National Republican., 1884-01-15

established high schools, founded public
Libraries and erected other institutions and
works of public utility. Instead of this wo
find MS the chief visible result of SlOOOO,OOO
the necessity OF oxpendng at least half as
much more, at the same prices, to repair
rcsuriucC, and rcpavo the streets upon
which the original outlay chiefly was made,
and which, as all know, has been going on
ever since, and is not yet completed. The
act of congress provided that no debt by
which the aggregate debt OF the district shall
exceed . per cont. of the assessed property of
the district shall be contracted unless tho
law authorizing tho same shall, at the gem
erai election, have been submitted to the
people aud have received majority of the
votes cast for members of tho legislative
assembly at such election"
But was the SiO0O,0O0 loan bill passed in
violation of this provisionW
yes" was the reply; notwithstanding
this plain provision, they passed the four
million loan bill without submitting it to II
v>te of the people, and when at tho SUIT OF q
citizen they were enjOined by the court they
immediately passed IA new bill, and by the
votes OF the contractors aud their defendants
secured its satisfaction. The law limited the
general tax to 10, but finding that would
not give them what they wanted they had
Our property reassessed at double the former
amount, thus making the tax equal to 2.4O,
and tho next year they doubled it again,
making the tax equal to 4.S0 ON the original
valuation They had used up the four millions
all they could raise by taxes-hnd far ex-
ceeded the limit of the debt fixed by act Of
congress, and then they issued certificates of
indebtedness without authority or limit until,
as shown at the investigation, no one could
tell what tho debt was"
did not the sewer fund tax follow the four
million schemeY
ut did. They prepared and had bill
passed to raise general sewer fund of
S3000,000 by which they taxed all the real
estate in the district so much per square foot
without reference to its.value. Under that
net, if the tax was not paid when due, GER
thcate was issued which was to be IL lien on
our property, and for the payment of which
the property was to be sold the same as for
any general tax. And then they paid $4,000
to Caleb Cushing and Jere Black for an
opinion that that was not violation Of the
act limiting the debt. Long before that they
had far exceeded. the limit, and that too
without submitting any part of it to vote
OF the people, except the Si,000O00 loan, and
that only after they wero compelled to by
a decision of the court at the suit OF q pro-
testing citizen-one of those citizens of whom
the senator says he is glad they have no
voice in the government OF the district"
''Then this debt was not created by the
citizens" remarked the reporter.
"It certainly was not, nor by the customary
process OF popular self government. 1t was
created by the officers of the United States
government. This fact is not only apparent
TO any one who will take the trouble to look
up the records, but it has been officially
stated in both houses time and again. The
latest official utteranco of this fact may be
found in house report No. 2O7, third session,
forty.sixth congress, which says:
The fory.li lilst congress of the United States
passed an act, approved Feb. q, lS7l entitled An
act to provide n government for the District Of
Columbin," ana among other things provided in
section 81 OF SAID act for board of public works
to be appointed by the president OF the United
States. Tor the performance Of specific duties in
said act prescribed.
And after quoting the section in full, he
adds:
Section SIS Of said act provides that these officers
shall be paid by the United States They were,
therefore, III every respect federal officers, ana
were anvnabic only to the government of the
United States. The people OF the District of Co.
lumbiu had no control over them, and were
iowcrlCss 20 restrain them in the exercise of the
power and authority conferred upon them Dy law.
Under authority of law, and in exact conformity
Herewith he board of public works issued these
per Centum certificates, ana upon them re-
ceiyed the money they purported 10 represent,
with which they prosecuted the vast system of
Improvements which have made Washington the
magnificent city II now Is, as respects It's streets,
avenues, and public grounds. That this money
was ex iavncGntly cyi cndGd in many instances
does not affect the principe tnto'y" - IN ,hc pro-
visions of the bill submitted as q substitute for
the senate bill
And he add:
1t may be stated, as an additional equitable
reason why this should be done that there are
now Standing upon the books OF the District OF
Columbia, alter careful and thorough revision
OF the same, charges Justly made Tor special Us.
sessments-assessments made against the property
of the United States upon the same principles oi
law aud right as made against tue property of
private Northumberland which, therefore, the
United States us honestly owes us do private in
n tn NtE4 Ia -
were appropriated Tor, all the outstanding in-
debtedneSs OF the district could be speedily paid
"AEd yet with these facts before them, "
remarked the reporter, you say that ''con.
gressmen claim the debt TO have been created
by citizens Of the district"
"Thcy do" was the reply. "ln the face oi
their own records showing these facts we find
gentlemen standing up in both houses and
reiterating the oft reiuted statement that the
debt was created by the citizens of the dis
trict--that it was the result of popular self
government. | do not know that we ought
to be surprised at this when we find a senator
who has been continuously there for fourteen
years, and, Of course participated in all the
legislation relating to the district, ignorant
of the fact that the citizens of the district are
required by the very law he helped to make
TO pay one-half of all the expenses of the dis
trict, and several of them ignorant Of the
fact that the law for the extension of the
acqueduct passed by them only about eigh-
teen months since, requires us to pay one
half the cost Of it,"
What, then, is your opinion Of govern
ment for the District of Columbian
"To my mind these very facts show that
the people Of the district ought to have a
voice in the management of their local affairs.
We know full well that congress has not the
time to devote to these matters. To use the
words of member of the subcommittee ON
appropriations for the district ave have
50,0O0.O00 Of other people to legislate for-how
then do you suppose we can spend our time
playing town council for you" You ought
to take care Of yourselves, as my constituents
do"
If that is not adding insult to injury"
then i cannot conceive what is. Firt, they
deprive us of our right to govern ourselves
place over US officers of their own, who
create debt far greater than that Of any
. state or municipality in tho United States il
not in the world-a debt four and halftimes
as much per capita as that of Virginia, u debt
equal TO one fourth of our entire property
and which, in many cases, has worked q con-
fiscation of the whole, and then charge Us
with it, and tell us to take care of our
selves" ut the same time refusing 10 lei
us have the slightest voice in our own al
fairs, or even in the selection OF our rulers,
Well did Mr.. kasson say in his article in the
ReCiew! mo state government would adopt
the Washington method unless in case oi
extreno disorder and bankruptcy Neither
would any senator dare to stand up III his
own state and say that he was glad that the
citizens of any municipality there had nc
voice in their own government. But here il