Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-30

The people o. Washington do not share the i'm
preston earnestly sought to be created In some
Quarters that the whole country, and especially
what Is left OF the original ten mile square, is
going TO the dogs because there has lately been
reassignTnent of duties and powers In the Office of
the District Commissioners. Neither is there likely
Il De any demand, outside little band OF selfish
sChemers for place or peTquistes In some shape or
other, for change In existing form OF govern
ment because all the members OF the board do not
happen to be working tremendously together for
the time being. Experience has fully shown that
the present is at once tn most economical and the
most efficient form OF government the District has
ever had; and IL can be slid in addition that It
Is entirely acceptable to nine-tenths OF all those
who bear the expense Of carrying it on. and who
also naturally suffer most from corrupt. extrav-
CANT or inefficient administration OF it's affairs In
spite OF occasional Jars, the board of Commissioners
have worked well in the past, and there Is no Just
ground for apprehension that they viii not,
Whole, give the same satisfaction In future even
though every individual member cannot, In oil
things, have his own way. On the other hand, In
deed. the fact that sional differences OF opln-
Ion arise In that body demonstrates the advant-
ages OF a commission such as we now have. A
single individual with unlimited power in any
official position is likely 10 make many and serious
mistakes, whereas two men out of three-all pre-
suInably equal In intelligence and responsibility
are pretty apt after free interchange of views to
Furthermore, it does not by any means follow
that the present effort to improve the police sys-
tenn OF the District must fail because the super
vision OF that branch OF the local government has
been transferred from one to another member OF
the board The people Of Washington unques-
tionably owe much to Mr.. West for what he has
done In that direction: but IL is equally absurd
and unjust TO assume that no other person could
have done IS willing or able to do quite as
much Mr.. Eimond5 has probably as much at
stake In material interests and the good opinion
OF his follow citizens as MI West had or Is likely
TO have, and there IS no reason to fear SO far as
anything is yet known that he will not do quite
as much as either OF his colleagues toward pro-
tecting the one and deserving the other, by CIV
ing TO the District economical and efficient gov.
eminent
That Mr.. West knows the police force ''from the
ground up" as has been claimed for him. Is proba-
bly, true, and that such knowledge would be OF
great use In bringing about the reform so much
needed in the police department cannot be de-
MED; but it must not be forgotten that the abuses
from which we are suffering grew up and
bore their bitter fruits under the authority OF
thoSe who likewise knew or were supposed to
know the force "from the ground up" 1t must
De remembered, also, that the present prospects
Tor the Improvement OF that service are primarily
Que solely to The efforts OF men who had no ex-
perlence In the management OF the force or per-
sonal knowle ledge Of Its members but were wholly
guided in their Undertaking by sense OF public
DUTY and an unflinching determination to perform
H On the whole, therefore, it would seem that
The time for despalrng OF the republic is not yet
ut hand
MT defendant Dorsey's impaired vision affords
MIN convenient retreat when compromising doc
0mentS are shown him for identification. Though
unable TO recognize his own Signature he can see
% play billiards, and calculate the distances and
angles necessary to lie understood In the game
he proposed TO explain one OF the routes in Ques-
tion II a map OF New Mexico were laid before him,
Out the court reminded him OF his blindness by
Telling him that he couldn't map. The ex-
senator's blindness is, probably, OF discriminating
character. He can see that which tends to help
his own side OF the case better than those crimi-
mating documents OF the prosecution. The indca-
lions are, however, that the government will
manage TO get along without the help OF Dorsey's
eyes, or rather in spite OF them.