Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-30
KANSAS IN WASHINGTON.
An Epidemic Congress The Game o
Politics-Senator Plumb's Speech
and Prospects.

| WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 26, 1888.
To the Editor Of the Eagle.
Many moons have waxed and waned
since, upon leaving our beloved Wichita.
promised to drop an occasional line tc
the EAGLE touching matters and things
transpiring at the capital. As no apollo
gy for the non-performance of this prom
Use would be likely to be received by you
with credulity, offer you none.
To the stranger, and especially to one
from the new and formative west,
Washington presents in almost all par
ticulars sharp contrast to what he has
been accustomed to. In many partlcu-
lars comparison would prove highly
favorable to our own town. Here there
are no such marked evidences of bust
ness enterprise and commercial prosper
ity as abound with us. In fact, as is
well known, Washington boasts less OF
these than any other city of equal popu-
lation in this country, and probably i'll
the world. In the line Of business build
ings there are two or three which excel
anything that Wichita can boast, but on
the average ours are far superior; while
the volume of business with us, proper
toned to the population, vastly sur
| passes it.
The quiet of the streets here is some
thing almost phenomenal. One misses
the rush and hurry and hustle which al
ways characterizes a live and growing
| place. Except at particular hours III the
day the streets of Washington are
scarcely ivelier than those of growing
western city on the Sabbath. Here the
government is the great employer.
Aside from the ten or twelve thousand
persons directly employed in clerical
capacity, there are many other thou
sands who, in a manner more or less
| direct, draw their sustenance from the
public treasury. As consequence, in
the morning these thousands will be
seen hocking from every direction to-
ward the public Offices in which they are
employed, and in the afternoon these
throngs, returning to their homes, give
an appearance of fictitious hustle and
liveliness to the thoroughfares.
While these reflections may seem
somewhat uncomplimentary to our Re-
publican capital, there are other particu-
lars in which it undoubtedly stands I'M
rivalled. Washington is unquestionably
the handsomest city in America, and the
time is coming, when age shall have fur
Their developed and matured its charms,
when it will have no superior in attract
iveness in the world Modern vigor and
enterprise have SO improved upon the
wise provision of the founders of the city
that the peculiarities with which
they endowed it. and which were
long the subject of ridicule,
are now the chief basis of its
claim to unequaled beauty. The broad
streets and avenues which were once
mere stretches of desolation, mournful
for the citizens to contemplate and
jest for strangers. have, by judicious
parking, excellent paving and SPLEEN
did shading been made marvels of
beauty, SO that one not only rises up to
call the original creators of all this
blessed" but to join in the chorus of
praise with which the once much decried
BOSS" Shepherd and his energetic lieu
tenants are greeted.
This matter of trees is the chief boast
and peculiar glory of Washington. In
its original state there were many trees,
some of them noble and wide spreading:
but the varieties were poor, they We're
planted promiscuously, had grown i'll
shaped and unatlractive. The compre-
hensive system of grading and parking
inaugurated by Shepherd was followed
by an equally comprehensive system of
tree-planting. The matter of planting
is not left to the whim or caprice of the
individual citizen, but is reposed exclu-
sively in the hands of "a scientific COM
mission, at the head of which is the gen.
tleman who for so many years has had
charge of the great botanical garden.
All the trees are propagated in the gov
esnment nurseries, and of course only
the best and healthiest varieties are used.
They are not set out promis-
cuouslY, but on strictly scien
tific principles. Particular streets
are dedicated to particular varieties of
trees, SO that while "a given street ex-
hibits uniformity in this respect, the
general aspect is one of pleasing variety.
1t is this uniformity in diversity, this
variety of form and tint and foliage,
which goes to make Washington the
charming city it is. More than sixty
thousand shade trees border the streets
of the city, to say nothing of the many
thousands which adorn the parks and
The utmost care is exer-
cised in planting; rich soil Is supplied,
water is freely used when needed, and |
the result is that it is rare circumstance
for a young tree to fail to grow. Useful |
lessons in the art of tree planting and in
the beneficial results which follow could |
be learned by many young cities now In !
process of thriving growth, but which |
are wont to sacrifice all considerations of |
the beautiful and severely practical. |
Perhaps even Wichita could learn some |
thing from Washington.
AS to its local government Washington |
is entirely sui generis. As is well known, |
congress is the sole fountain of legisla- |
tive authority; but it delegates wide
of responsibility to board of |
of three commlssioners-two appointed |
by and with the advice of the senate and |
one from the engineer corps OF the |
army. These commissioners are author
lied to make detailed police and other
regulations for the government off the |
city not conflicting with any of |
the acts of congress. No voting is |
known here of any character, nor is /
there any apparent desire for the electoral |
franchise among the property holders |
and the more intelligent people of the /
district While the commissioners are, |
thoroughly independent of the |
average citizen, they are peculiarly and |
happily independent of the debased and /
debasing elements which so largely DOM |
mate many of our greatest municipali- |
ties. Political influences are not potent |
in securing contracts, and associations |
of LIQUOR dealers and organizations of |
political heelers find no employment |
here.