Evening star., 1877-09-21
Congress and the District.


Editor Star THE STAR deserves great
credit for so strongly and frequently calling
The public attention TO the necassity OF ma
turing and adopting, by proper legislation, a
definite plan for determining the relative
proportion OF the expenses of carrying on the
affairs OF the District, 10 be borne by Con-
eressioDal appropriations aud by tax alton of
The residents here. IL Is he great IA oiect Ior
the PEOPLE OF the District, and all ought 10
unite on some well considered scheme, and
press II upon Congress with ali the power
that united force can bring to the effort.
Ihere has always been So much division OF
opinion among the leading men here on the
supJect, SO much opposition, IL not bitter
hostility, by one seL and another to every
pIoi iosltlon that has been put forth. that we
may well understand how Congress has be-
come dlSgust.d with the whole subject, and
suhe1s the District to be neglected. This
should not be So Let plan be devised by "A
committee of men in whom all can have
confidence, and Then let ali unite to have IL
adopted, even altho gn some of Us LnIgst
lnlnK we could make better on
My own op nion is, that it is a radical aud
laisl error for the people here to think that
tht ought t", or can, maintain the expenses
oilhis district by the aid even, of any appro-
pflatOns that Congress can be induced to
tuln over 10 the peoples sworn officers, who
e. er they may be. Congress will always be
Jealous of expenditures by District officers
and extremely reluctant To appropriate
money TO be expended by them, even though
they are admitted TO bU the best men To be
found. the District officials will never cease
10 be regarded as beggarS as long as we hold
10 The iCea that the people here, as in the
cities OF the states, are primarily bound to
malntaln ihe eNlehse oI the pace they live
III.
This District is exceptional. Ii is national
territory, belonging - the whole country,
whose sole Importance comes from It's being
The national capital. Withdraw the govern
meHt ard there Is nothing which would be
LETT here OF any value.
Tie City OF Washington was lai / out on a
grand scale for tue grandGer Of great coun-
Try ana not Tor tue people residing here. No
people on the lace or the EARN are rich
enough in any city or town to IN intain such
roads, avenues and parSs "a Congress has
forced upon this District without asking or
regarding or caring for tue viii o. the paDple.
Thirty -fye hundred acres of avenues aud
streets lad out by a legislative body, TO be
maintained by small population having
In fixing the policy which sh 1uid determine
either the original laying oit or the future
care OF theml Sucn a case Is unpar illeled in
The history OF any state or any Country.
The alton has the first aud greatest inter-
est IN The District; its government is perna
nently here, which, of all the places in the
country, The people resldiug here are the
least nAed, permanent. The laws discourage
and almost forbid their becoming citizens
until 1t disfranchises all who 10 become
such; and the fact is that sjority of the
people who SCI Durn here during the winter
have residences or citizenship elsewhere.
The constitution .ntempiated In pr5yid-
Ing that district should toe set apart for the
permanent seat OF government, and that
o,a ~ tha, - 20 20 se eASIu1iHt JurIsuictloh
by tho %, nariana, nts n snoutu oe cairlel on
nyhiic hnstuna sT sTs1, mIl.I as Ptlt ot tne
In tie consm1mtio,, t DiosinoI ,, rs lhen.tpned
forts moasninaS ue,on 1 ~ o1iineot,ou i Win tne
anS sbn,'ss3 81 ,,s ; atseais auu uOSk aus,
1bIi -, Ia ,,,o ue a n II, @ PrihaIily oy the
Piaoes ceoeo 10 Tue country Dy tne several
e's aT,bo oe,ro,d,,,roso, -, ,,,
no aid g. 49,, tt vi Iiie DLstrlct snouid
sn.cfic snnronriationSS U,ada 'sas au upon a1
Conare.s at1 'th ' aIaue annuaIy oy