The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-23
THE NATIONS
CAPITOL.
HOW IT LOOKS.
A MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY.
Charlotte Observer.


ing now turned tow ard the nation
al capitol as the theatre of mag
nificent entertainment and august
ceremonial during the coming
month, and both the eyes and
! hearts of office seekers reaching
longingIy thereto as she shrine OF
the fruition OF ambitious bOpes It
will not be amiss to give running
sketch Of what manner Of city is
this within whose walls the natloLs
al Democracy have pitched their
tents. aud where, IN JetersOnian
simplicity, they aim SO to reform
the badly dlsjelnted affairs OF
government and remedy great evils
as will make this people happy,
contented and prosperous-this
"bouse of our fathers,' George d.
Wiss of, Virginia, said to Boutelle,
Of Maine, "wnereln We have taken
our seats and where we mean to
stay"
Rapidly becoming the most beau
tiful city in the world, Washington
is indebted for its spIenior to all
the1 appliances of art, scientific
civil engineering and vast ex.
penditure OF money, for it Is ais
most entirely without natural ad-
vantages. being originally vast
morass west Of the capitol to the
White House, basin partially en-
closed by a broken amphitheatre
Of bluffs, and extending IN mar.
shy plateau to the Potomac. The
city was planned by Major L'Enfanl
in 1890, and the construction OF
buildings, the running of streets
and avenues, ETC., were carried out
in accordancef--with .the original
| design.
Georgetown, now connected
suburb Of the great city, was for
manv years place of no little im>
portance, while Washington re-
| NAMED little more than Strag.
Cling village, without drainage,
unpaved and badly built. Indeed,
up to within few years ago, 1t
was noted, outside Of It's public ed
ltices, chiefly as the "city of mag.
nificent distances" in which it
was painfully difficult to get from
one point to another.
| About twenty years ago Congress
abolished municipal charters of
Georgetown and Washington, plac.
lug the District of COlum bia under
a territorial form of government,
aud later 1t repealed the enactment
for this also, placing the govern.
ment IN the hands of three com.
mlssloners-and since 1871 Wash.
ingtOn City has increased In
population from 100000 to $4,000.
The people have utterly no voice
in the management of their munic>
ipal affair, and, forming the seat
of government Of the freest people
on earth, are the virtual subjects
of an absolute despotism.
This incomparabIy beautiful city
has over 279 miles Of streets and
70 miles Of avenues, ranging Ia
width from 80 to l6O feet, az
smooth as bali room floor and
kept rs clean as a proviient house.
wife's sitting room. It's parks and
ornamental grounds are extensive
and planted in the rarest flowers
and shrubbeiy, and with the ex>
ception Of Shaw's Garden, at ST
Louis, the approaches to and the
grounds surrounding the Soldiers
Home are said TO be the most bean.
tiful in the United States, The
public buildings of the government
beginning, with the capitol and
including the White House, aggre>
gate over $4,000, 900, and within
the new building of the Pension
Department is the most magnlfi-
cent ball room IN the world.
T! Away off In the southwestern
suburbs OF this aggregation oI
wealth and affluence, rises the loft.
tlest structure ia the world, the
Washington Monument, sos tee,
in helght; and, saluting 1t with the
first blush Of morning-her classic
face lrradiated By the light of the
morning sun-is the statue OF hb
erty throned on the dome of the
capitol more than 300 feet above
the bustling tide Of humanity
Just little way off-the gloom OF
which may be pierced by his voice
as 1t Is raised now aud again in
the chamber of the Senate in oe>
half OF the rights the whole Amer
lean Union-ts the cid capitol pris
OF where Zebulon Vance was lm
priaOned tor his faithful service