Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-12-18
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
A system of Government Unique
Among lie Nations of the World.

Among lhe Nations of the World.
When the colonies gained their in
dependence and prepared to establish
a separate government they were con
fronted with many difficult pro-
blcms, one of the most preplexing of
which was as to where the seat IF
| government should be established
As there was considerable rivalry be-
tween the new States, the trainers OF
| the Constitution saw that it would not
do to establish the capital in any of
the leading cities, or to have its ter
ritory under the influence OF any of
the individual States. They deter
| mined, therefore, to obtain absolute
jurisdiction over tract of ground,
not exceeding ten miles square, and
to leave the government of this dis
trict in the hands of Congress. For
more than hundred years Congress
has now had control of the District of
Columbia. Plan after plan has been
tried and found to be more or less I'M
satisfactory.
From the organization of the Dis
trict until 1871, it was governed by
Congress in the same manner as other
unorganized territories were. A
special Congressional committee each
year recommended such legislation
and appropriations as were thought
needful.
The district was organized as a
regular county, and within the county
the two cities of Washington and
Georgetown had each its own charac.
ter and each looked after its own do
mestic affairs.
In 1871 change was found desir-
able, and the district was given the
status of an organized Territory. The
governor and the secretary were ap-
pointed by the President of the
United States, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The Presi-
dent also appointed the eleven mem
bers of the council, and the citizens
elected Delegate to Congress and the
twenty-five members of the house of
delegates.
Alexander r. Shepard was made
governor, and he at once entered upon
the herculean task of converting a
crude, poorly-graded and overgrown
southern village into a model city.
An immense amount of work was ac-
complished under his direction and
the transformation was almost magi-
cal. Through the carrying out of the
policy inaugurated bp him Washing
ton has become the pride of the nation
and the admiration of tourists the
world over.
1t was found, however, that this
plan of government had its defects.
There were so many uneducated col
Ored people in the city that they out
voted the whites, and a petition was
circulated asking Congress to take the
franchise of the people and govern
directly.
In 1874 the present unique plan
was put into operation. The Presi-
dent appoints three district commits
sioners having the same salaries as
members of Congress, one of the
commissioners being an army officer.
These commissioners have charge of
all administrative affairs, appointing
all the officers employed on the
police, fire, engineer, and other de-
partments. In fact, they have all the
powers of ordinary rulers, excepting
the right to spend the money as they
choose. All expenditures have to be
provided for by Congress, one-half be-
ing taken from district taxes and the
other half from the treasury of the
United States. The government pays
one-half of the running expenses in
place of regular tax, because it is
estimated that it owns one-half of the
property in the district.
The citizens have no vote upon
any subject or for any officer what
ever. They can only influence by
petitiOn and thrOuph the Dress