St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-11
pecial Correspondence of the Globe.

epeCldl CORRESPONDENCE OF the GlOpe
WASHINGTON. Feb. 7.-Washington
city is municipal anomaly. 1t Is the
capitalize political center of the
greatest, freeSI and most progressive
nation known to history, and yet 1t is
without voice in the management of its
own internal affairs. In this city are
developed. arranged. discussed and
passed all of the written ordinances
which give shape, grace and color to
the most progressive civilization ever
formulated by human intelligence. Yet
the people who make up this social and
municipal unit are deprived of the sim
piest rights, those regarded as Inherent
and sacred in the most immature and
unorganiZed hamlet protected and foS-
tered by this same government on the
tangled fringe of its EXTREMIST border.
Who constitute the actual people of
Washington city? First of all, they are
Americans. No city in the United
States is so entirely and homogeneonsly
American as this political center OF the
nation. Practically speaking, there is
no foreign-born or alien element domi-
ciled here. There is some ignorance, as
there is in other large centers, but it is
American ignorance. There are spots
that are filthy-a very few-but 1T IS
American filth. OF course there is vice
here, as everywhere, but it is patriot
ically said when asserted that it is
American vice, and that means that it
is not naked, but goes clothed in the
garments of outside responsibility.
1t Will not be considered invidious.
-.
of our fellow citizens who happened to
have been born in foreign lands, that
American customs, i'll the concrete, are
better and more wholesome than those
OF any other people under the sun. This
must be so, else the people of other
climes would not willingly eXpatriate
themselves for the purpose of
bringing their lareS and pena-
ties under our social influence.
Well. here in Washington American
habits, customs, manners, tendencies
and modes of thought prevail and OBJ
tain a greater perfection than in New
York, or Boston, or Baltimore, or Chi
cago, or New Orleans, or ST. Paul, or
San Francisco. There is one exception.
The American citizens OF the American
capital are deprived absolutely of the
palladium of American freedom-the
American ballot box.
1t somehow seems to me there is
somewhere chronicled in the history of
this country an event, proudly dwelt
upon by partial American hlstorians-a
circumstance enforced by the strong
arm of revOlution-and giving mankind
to understand that this people would
not be taxed for the maintenance of a gov
erEment unless they were represented in
that government. In Washington city
the citizens are taxed Unfortunately,
taxed perpetually, taxed unJustly. and
yet Washington has no shadow or sign
OF representation in the power that does
the taxing. Doubtless many who read
these lines will be surprised at this
statement 1t is, indeed, one of the
most surprising facts; only surpassed
in its amazingness by its shamefulness.
Washington is the most beautiful city
on the continent. Nature and art here
contend with each other for the mastery
in adding adOrnments to this most
charming aggregation of advantages.
Situated at tidewater on the banks of
the historical Potomac, the river widens
gradually to magnificent arm of the
Chesapeake, as it flows seward; the
haZy hills of Maryland on one ride and
those of Virginia on the other, roll
backward from the stream, forming at
once a salient, bold and charming
setting to a city that will be, when once
finished, the incompatible, the nom
pareil among the earth's great capitals.
ct
and c0mmOdious. lined with forest
trees, interSected by squares. garn-
isbed by parks and circles, and
adorned with statues and monu-
ments. Some of the public buildings
are marveis of architectural beauty and
convenience; others are homogeneous
lDartistic ID some cases 10 the verge OF
barbarism. The streets are paved with
asphaltum, and form ideal roadways for
horses, JackaSseS and mules; the side
walks are of brick. eXcellently designed
and arranged for spraining the ankles
and breaking the legs of men, women
and children.
1t is just 100 years since the corner
stone of the capitol building was laid.
and yet that century has been most
already clusters like the beauties and
horrors of an Arabian legend around
the nations capitol. Those ten decades
have here seen the evolution of law
givers who rival Lycurgns, Julius Caesar
and Charlemagne; military commanders
who took rank with Hannibal.
Frederick. Gustavus Adolphus and
Napoleon; inventors and builders
without rivals outside of legend:
and statesmen more just. patriotic and
constructive than any who have pre-
ceded them in history. Concentered
here is the story of material develop
menL more rapid, national growth
more solid, a civilization more perma-
nent than was ever written in any pre-
ViouS ten centuries of human evolution.
1T is the record of what individuaism
among men can do when the Individual
Is protected by law, and encouraged by
being permitted to harvest that which
he was sufficiently wise to SOW.
Washington bears the one name in all
the world which stands for truth and
liberty. There is no civilized land upon
the globe where that name is not rec
ogniZed as the human SYNONYM and
manly symbol of abstract justice. And
yet. III the city that he founded, and
that perpetuates his name, there is
less real repuElicanism than i'm
the city established by Rom
uiuS. In the municipality that
bears the name of the soldier and sage
who led the ragged, shoeless and
starving citizen soldiery of unknown
provinces Ill successful revolt against
arbitrary taxation, the people are more
arbitrarily taxed than in London or
Berlin or st. Petersburg. Here, at the
political center of the beneficient re-
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