Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-16

schools of Alexandria, Va this would
amount to S4o.lSO per annum-enough 70
buy site. erect an eight-room brick
school building, fit it up complete with al
the latest improvements and run the school
for an entire term.
Eighth. Because by imposing on the Dis
trict burdens that do not belong TO Il the
payment of debts created by officers of the
United states government and in violation
OF the plain letter of the law of Congress
BY requiring US to pay a million and a half
for the fraudulent tunnel built by United
states off1cers and wholly under the con.
troll of the United States-the half Of
S2O.Ooo for investigating the fraud; the Dur.
chase and support of a geological park fos
the Smithsonian Institute. in which We
have no interest or control Congress -
uses up the annual revenues of the Dis
trlct that there is not enough left to pro-
vide the proper school facilities. as well
as many other things Of pressing need. n
is no excuse for Mr. Neil to saw that he
was not aware of these facts because he
is member of the body that acts as our
town council and as such member Il is his
duty to know all about them. He has taken
an oath to support the Constitution ana
tne laws. and so long as the law makes Il
his duty to act as a local legislator for the
District IL is his duty to so inform himself
In regard to District affairs as to enable
him to legislate intelligently and properly
IL is no doubt true, as Randolph said in
congress In lsU3, when discussing this very
question of the absurdity OF Congress at
p fe@Ras that 10 aet as town council for the
ITO attempt TO legislate for the District
was. in effect. to constitute the chairman
or the committee or at any rate the conn
mittee itself on the affairs Of the territory
the Scion or Lycurgus Of the place" Said
he, 1T is well known that the indolenco
OF other members or their indifference In.
separable from the situation in which they
are placed, would prevent Congress from
legfslating with a full understanding Of the
objects before them" But so long as Con.
gress insists upon continuing the present
anomalous condition of affairs in the Dis
tr1ct OF Columbia the responsibility for
Whatever there may be wrong in it's laws
or its management rests entirely upon Com
gress and not upon it's citizens, whom Com
gress has absolutely and wholly disfran-
chised.
Compared With Other Capitals.
One would naturally suppose that every
public man would take pride in having the
national capital provided with the very
best schools to be had, even IL they had to
be supported wholly from the national
treasury. With all our wealth ard boastins
as nation, We are tar behind European
capitals and cities in these respects What
well-informed man is there who has not
heard OF the celebrated schools and educa-
tional institutions OF Berlin, Vienna. Paris
and other national capitals, supported in
whole. or in large part, by the national
governments of those countries? Nor 10
cities are equally well provided. For in
stance Birmingham. England. has it's Mid
land Institute, attended by 1900 pupils,
one-half OF whom are artisans. 1t has an
art school, an art museum, a reference
library of 10000 volumes. a central library
one OF the greatest in England; a Shakes
pearean Library, the finest in the world;
while Dresden. with a population but little
greater than that Of the District. has the
Royal School of Technology the Royal
Conservatory Of Music, the Royal Academy
of Arts and the Royal School Of Veterinary
Surgeons. all supported by the general Cow
eminent; while We have not so much az
a single public library for the use of the
populace. and Cor which we have plead In
vain, 10, these many years.
In conclusion, j ask Mr.. Neil az q rea.
sonable man, whether, in view Of all the
facts, he does not think he was mistaken
or misinformed on these subjects and
whether we may not in future have his as
sistance In providing means for the support
OF the common schools. at least? In ask.
irg this, i am not asking him to help edu-
cate my children. as has been asserted on
the floor of the House. for while have but
one child in the public schools, contribute
about 500 per annum for the support of the
public schools and pay about 500 more to
private schools and teachers for their edu-
cation outside of the public schools. and my
case is but an illustration OF that OF many
OF the citizens.
If he says that it IS not right to tax the
public TO teach the higher branches in the
public schools: / answer that only last
year resolution was adopted and an In
vestigation had by a committee Of the Sem
ate, on complaint that our schools did not
go far enough to prepare students for coll
lege. Here. again, the whole matter is UNI
der the control of Congress
III, by this statement 1 can secure Mr.
Neirs attention and that Of other members
to this subject, / shall have accomplished
my object; for sn experience of more than
thirty years. with intimate contact with
public men here, has convinced me that as
a general rule. the members of both houses
v ant TO do what is right and proper, IL
only their attention can be had to the sub
5ect and they be made to understand the
actual facts Of the case W. c. DODGE