Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08
The success Of the charitable work in which

given to citizens of the potency Of such CO.
operation in securing desired ends in other
matters Il N the relief of the people Of Johns.
town
The legisla we body Of the District Of Colum-
bia Is not now in session, and it acts
as the Districts legislature only for a
few hours in each year. The District
cannot, therefore. crafty benevolent in
stincts by appropriations from its treasury,
as some Of the states have done through their
legislatures in the present calamity. Nor can
the Districts legislature be relied upon to take
the initiative in movements for its welfare as
the legislatures of other communities often do
As q representative body it does not pretend to
represent the District for which it legislates,
and the development Of public spirit among
the District people themselves has been re-
tsrded by sense Of utter irresponsibiity for
the conduct of the community's affairs and by
entire lack of those opportunities of strength
ening public spirit which come with the duty
of dealing with public matters and which fall
to the lot of other American citizens
This double difficulty has been over
come in the charitable movement by
the hearty cooperation OF citizens, NUM-
cipal officers, and the executive representative
Of the United States, who also performs i'm
portant functions in the local municipal gov
eminent. May not the same obstacles to the
Districts development be removed by like
united and organized effort for the welfare of the
capital and its people2 Enthusiastic co-opera-
ton for the relief of flood sufferers has given I'M
mistakable evidence of the existence Of strong
public spirit in the community and capacity
tor successful organization, and has resulted in
~ nj lies
when the moderate means of the people and
the feeling of responsibility to local opinion
among large element of floating population
are considered. Would not corresponding
measure Of success be attained by cooperation
for the advancement of public projects which
will benefit the District?
Harmonious philosophical organization Of
the kind desired is not impossible. The sue
cess of the old Citizens Committee of One Hun
dred establishes this fact The result of the
present charitable movement points in the
same direction. The latest citizens committee
split apart because it did not confine itself to
labors for the advancement of the material
welfare of the District upon which substan-
tally the whole community can unite, but
plunged into the excited discussion of such
delicate political topics as change in the form
public opinion is divided second dismem-
berment of the committee is now threatened
Clearly a new organization or new spirit in
the old organization is necessary for successful
results, but it is equally clear that the failure
of the present is not Of kind to render the
future hopeless. The District contains one
hundred thousand persons born within its
limits and population of nearly $50. 900. The
permanent community is sufficiently large,
compact and harmonious in common interests
to make itself felt, if its different constituents
act together instead of pulling apart. Public
spirit, local pride. and the capacity of success
fal organization grow with the growth of the
city.
Washington needs relief, though of different
sort, as much as Johnstown. There is az great
occasion for the cooperation of citizens for the
protection and advancement of the city's inter-
ests as when the old Citizens Committee, which
made an enviable record for ITSELF was formed.
The financial relations between the nation and
the District, then established. need to be sus-
tanned and the principles upon which they are
based needs to be extended to the expenditures
made by the District in its years of privation,
before the nation recognized its obligation to
share in the expense of capital-making The
work upon the Potomac fats then begun.
needs to be pushed to speedy completion, be-
fore what has been accomplished is undone by
floods. The dangerous nuisance of the Long
bridge invites an organized movement. for its
abatement, and in the same connection the
effort to secure a new bridge across the Poto-
mac, perhaps a memorial bridge with road
to ut. Vernon, suggests itself. The imposition
upon the water-takers of debt of a million
dollars for the digging Of hole in the ground
for which they did not contract, and
from which they derive no benefit. IS also
calculated to inspire organized resistance.
Since the canal has been cut off other trans
pOrtation facilities must be substituted. and
since this channel of supply Of country produce
Is gone it becomes all the more necessary that
the highways from all directions leading into
the city shall be maintained in first-class con-
dition to enable farmers and gardeners to bring
their products here with facility. The neces-
slty OF organization for consultation and con-
certed action to meet such emergencies as the
recent food, and to remedy as far as possible
It's EVIL consequences in the shape of damage
to the river front and fats and destruction
to the canal, Is clearly apparent. Then there
are such projects as the establishment
OF a park on Rock creek to be advanced.
Another general aim might be to secrre such a
degree Of harmonious cooperation among citi-
zens as would result in substantial agreement
concerning the Improvement of the various
sections OF the city and in the expenditure of
the present city's revenues upon projects for
its own development, instead of accommodating
large amount annually as a surplus for future
generations, who Will be richer than the men
of to-day and will not need this legacy. There
are innumerable ways in which the city would
profit by tine organized cooperation of citizens
and in view of the indifference Of Congress to
Its duties as guardian Of the District such CO.
operation Is absolutely essential to the con-
tnued and steady advance of the capita.
IL formal organization made up of limited
number Of representative citizens is not
thought to be at present advisable, the same
end may be accomplished in part by such con-
situations and such understanding among
philosophical citizens that they will hold
themselves in unselfsh readiness to be called
into action at any moment upon measures for
the advancement Of the public interests. often
cooperating in such matters with the District
Commissioners, and recognizing the expendi-
ture Of time and money in such labors for the
common welfare as a part of the duty which
they owe to the public. The District of Colum-