National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-23
S1,6oI,Ho o.
10000 90
10000 90
3,l7o,I54 81
Which makes still to be paid BY our
citizens, and which hangs over all

| ClLlLeQt, ana winch nAuR6 over All
the property, the SUN of............S5 ,43so70 Il
The most Of this must be provided for while We
are paying our next years tax, which, submit,
i Is not possible for rs 70 DO But in this connec
know what extraordinary sums have been paid by
| them in furtherance OF improvements and to
| years. We have actually paid in money since
| the LIST Of June, 1871, when the new government
began, exclusive Of the debt bonded sad floating,
over Is, 900 900, which, added to the delinquent
tax and special assessments unpaid, t6 A,
makes the total Of s10 433 041; add 70 this the
amount Of the liabilities funded, floating and I'M
paid els, 427 ,36024 and We have e2S sol 03o Is,
which Is equal to nearly one third Of the entire
taxable real estate Of the District.
| May not conclude the argument here2 Can
any member look this subject squareIy In the face
and vote to cast upon this people the entire bur-
den Of government in this Districts II there is,
warn him to provide literally for the officers OF
the law, for upon them will deYolVe the disagree
able duty Of dlspossessing half the resident popu-
lStion Of this capital. In this csurse Of cruelty
Make the nonpsyment Of tax cause for imprison-
ment. We viii at least secure shelter at public
| expense.
AGRAvE REsPoNsIBIEITY SOMEWHERE.
far as pPopoSe To Do SSo% ,bsIa S[s tSess on on
| this floor who assert that the United States
| should do nothing more toward sustaining local
Union; who say you should do nothing TO support
| the schools, when one third Of the pupils are
children Of nOn;Tesidents who are the public ser.
here, but contribute little or nothing to taxes;
| who say you should not help the fire department,
treasures exposed in inaammable buildings than
| the whole population besides; who say that the
police department should not be aided, when
your own lives and property, and that Of thou
| sands compelled to come here and transact
| business depend on the efficiency OF this corps;
| who say that the health department should not
be assisted, when but for its efficient work Of last
year and the help you gave Congress would have
been driven out Of the capital to escape the
scourge Of smallpox: who say that you should not
pay anything toward lighting the streets, when
II would be next to impossible to transact the pub
| lie business and would be unsafe to venture be-
yond your houses but for this public convenience;
| who say you should not help pave, sewer ana
| otherwise improve and adorn the city, when you
have laid OF capital here upon plan which In
| piled and brought with 1t the pledge that you
| would do these things at your own expense, and
| unless you do them they must be undone and
Is to those and such as those, who believe ali
| these monstrous errors, that present the Dis
trict OF Columbia naked and prostrate and almost
| hopeless.
have laid our burden at your feet and I de-
clare to you, not deantly, but earnestly, that we
will not, because we cannot take 1t up unless you
1pon Congress- he nscssstv r soms
| and declared purpose toward this District, and
my only hope now is that between the despotism
set up last session and the anarchy we seem drift
| ing to Congress will soon wake up to the fact
| that here at the nations centre; here where we
| should have model government; here where
/
erous and liberal policy should govern; here OF
| all the broad domain Of the United States is the
most vacillating, the most uncertain, the most
| ignorant, and the most unpatriotic course pur.
| sued.
have not uttered since have had the honor
for I have felt that while was sent here upon
the nomination Of one of the great parties Of the
country 1t was to serve interests purely local and
| In behalf Of which there should be no party dis.
| pute; but It is disappointing reflection that
that party with which most Of my constituents
are IN sympathy however much it may nave nave
| government We had and has not given us q better
one; that while in spasms of good feeling It has
tits duty performed, Wholly overlooked the
greater one Of providing here Q wise, an efficient
| amodel government. There is grave responsi
patriotism and national pride enough to perform
while you are agonIIing over States which are
! provided by the Constitution with machinery tC
operate themselves, beg Of you not to forget the
heart Of the nation, that cannot even pulsate
without You win let T. beg Of You do not longer
heels Of neglect; beg Of you do not forget thai
| this entire community, as large as some of youl
which If ii chose to avail itself Of the power yo1
have given It and were not composed Of mer
every way to be trusted, as ourpresent Commits
sioners can be, might Cypress this people to g
point that would bring personal disgrace upor
| every one Of you and indellbly tarnish the very
name Of American liberty.
| 4uoC4aLo NY uOAAOoAobO OpiAAOA W DC bAas knoIk
| is not within the range Of my knowledge Of Chris
tian nations q spot so badly governed as this one
| where Congress alone has absolute and exclusive
| legislative control Taking the government o.
| the District Of Columbia as an example Of the
| wisdom Of Congress, this nation could not exist
tWenty-four hours, fit were not for the reserved
rights Of the States which secure to them good
| government.
1t is impossible, Mr.. Speaker, for me to say
more or do moro than have done to arouse Con
gress to 9 sense Of duty toward the Capital o.
| this great nation. In behalf Of the people ofthiI
| District have urged the local needs; havi
| urged the national view; / have worked in season
| and out ofseasOn, and must we now only sit doWI
in utter despair and wait the final contamination
| Of our ruinf