Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-25
The Eastern Situation.

The Eastern contest is now battle of dip
lOmatS of bOundleSS interest and Importance
to Europe and the world. The maneuyers Of
the belligerentS are in a measure hidden and
secret. The cable transmits gueSses. more or
less plausible, but it seems that we must wait
for thorough understanding of the strategy of
the victor until success has been ensured. Rus
STA is evidently delaying a conference. just as
she DELAYED an armistice with the end in view
of bringing direct negotiations with Turkey to
a definite termination favorable to her own
interests, before her uneasy neighbOrS have
chance to intefere. Turkey is in dilemma
The proposed conditions nearly annihilate her !:
a refusal to accept them may cause her COM
plete destruction. She looks at the Russian
forces at her gates, then at the British iron
clads in her waters; then she reads over the
conditions and heSitateS,-a plan of action
suggested by her ministry, who meet
half dozen times a day without CON-
ing to any other conclusion. Roumania
which marched to war with the Car,
actuated by Christian motives and desire
Tor territory, is thoroughly Disguised to find
that Russia will reward her services by rob-
bling her of BesSaTabia and by accusing her of
heartless ingratitude when she grumbles at
the theft Belhgerent Hungary causes Aus
tria to appear in warlike attitude: but this
nation will remain at peace unless she sees her
way clear To gain something by war. So Count
AndraSSy remarked. in substance. when he
asked for a vote of confidence and precau-
tiOnary appropriation of money. England is
arming rapidly. Her peace meetings are far
from peaceful. Broken heads are their princi-
pal fruits. Public feeling is intensely aroused,
and the government will be sustained how
ever vigorous policy it may decide to pursue
Germany puts on an air of Indifference Her
fIf MT InrIx- tnI
mean, This isn't my row. anyway England
thinks that Germany has eliminated herself
from the contest. Russia considers that she is
ungrateinl. Both. probably, are mistaken. 1t
is moi time yet for Bismarck to drop the policy
OF evasion There is not much doubt about
his personal leanings but the feeling in south
ern Germany at present operates as check.
Meanwhile the fighting efficiency of the
French army under its new military system is
matter of considerable interest to the Ger
man newspapers
AS there appears to be considerable differ
ence of opinion as to how the people of the
District feel on the question of suffrage and
rs our evening contemporary The STAR feels
very positive that they are against it by'.a
large majority, suppose it joins i'm request
OF Congress to allow a vote TO be taken on the
and the test to be on three distinct ballots.
whether the suffrage shall be unlimited, or
confined to such taxpayers as have resided in
the District reasonable time, or whether
there should be suffrage at all. A test of this
Kind would be the only fair one, and besides
the only true way to get at the sense of the
people on the subject. What does our con-
temporary say to the prOpOs
Chronicle.
We can't exactly see the merits of this pro
posed test" Nineteen twentieths of the
business men, property holders. taxpayers,
and others having anything at stake in the
District, are opposed, as we have shown, to a
return of suffrage rule here for the very reason
that they have no voice at the pOlls--that their
votes are completely swamped by the ire
sponsible floating population thrown upon us
by the war. Suppose Congress orders a
vote upon the question: what reason is
there to believe that the old programme would
not be repeated that Murder Bay" "Helrs
Bottom "CrOwtOwn," 'Prather's Alley
= Petersburg" and the other mulritudinous
voting populations would not rOut the tax-pay-
ers at the polls after the old sort and decide in
favor of a return TO unlimited suffrage BY "a
large Majority But how is the vote to be
taken? Who is to decide who are entitled to
vote as bona tide residents? Will it rot be ne
ceSsary TO have a registration? IL 50, who is
to pay the costs of the registration and cleo
tom Our last registration and election-that
gave US the sweet boon of the Feather Buster
House OF DelegateS-cOSt $4,000, and that did
not include the s1,2O0 refreshments supplied
to the Hon. Feather Busters, or the cost of the
furniture they carried off when they were
abolished. Are the taxpayers to be called
upon to foot another bill of $4,000 for the priv
ilege of being outvOted again by crowd who
pay no taxes? Oh. no. Eighty thousand dol
ars can be good deal better expended in the
support Of our schools, that must be closed for
want of funds, or in the needed repairs of our
streets, or in the reduction of existing burdens
upon our taxpayers, than in test vote " of
that sort.
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