Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-31

After . rather sympathetic fashion the New
York SUN calls the attention Of its readers to
the fact that residents Of the District of Co
1umbia have neither the opportunity nor the
power to exercise the American privilege of
voting into or out Of Office those who reign over
them, that all legislation for the District issues
from Congress, and that not q dollar of the
money raised by the taxation of the residents
Of this city can come out Of the treasury even
TO supply our most urgent needs without the
consent and direction of the national legis-
lasurs. The allegations are, undeniably true,
but even in this voteless territory the law OF
compensation operstes to allay to some
extent discomfort with conditions that have,
It must be admitted, . slsyish and
un-American appearance. So far as the mere
municipal government Is concerned, leaving
ont of consideration lack Of representation In
Congress and the electoral college, universal
suffrage 10 no. absolutely demanded by Ameri-
can principles, and in our other large cities 1t
has been accompanied by political purulence
and municipal rottenness. Many Of these
suffer from factionai disturbance, from council
manic truculence and aldermanic dishonesty OF
the most shameless type, from partisan dicker-
ings, In which the last Of the things considered
are the rights Of the taxpayers, and from q host
Of minor yet disgusting evils common in cities
where 'the free and enlightened voter" sells his
ballot to the highest bidder or else uses it to
work the political destruction Of some con-
ecientious individual, who has dared speak the
truth as to those dwelling in high places and
who do continually travel on the highway which
n attractively smooth, sufficiently broad and
Invariably, if not visibly, downward in its
tendency. OF these things and their concomi-
tants Washington knows practically nothing.
Legislatively we are governed by Congress,
and, although some of the congressional acts
are far from wise, and once in a while mani
testify unfair to the voteless still there 70 less
ground for complaint than might be expected.
In the executive sense We are governed by the
President of the United States, who acts, as .
rule, Though three appointed Commissioners,
generally men Of unquestioned probity. The
Sun says that, "as the city has few industries
and very little local wealth, the assumption by
the nation generally Of the big deficit
In its annual running expenses has some
decided advantages" There is no deficit
Under the terms Of a. congressionally
made agreement, which this city could do
nothing other than accept. it was decided that
the general government should appropriate
annually from the national purse one-half Of
the District expenditures, the other half being
raised by taxation in the District; an equitable
arrangement in view Of the obligations
assumed by the government when five seventies
Of the original site Of The city were donated to
Il, and in view Of the fact that it still owns one
half of the area Of the capital and this half pays
no taxes. But Congress has violated the spirit
of this contract on more than one occasion.
Instead Of duplicating the amount raised by
taxation Congress shaves the estimates down
20 the lowest possible figures, appropriates the
smallest amount it thinks the District can exist
upon and applies the large and locally contrib
utsd surplus to the payment Of debt incurred
solely by the general government when it pro-
eeeded to construct brown-paper aqueduct
tunnel that never did anything but cost y, 0O0,
600