that we will stand better then
than now, we think they will find out their
error when IL Is too late for remedy. 1t be-
comes more and more apparent that there is
but one bill which Stands any chance Of sue
cess, and that is the Morrill, bill; or that bill
substantially. 1t has been considered by
joint committee of both Houses, and as any
bill must BE- taken largely on faith, this one
stands better than any other, as il is
the only one which has been, Or
can be considered by any committee.
The question is: Can our people afford TO
throw away the chance this bill offers in a
vain effort 10 obtain the right to elect one or
more officers Of the local government? The
Morrill, bill lifts the burden OF government
from our shoulders and places il where the
Constitution placed if. II is tho assumption
of past liabilities AMI future expenditures
and requires Us To pay. for the privilege Of
having good government, a reasonable tax
upon our property. our citizens may depend
upon one thing. and that i, that Congress
will never appropriate money for District
improve ments while we have government
der the government Or make up our minis
TO do without appropriations. II is easy TO
say we Will DO tbs, bIt il means just double
any reasonable tax. We understand the use
Of the ballot To- he to secure COOL government
1t may DO this ordinarily, but to insist upon
IL now is the destruction Of government.
II is proposed, however, and we understand
Senator Morrill, does not object, To amend the
bill by allowing Delegate in Congress to be
elected, who shall be er-O1iciO "a member of
all the various boards created by the bill
without, however. the right to vote, but with
right To participate in all meetings. We
think all sensible men ought to agree 10 this
compromise. five can the bill can be passed,
and to our mind il is this or nothing.
The newspapers throughout the whole
country, and particularly in its remote and
sparsely settled portions. are an unit against
the efforts of the express companies to secure
the repeal of the law permitting the trans
NissiOn of small parcels of merchandise, etc,
through the mails. And well they may be-
That clause of the postal law is really one Of
the most beneficial TO the majority of people,
and especially To those Of small means, that
ever was framed 1t virtually makes the
mails the poor mans express company, and
at a merely nominal cost. Under il. for ex-
ample, family living remote from any
large town, or even from a country store
may have the whole stock of the largest
retail establishments in the country at its
disposal. Writing a letter and enclosing
stamp TO the nearest town or even to the
largest cities, (tOtal cost from four To six
eents,) will secure by return mail a large
assortment of such samples as may be want
cd, with prices, etc, all plainly marked
Another letter, transmitting the price, will
bring back by next mail the desired article,
at a cost less than One-twentieth on an aver
age of what 10 would be to have the same
thing carried by expTeSs,-if, indeed. there
De any express facilities al all for that par
tienlar locality. This puts the country pur-
chaser practically on the same footing as
those living in the cheapest and best sup
piled markets.
a hundred other examples might be cited
showing the great benefits of the law as it
stands, but they will occur TO every intelIi-
gent reader, and il would be only waste of
space TO state them To repeal the law would
merely aggrandise a few wealthy companies,
while II would lay a heavy tax upon the
people OF the whole cOuntry-fOr every family
and person in the land is interested in cheap
transportation, especially OF small parcels
and at the same time il wOuld deprive those
out Of reach Of the express companies of all
means of transportation of that kind. The
system works admirably in England, where
large and valuable packages are constantly
sent through the mails, with as much conf
dence as deposits are made in trust com
pany, and il is certain To become more popu-
lar and indispensable in this country day by
day, as the public learns Its great aIvantages.
If any member OF Congress wants to commit
official suicide, let him take sides with the
express companies in this matter.
Prof. Dor, in Berne, has recently again
called attention to the constantly increasing
rate of shOTtSightedness among school chill
dTen, ranging in the higher classes now from
so to % per cent Causes of this are said To
be:-Arrangementsa and wall color of school
rooms; the too small type used in text books;
the use Of white paper for school books in
place of some more grateful tint to the eyes;
finally, the bad gas light which children are
compelled to study by.
BeecheT seems TO have a remarkable facil-
lty for placing himself and other people on
the edge of things. First we hal Beecher on
1.-THE ragged edge According 10 Tilton's
testimony yesterday, PlymOuth'S pastor at
another time, edging on profanity, represent
Ell himself as ION the edge of hell, and at
still another time said of MoultOn, Poor,
Frank, he Is at the graves edge"