National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-02
GOVERNMENT OF The DISTRICT.
Charters Of is2o-euaHfed Suffrage De,


| To the Editor Of the National Republican,:
Sir: The Senate is certainly entitled to the
thanks Of the people Of the District for the ear
nest efforts Of four days labor to provide gov
| erument for our political nOndescript. ThegraVe
members Of that body. after the fatigue of that
fruiticss effort, mast have been in state OF mind
| somewhat like that Of the member OF the House,
who bad been interviewed" beyond endurance
by some Of our local politicians, and is said to
| have exclaimed, 1.-THE devil take your bedlam
city; it is as much trouble as all the rest Of the
| country, Louisiana and Arkansas included"
| That irate gentleman, when he delivered him.
| self so irreverently of our beautiful city, was,
perhaps, nearer right than he probably suspected,
| and yet II would be rather hard measure to con-
sign our people to the tender mercies Of his sa-
TAME ta9ic majesty, simply because the two great
| have taken upon themselves the trouble to man
age the affairs Of this little District, when the
can do IL so much better If their constitutional
| guardians will permit them to assume the task.
SEEMS fo bs o. ny snaoe
One party is in favor of unrestricted suffrage and
| the other is opposed to suffrage in any form.
Stripped Of Its metaphysic covering, It discloses
| the opinion that has seemed to prevail that the
/ people OF the District of Columbia on one side
have no rights that Congress is bound to respect
and on the other, that they have no rights that
! anybody is bound to respect. These two lines of
ideas although so far assured yet run in parallel
grooves and remaining in these grooves, they will
be like the geometrical theory Of parallel lines
and csnneVer meet; yet something should be done.
| That's necessity. Cannot these lines be made to
meet and flow on in unison, by bending, each one
| slightly towards the other d?
The present century, with the Anglo-Saxon
race, with few, but 1t must be admitted terrible
exceptions, has been an age of compromise. The
Government OF our country is based upon a COM
promise. The Federal Constitution, under which
the marvellous development Of the resources OF
the United States has been achieved, is q compre-
mise Of the most exalted character. The respect
his Tq9Irs9 a6S 70 s9T
compromise. Then why Should Congress hesitate
to apply that principle, even in so small matter
as the government Of the district of Columbia
The middle ground upon which the parties can
meet each retaining its selErespect by the yield
ing Of the other, is obviously that Of qualified
suffrage. And government based upon the real
or personal property qualification of the electors
would unite all the opposing elements in our
midst that have any right or can, by the most
in the government.
The charter of 1870 furnishes a complete text,
simple IN It's form and yet containing nearly all
the powers that are essential to a good govern
ment. All that would be required to make it con-
slstent with the altered condition of the times
WOULD be 10 eliminate from its pages every pro-
vision that makes distinction between The white
and the cOiored man, and extend it's powers SO as
to en- brace the whole District; if our venerable
neighbOr Georgetown prefers to work out her
destiny alone, then restore to her the charter
which she held at the same time, (lS2O, amended
as in the case of Washington by removing all
distinction between the white and the cOlOred
races. Negro outrage, about which SO much
has been said in connection with the government
OF the District would be preserved in all its lOrcs
The number Of the colOred citizens of the Dis
trict who are owners Of real estate apprOximates
to, il IL does Lot exceed one sixth OF the whole
number Of property holders, many of whom are
well known, and have openly and uniformly ex-
pressed themselves in favor of an elective gov
eminent based upon real or personal property
qualification Of the electors.
Then, Mr.. Editor, TO save time and to restore
good feeling, let us have the charter OF 1870 and
Congress, when that body meets again in Decem-
Der next, will be relieved from the daily morn
ing petition of our citizens, although il is de-
voutIy hoped that its members may continue TO
offer up their daily morning prayers"
HoRATIo N. EASILY.
FEBRUARY -, 1876.