Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-04
The Thing Needed.

Various persons who, for reasons of their
own, desire suffrage restored here, but who
apparently have no interest at stake in the
matter Of gaining relief from the burdens of
debt and taxation that are crushing the very
life out of the citizens of the District upon
whom they fall. are busy about the halls of
Congress, and in the newspapers. seeking to
inculcate the idea that what the District peO-
pie really want is not the equitable adjustment
of debt and expenses between the District and
the government, but the restoration of the
ballot. The number of persons who are work
ing in this direction is small perhaps there
are not a dozen of them altogether but =,
persistently haunting ~ Congress committee
rooms and lOhSi1>. and by induStriOuSly but
To-" iJiing members. they have managed to
give the impression that there is really very
earnest demand for suffrage here. In order
to test the matter we lately gave large pOr-
ton of The STAR to the expression of the
views of several hundred citizens of all classes
and politics, entitled to speak upon the queS-
ton :-wOrkingmen, mechanics and small
shop keepers, as We'll as merchants, capital
lists, bankers, real estate owners aud heavy
taxpayers. There was q striking unanimity
of opinion from all these diversified quarters.
Scarcely one in twenty favored 4 return to
unqualified suffrage. and there was an almost
unanimous expression of opinion amongst
those who favor suffrage in the abstract
against bringing up the question now, or any
other question calculated to distract attention
from the great matter of District interest, the
relief from burdens of debt and taxation that
must be lifted. or the larger portion of the pr-
waite property of the city be sold out
for taxes. AS the clamOr of the hand
full of professional suffragists seems cal
culated to befOg the great vital question
at issue, We recapituate on another page the
points showing the frightful condition of the
taxpayers of the District. We invite the
special attention of members of Congress to
this statement, in order that they may know
what this community wants above everything
else. III Congress chooses to couple with
measure settling the money equities between
the District and the Government some pro-
vision recognizing the principle of suffrage
here, the people will not object, but they are
not asking for suffrage, and they protest
against being put in the attitude of seeking it
at the expense of the great measure of relief
for which they have petitioned.
The fact that there has been no marked de-
cline III consOls, is held to indicate that there
is no serious apprehension in England of a
war with Russia, at least not just yet. The
London pepulace shout for war, and break I'D
every demonstration of the peace party, and
II is. of course, the policy of the government to
put on a bold front with Russia: but that gov
eminent knows that it can do little more than
show its teeth, with its present dimnutive
military force. England has abundant money
resources, and a stock of as brave fighting
material as any country under the sun, but as
il does not keep up a large standing army, it
is about as badly prepared for war on a large
scale as our Union was at the out
break of the rebellion; with this differ
epce in our favor, that the rebels
were alike wanting in disciplined force,
whereas England would have to put her sixty
thousand raw troops into the field against two
or three hundred thousand Russian veterans
LII England were able to effect an alliance with
Austria, the case would be different because
Austria has large army, reported to be in
condition for immediate service, and the COM
binatiOn OF the available military, and finan-
eial resources of the two countries would be
a formidable one: but it is evident that Eng
land puts little trust in the war talk of Aus
tria, as either from the restraining power of
Germany, internal diSSenSiOnS, or some other
cause the Austrian government avoids COM
mitting itself to war policy. The English pa
pers dOnOt hesitate to charge diplomatic dupli
city TO Austria, and the disposition to encOur-
age England to war with Russia, holding
herself i'll position to keep out of the conflict
England would thus pull the chestnuts from
the fire for her beDeft