Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-03
SOME OF WASHINGTON GRIEv.
ANCES.

SOME OF wAsHuNGTON's GRIEv.
ANCES.
Complaints, Needs aud Hopes Of the
Present.
oOATRD LAws-USYrLLEp MARSHES AND UNPMIsH.
ed WATRR-woRKs-rHR RAILROAD DICTATORSHIP
SUBURBAN D.vELoPNENT-CURRESr NEEDS
Mo-
Washington's recital OF past grievances must be
mooineo somewhat TO represent just complaints
Al the present time. Capital movers no longer re-
taro the city's growth The nations .bantling'
no longer fears sudden death. Congress fuiiis It:
oongations In respect to the Improvement Of the
Distrlce with fidelity. An appropriation equal Il
ono-naif OF the estimated District expenses Is an
nually made, and considerable sums are frequently
appropriated for special purposes which enure te
the benefit OF the capital The ward Of the nation
Is properly clothed and fed There can be little
complaint OF Injustice on the part OF Congress In
It's treatment OF the capital so far as OUTLAWS Of
the present are concerned. II the District has
grievance In this respect 1t consists In the fact
that the same principle OF dividing expenses which
now prevails has not been applied to previous out
lays with the result OF reimbursing the District
Tor past expenditures beyond its proportion. 1t Il
olmcult 10 see how, with justice and consistency,
this reimbursement can be avoided By Congress
The General Government, by the fact OF planning
a magnificent capt. l. covering a large area and
characterized BY broad streets, avenues and reSer.
vations 70 an extent unsuitable for a self-sup-
porting commercial city, and BY founding
this capital In place comparatively uninhabited.
as well as BY the terms or the bargain with the
owners OF the SOIL and by the declarations OF its
afterward, showed an intention to build up a
ndtionA city, al the nations expense, on grand
sale irrespective Of the future population OF The
District. The capital was 10 be primarily center
OF Federal aciion, ami the occupation or the ground
by settlers was merely Incidental to this great
pu1pose Il was to be meeting place for ths use;
the entire Union, and the expense OF It's support
and adornment was not to be limited BY the scanty
acquire. Probable tavoisism tSwara THIS popSia.
ton was the ground Of one OF the arguments
against the ratification OF the clause OF the Con-
In the Virginia convention Patrick Henry said
''The people within that place may be excused
fron all the burdens imposed on the rest OF society
ana may enjoy exclusive emoumentS 10 the great
injury OF the rest or the people" And In the
course OF pamphlet discussion respecting the gov.
eminent OF Ine District, protest was entered
pendence and seltrespect Of its citizens
time have obeyed this protest so Tar as to rendef
no assistance whatever worthy the name In the
work OF eapital.making. For more than thirty
tied from the sale OF lots pledged the bener OF
Improvements, its expenditures upon streets and
avenues which were It's exclusive property, we've
less than 500 per year. and It's annual apprOpria-
lions since that time until a recent period in the
ctys history, have been widely varying In amount
ana at the best Inadequate. In 1878 the Govern
ment, which had In the beginning tmpliediy un-
dertaken TO meet all the expenses or capitaLmak-
Ing, and then shifted that burden In the main
upon private citlzers, decided that justice re-
quired II 10 pay onehaf OF the Districts expenses
Tue payment Of this proportion by the United
states as the untaxed owner OF one-half the city
property, and as interested TO that extent in ali
improvements, had been urged BY senator SOUTH
ard In 1885. He also advocated
THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE DISTRICT
Of whatever 1t had expended in the past beyond
It's just proportion. Congress has followed only
one-half OF Senator Southard's advice. II justice
requires that the Government should pay a certain
proportion of District expenses now, both justice
and consistency demand that IL should pay the
same proportion OF the expenses OF the years OF it's
Indifference and neglect IL was shown In 1874
that up TO date the citizens OF Washington had ex
pended upon the capital In excess OF the amount
appropriated by Congress about $l3,5O0, 00Q. A
balance should be struck. and whatever sum Is
necessary 70 make the expenditures OF the Gene
raj Government upon the capital equal to those OF
It's Citizens. for the eghtyseven years OF the ctys
life, should be credited to the District This act
OF equity Is the more necessary for the reason
that the heavy debt, to which reference has been
made. guaranteed by the Government but con.
shutting In effect a.mortyage OF about Is per cent
upon the assessed value OF private taxable property
In the District weighs heavily upon the citizens
OF the capital The Indebtedness which bank
rupted Washington In 1885 Is now increased more
than tenfold IL will be In the distant future II the
time ever comes, when the city will be able to
extinguish this debt. which meanwhile VIII rest
as an Incubus upon the prosperity OF the capital
Anoth grievance which Is still felt by the Dis
trct Is the avoidance by Congress OF general legts-
iasi ,a respeetng its an .irs 1t complains that
II IS granted only few hours or few days OF
each session, to be largely wasted In debate with
not too Indifferent 10 attempt an answrr. thar
great national affairs cannot be expected 10 dive
way 70 the petty municipal concerns Of an inslg-
strained BY a nse OF their own unfltness for such
legislation, coupled with the knowledge that in
FURIOUS mistakes will subject them to hearty abuse
votes, have no other method Of expressing their
disappI ooation. This Sinking BY Congress OF a
dtsagreeaole duty has had az evil eject upon the
laws OF the capital Complaint was early made
upon this score Mr.. J. Elliot, In his Historical
Sketches OF the Ten Niles square, published In
In the general laws or In ther sdm aS SSsn
uon since the cessi0n OF the District BY MARYLAND
and virginia, and that the citizens were governed
which had accumulated for generations, many Of
them barbarous, long since wisely abrogated by
t tn states In which they prevailed but stii In
mems OF these curious, antiQuated laws
THE ANTIQuATED LAWS OF THE MODERN CAPITAL
Cause OF complaint has not been removed since
the date OF Elliot's demand for reform. The Dis
trtct laws have been aptly compared to those of
the Modes and Persans. which change not The
common law and the old British and Maryland
statutes In force at the time OF cession have not
been sufficiently altered by Congress- and these
very alterations have been sweepingiy described
By prominent lawyer OF Washington as .1ittle
daos OF law, little bliStering or caustic acts
dropped at random ON the raw body polite unad-
Justed 70 any want, connected with nothing, rem
edy1ng nothing, and often worse confusing what
no mortal man could understand before In
many respects the laws are q hundred years behind
the times The occurrence In Washington OF great
trials, Ike the star-rOute cases and that OF
Guiteau has called the attention OF the country to
the condition OF District law, but no substantial
Improvement has resulted. At present the laws
and ordinances are not even collected In a code
TO learn even the municipal regulations one must
consult the acts Of the corporations OF Washington
and Georgetown, deceased; the acts OF the Levy
Court OF the County Of Washington, deceased;
certain acts OF the Legislative Assembly, deceased
certain regulations OF the Commissioners OF the
District given the force OF law and certain acts OF
Congress- These ordinances are often contra