Evening star., 1896-12-18


have to offer for the holiday season should
send in their announcements this evening
or early tomorrow morning, in order that
they may be suitably displayed and prop
erly classified. Those who come first can
be best served in these respects.
District think it would be great benefit to
the city and insure the much-needed i'm
provement in the streets, less taxes, and
other general good.
The Star reporter called on Mayor Thomp-
son at his Office this morning for an ex-
preston of his opinion in regard to the
retrocession of Alexandria city and county
to the District. He said: Il am opposed to
it from the start. We are well enough off
and | can see nothing to be gained by going
back into the District
Mr.. Hubert Snowden, president of the
common council, was, he said, opposed to
any retrocession. He was busy and did not
care to talk on the subject, but in his usual
blunt manner said Il am opposed to the
whole business.
Col L. c. Bailey had not looked into the
matter enough to form an opinion, and
would not commit himself. ~ had rather
not express an opinion" he said, until l
have read the matter carefully"
Mr.. NJ. B. Harlow, president of the Busi-
ness Mems League, was doubtful as to
the benefit of retrocession to Alexandria,
would oppose such course. He thought,
however, that a majority of the citizens of
Alexandria county were in favor of going
back into the District. We have" he said
that pride of living under the Sic Semper
Tyrannis,' he have our right of suffrage
we have our own city government, which
We can change at our will, why should We
surrender this? And for what? 1t might be
an improvement. but who knows? No, /
don't think retrOcession would benefit us
Alexandrians generally are opposed to
retrocession SO far as the city is concerned,
but many of them think that the general
Iawiessness in Alexandria county could be
wiped out by such course.
Action In the matter is awaited with
much interest. -e
THE RETROCESsI0N.
How Alexandria County Returned to
Virginia.
The movement in favor of the retroces-
sion to the state of Virginia of that portion
of the District of Columbia lying south of
the Potomac river began at a very early
date in the history of the District. In less
than two years after Congress had as
sumed the government of the District,
namely, on the Sth of February, 1SUS. Mr..
Bacon, member of the House from Mas
sachusettS, offered resolutions, which, how
ever. provided not only for the retrocession
the str.te Of Virginia, but also TO Maryland
the section of the District cedea by the
state of Maryland. AS may be perceived.
this resolution was designed to wipe out
all territorial ownership of the United
States at the~seat of government. The res
olutions were referred to a committee of
the whole House, and after being debated
two days were lost by a vote of G6 to 26
pFOnOSifiOnS
trict, or parts of it, We're repeatedly made
to Congress. 1t is interesting TO note that
a remonstrance was filed by the people of
Alexandria against the first attempt made,
which. as stated was in the year 1903
In th2 report which was made from the
committee on the District of Columbia by
Mr.. Hunter, February -, 1916, on the peti-
tion OF citizens from the town and county
or Alexandria, asking for a retrocession of
that portion of the District, 1t was stated
that the committee found that there was
much in the petition to commend Itself TO
the favor OF Congress. AS the bill provid-
ing 1or the r+trocession became law a few
II onths later 1t may be concluded that the
reasons which influenced the committee
lad weight with Congress in enacting this
!Ssislauon. Ihe committee in summing up
their reasons why the retrocesson should
be made states that an experience of more
lhan forty years seems to have demon
str2ted that the cession of the county and
to"i VI ]AieAdHuTld was unnecessary for
any OF the purposes of a seat Of govern
ment, mlSchieVouS to the interests of the
District at large. and especially injurious
to the people of that portion which was
ceded by Virginia"
The report then goes on to say that one
OF the great objects in having the seat of
government under the exclusive legislation
or Congress was to secure the person and
deliberations of the members of the general
government from open violence or lawless
intrusion.
In the opinion of the committee. this re-
suit could be secured by confirming the Dis
trict to two-thirds of it's then extent The
report further adds that the union of tn.
counties of Washington and Alexan-
dria had been a source of much
mischlef, as these counties were
left under the operation of the laws of the
states Of Maryland and Virginia, respec-
lively, and that it bad been difficult to
harmonize the legislation of Congress with
these two different codes.
The fact that the disbursements growing
out OF the location of the seat of govern
ment was made within the county of Wash
II ston produced, the report states, stron,
sectional feeling. Continuing, the repOr.
states that the people of the county and
town of Alexandria have beer subjected
not only to their full share of. those evils
which affect the District generally. but
they Rave enjoyed none of those benefits
which serve to mitigate their disaalvan-
tageS in the county of WASHINGTON The
people of the town and county of Alexal-
vi Ia, Tue ieport continues, are justly i'm
patient of state of things which subjects
them not only to all the evils of inefficient
legislation, but also to political disfran-
chiSement. 4,
The conclusion reached by the committee
vas that the interests of the general gov
ernment. or the whole District OF Columbia
and particularly of the people of the coun-
ty ana town OF Alexandria, would be pro-
NOTED by the retrocession of mai co,,ntv
to the state Of Virginia The report also
discusses at some length the objections to
such retroceSsion based upon constitutional
srounus ana reaches the conclusion that
the United States has the noyyer IN taLe
the action as indicated