Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-18
Our District Government.

Our District Government.
il Is understood that the Con gressionsl
Commission appointed to draft a permanent
form OF government for this District express
some disappointment that our citizens have
not come forward more generally 10 give
their views upon the matter IN hand. We
suppose that one reason OF this failure to
respond Is the presence OF the great national
question which occupies all minds just now;
but no doubt another cause is the feeling
quite prevalent amongst our business men
and tax payers that their views and wishes
pass for very little with Congress, and that,
in fact, any measure framed TO meet their
needs and acceptable to them, would almost
for that reason get the cold shoulder from
our national legislators The fate Of the
Morrill, Dill, the lsbOrious work of a previous
Congressional Commission; and last session
of the thoughtfully prepared tax bill, TO the
preparation OF which our best citizens had
given so much labor In order TO perfect a
measure adjusting the burdens OF District
taxation most equitaOly, are cases In point
The gentlemen composing the present
Congregational Commission bring SO much
legislative experience and intelligent thought
10 their work that IL is n be hoped the re.
suit OF their lsb0rs will receive more cousid-
Grafton at the hands OF Congress than have
the previous carefully dige>ted plans of Dis
trlet government, finance, and taxation.
The plan OF the Commission stands a batter
ChsEce Of adoption, for the reason that, &C
coIdiBg TO The draft proposed by Senator
Whyte, 1t Is TO be exceedingly simple, pro-
vidiDg only for permanent form Of govern
ment of the District by Commissioners, aud
leaving all the details OF snO org aniZ alton To
be perfected after the commission is APP
pointed While tnis sesms to be- rather a
hap-hszard way of putting a machine OF
District government in motion, Senator
Whyte is doubtless right IN thinking that
any more elaborate plan would share the
fate OF the Morrill, bill, simply because
members would lot take the pains 10 read II,
or examine Its provisions.
II the tax payers OF the District couI have
their choice Ia the matter they won Id prefer
form of government In Will ca they could
have direct voice through some mode OF
limited suffrage. They have now not ONLY
what our forefathers re5eIlad against-taxa-
ton without representatlOn-but they are
lot even allowed the small pri vilege Of sug-
gestiDg how the burdens OF taxation can be
adjusted 10 their shoulders the most easily,
and with the least iUjury TO the business in
teTests of the community. A an instance
their protest last session against a tax on
mortgages as putting US at disadvantage
with the citizens OF Maryland, where the
mortgage tax had just been discarded, was
eCOuicu W OOBsIcsef anu result Is t0at
capital Invested here In that kind OF secu-
Iity is now going TO Baltimore TO escape that
tax. And Senator Hamilton, OF Maryland.
whatever his motives, voted to blister
Washington with mortgage tax, wnen the
legislature OF his own state had Just aOo!-
ished the like tax there as pref liiciaI TO
business interests. This is bat Que instance
out OF many To illustrate the harIsh!ps
resulting to a community from having 10
voice In the matter OF adjusting Its TAXATION
But IL 1t is Impraeticabls TO secure a
government basel upon qualified suf-
frsge, the plan proposed of a commits
sion, OF which the maj Irity shall b,
composed OF citizens OF the District,
will, we think commend Itself TO favor. I,
should be provided. however, In some way
that the Commissioners representing the
District should be coma ite citizens fully
Identified with the interests OF the District,
The main, and perhaps the only fault To bs
found with our present estimable Commits
sioLers is that, while being thoroughly capa
leand honorable men, they have maintained
An active citizenship elsewhere. and have In
almost every seDse been aliens to the peo-
pie they ruled here. They were and are
strangers To the citizens and the citizens
strangers 10 them. The slight consideration
given by the commissioners to the repre
sensations of large delegations of our best
known ard most respected citizens upon
matters Of tsxation, tue public schools land
other matters of vital nterest, has seemed to
show either q want OF local kno Wedge of
the character OF the citizens In question
and the nature OF The grievances or
some SCI Sc of pique at having the iufalli0le
wisdom and justice Of their rule questioned
But cespii this condition of what CARRIES
Lamb would call imperfect sympathies"
between The parties, the people OF the Dis
trict have very genuine respect for the
character and abilities of our District Com
missioners; and the general success OF the
performance by the latter OF their anoma-
lous and vaguely defined duties has served.
we believe, TO cause our citizens to look
rather favorably upon the commissionsrship
plan Of government. Naturally, they ask
that the members Of the board (or a msj0r-
ity) shall be citizens of the District, and |
naturally they wish TO have soma voice as
TO the manner in which the taxes they pay |
shall be raised; the manner in which the |
public school system, FOR the support OF /
which they are so heavily taxed, shall be /
conducted. sc, &c And 10 must be con- |
ceded that there Is something wrong in the /
system OF government where one hundred /
and nifty Thousand people are powerless AMI
voiceless for action or remoIstrance upon
matters Of this kIud that come home 10
every man woman and child IN the cOmmu- |
nifty. .