The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-08
A CITY lilly GOVERNED
PATRICK j. CARBON so CHARACTER
HES THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
of Washington, ID. C., Delivered at
ST. JOseph's Hall Last Night.

-H
Last night at st. Joseph's Hall Patrick
j. Carbon read paper on THE Government
of Washington, ID. c." Mr.. Carton has
spent considerable time in Washington and
is we'll qualified to describe the government
OF the capital city The meeting was under
the auspices of the Y. NJ. /. The salient
parts of the paper follow:
From the time of its selection as the
site of the national capital down to the
present time, Congress has had the power
to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases
over the district, a power given by the Con-
stitution itself for the purpose of establish
ing beyond question the sovereign right of
the general government TO protect and
maintain itself in its own capital. This did
not mean that Congress must or necessity
use Its power to the extent or deprlVlng the
citizens of their right to vote; it simply
meant that Congress might dictate the
form of government and the means TO be
locality From 1902 to ISL the prevailing
form of government of Washington, die
tated by Congress, consisted of a mayor
executive and council as the legisia-
tive power. Never until 1874, when tenn
porary form of government was estab
lished, were the citizens entirely deprived
of their right to vote. In 1873 the present
form of government was established, the
effect of which was to disfranchise every
citizen in the district The present form of
government consists OF three commission
ers. of equal power, appointed by the Pres
ident. Two of them must be residents and
the third an officer in the engineering corps
OF the United States navy. This last ofti-
Ger, untitled by education and training and
by previous experience for the duties I'M
posed upon him, may come from any part
of the country, il matters not where, pro-
vided he be American citizen. These
commissioners appoint all minor officers.
fave large legislative power IN me matter
of municipal regulations, and full executive
powers TO carry out the same. and the peo-
pie of the city have no power or voice In
the matter or in the selection or removal
of any officer, or in the valuation OF their
own property. or in the taxation for expen-
ditures of money paid by them, and their
wants and wishes need not and actually are
not consulted They ere completely and
absolutely disfrancnised- Taxation with
out representation is inc plea that Is pre-
Sented and that plea IS as little needed as
were those of the colonists by George III:
Yet all the burdens that are borne by and
all the difficult questions that arise IN other
municipalities confront the people of Wash
for the support of9fhe city but in reality
they pay much more. The remedy that
United States possess is denied the people
of the seat Of or national government
Reputation by the ballot OF reckless eX-
fitted and unqualified TO govern Is unknown
TT ere. Their grievances must be presented
TO a committee of Congress by petition,
" HIGH is regularly laid on the table and
forgotten.
Il have said that the city is governed by
three commissioners of equal power, who
constitute the legislative and the eecutive
powers. Now it Is a fundamental principle
of government that those who execute the
laws should not frame them; but the com
cute and also frame the laws for the regu-
lation of the city of Washington. The con-
sequence is that the law ceases to be settled
and permanent. for the commissioners can
unmake or make them, they can execute
them or not execute them. 1t is a standing
joke in Washington that no lawyer IN the
District of Columbia knows the law or the
District of Columbia Notwithstanding
statements to the contrary; the lawyer Is
not to blame. The citizens themselves COM
plain that it is a well-known practice of
the commissioners to make that which is
again the day after Such a, condition of
things is premium on lobbying ana
bribery. Corporations and institutions
which have large interests in the city can
accomplish legislation In their favor with
more facility there than elsewhere. The
fact is that in very few sections Oh the
leges as those of the city of Washington.
Yet matter how corrupt the officials may
be the taxpayers must SIT IN r,s mute I'M
1T is even said that the government OF
the district is given over to the leadership
of factions and combinations and rings that
derive their strength from unholy relations
with the representatives OF national power:
Turn whithersoever you will and you Will
not be able TO parallel this instance OF in
consistency this reversion of principle. The
eyes of the world look to America. as the
glory of the country and the age, the rain
bow of hope to the oppressed. the fruition
of the struggle of heroes, the realization of
that dream of liberty for which myraids of
patriots have lived and died; Yet the stars
political liberty known TO man. float In
mockery over the heads and homes of a
quarter of a million of American people.
Unlike Rome and Athens, the hearts of the
great nations of old, where citizenship
meant greatest privilege. whence issued the
lifeblood of liberty, we make citizenship in
our capital city the cause of alternating US
from the rights our forefathers so dearly
purchased. Wrongs. such as. these have
written many a dark page of history and
have taught lessons that the world will
never forget.
''It is an alarming fact that many citi-
zens of the district are opposed to popular
self-government. They have so long been
deprived of the privileges which all other
citizens of our country enjoy that they
have lost the spirit that characteriZeS and
animateS an American they think Ii q bur-
den to interest themselves in the problems
that affect the community or the Nation.
Content to live politically enslaved TO the
government in which they may not particl-
pate. they lose all interest in government;
wanting in the spirit that should animate
all our citizens. they are disseminating
principles at variance with American insti-
tutions. Such a condition of things is dan
gerous to the country; Il is form OF des-
potism that may one day rend the very
heart-strings of our Nation.
I'm our national capital there is not n
single free library and the officers of the
of dollars. as a prominent citizen says, are
spent on bad pavements and discarded tun-
nels. No such waste can be shown in any
city of equal size in the Union. and what
is still more deplorable and almost beyond
belief is that ten thousand children are
playing about the streets for want of
school buildings TO accommodate them.
Yet the citizens are powerless to use one
cent of their own taxes to supply want
that is a blot on our Nation.
We cannot look at the present system
of government in the city OF Washington
without reverting to the ruins of the glor-
ious nations of old. They fell because they
were despotic, and so our political fabric
may fall nay. IL must fall. If we deprive
the people of that vital principle which
alone can nourish and sustain all its move
ments. 1t should not be said that there
is such an anomaly in this country as a
despotism created by the most limited gov
eminent in the world; il should not be
said that the very shadow of the dome of
the Capitol of the United States falls
upon american citizens who are political
slaves.