Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-26
Reading Matter on Every Page.
Largest Circulation in the District


The following from the New York Grdphic
gives a thoughtful outside view of District
affairs.
d" IL * hard to ge; Congress TO do anything
like Justice TO the District Its members rep
resent local constituencies They look out
for the interests OF the sections they repre-
sent They are keenly alive to the import
ance or every measure that will build up
their influence at home and increase their
chances Of reelection. But the District has
no votes. 1t is political cipher Congress
has always been reluctant to vote the neceS-
Sary appropriations To keep the city drained
and Clean For wears before and after the
war 10 was a national disgrace. Within a
few years special effort has been made to
improve its condition and make 10 worthy its
POSITION as the capital of the nation. A Dis
tTict government was formed. appropriations
were made, plans of improvement were
adopted. and great deal Of money was spent
and not "a little wasted in trying Ia repair the
neglect Of forty years in three. There may
nave been little corruption in the handling
OF so much money and the dealing with
vast humber OF details represented by I'M
ScrupUlOj contractors, but, as is usual in
such cases. the smoke was out of all proper
ton to tie FIRE In fact there was little else
than smoke, except the shouting about 10, rs
though a few burning chips and bits of
leather " ere a cOnilagratiOn.
The Efforts of these few years have made
NaShil gtOn magnifC 1T city, in fact, with
q possibility OF still further improvement.
But the government owns nearly one half of
the real estate. IL pays no tIxeS. 1t does
with 10 definite UIi Orm policy. The mo-
ment there j. SpaSm of eco! Omy the apprO-
prfatiOnS for the District are cut of the
city las To commerce; no great body of bust
ness that that can bear it, burdens, no large
class Of itch and public-SDirited IN an who
come forward of themselves to supply def
ciencies and make donations; no prosperous
middle class who can pay all the necessary
expenses OF carrying ON halt built city Of
magnificent pretCnsiOns emerging from the
grub To the butterfly condition, and JUS; try
ing tD Put on wings. The people who reside
there permanently are government clerks
ard employees, retired army and navy Off
GERS. gentlemen with small properties whose
income S'are barely sufficient To enable them
10 live respectfully, and the great crowd of
visitors who fit back and forth while Con-
gross Is iD session. They cannot support a
city government, which il necessarily more
expensive IN proportion to the population
than that of BOSTON or Phila ielPhia. Yet the
neglect Of Congress throws the burden Oh the
shoulders of these people. This is species
OF MluS'-ce which ought To be reformed.
Either the government should pay tax on
Its real estate into the Distric. treasury and
thus bear its proportion of the common bur
den, or II should make an annual and un-
stinted appropriation, tn cover AL the Iegiti-
mate expenses and pay for all the improve
1nents II undertake 5. There is some danger
tha The present Congress will adjourn with
out making any provision whatever for the
District, thus leaving its bills unpaid. its
creditors unprovided for, and its people over
burdeEed by a taxation under which they
grCan aloud. such neglect would not only
be an act Of cruel wrong to- the people OF the
District, but stroke OF almost Insane inn
policy, and would add To the oIium under
which Congress already rests. 1t ought i'm
justice To itself ard the country as well as TO
me District, to make wise approximation
ana adopt policy in reference 10 District
AFFAIRS which shall complete what has been
so hnely begun, and make Washington a
capital OF which the nation can be Justly
proud. People will not go there to live and
build the r houses on its vacant spaces Till
assured that their property will not be con-
nScated by the tax-gatherer. Congress should
nOl acj0urn TIL IL does this act of simple JUS
tice TO tile capital OF the country