The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-24
N%ON-PARTISAN RULE FAILS.


nearly 20 well Cleaned Hts Iiahts and
water Are worse. asa 1ts Governusent les-
Emeient Thap In Partisan View York.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-This Is the only city
IN the United States that Is not ruled by its own
citiseris. just now q feeble effort 10 being made
to secure local self.government, though II has
no larger promise Of success than any OF.
that have preceded II. The agitation IL inter
estine chiefly as showing that In the absence
Of many of the usual features Of municipal gov
eminent that are obnoxious TO tho advocates Of
local non. partisanshlp. tho administration Of
the business affairs Of the community 10 not
better than that Of other cities. The argu-
monts of the agitators prove that other commu-
mites. where partisanship is constant and ram
nant. have little TO fear in n comparison with
Washington.
Citizens of the District are extremely eau
tious about criticisinR the local administration
Or any part Of the national Government. II Is
the traditional and sustained policy to keep all
persons Of influence In q pleasant state of mind
toward the people here.
''The conditions hero are, or could easily DO
made, tho ideal Of the advocates Of local non.
craftsmanship" said an intelligent citizen who
was an active local politician before his bust
ness In the departments induced him to be-
come a resident Of the capital.
'The population OF the District is 100000,
which is enough to make experiments In local
government significant. Certainly there mover
was n better opportunity for experiment Even
without any change in methods we should be
able TO see SOM Of the benefcent effects OF non
partisanship that its advocates promise when
their principles are adopted.
Among the $50, 900 people there are many
men Of wealth. who take pride In tho beauty
and good government of their town. An un-
..-..n 1.ra. ,rzr1rftnp If tho Nvhn1R In mazda
I'D Of wel.-to-dop people. Probably no other city
has as largo q percentage of citizens with O
fixed income Of from @l, 200 to $4,000 q year.
These are forces for good administration. The
rate of growth Of the town is about the average
of other cities Of the same class, and 1t is rea-
ponable to estimate that in twenty years or less
the population will reach half a million. We
have parks wisely planned, wide avenues and
streets meeting at monument circles. arboreal
suburbs, fine homes. and the magnificent dis
tances' that are without parallel. Everything
Is ripe for an administration of business affairs
that will mako the PLACE, without extrayagant
outlay, q model for all the world. Under the
present system there are no ward politicians
s SesPses Of P0I public Pey ppen The joobSeery
complained of in most communities does not lay
Gts heavy charge on every dollar of tax money.
single to the welfare Of q political party.
Yet In the arguments for local stlf-govern.
HIGH Ont uOWh " bnNo tho CCiihB vi VIM
missioners and legislators 1t is asserted that the
people Of Washington are forced to drink tho
thS n,a' Which ae only the water Msert Of j Jersey City Is less
drinkable. The water is obviously dirty, though
that does not necessarily imply that It Is un;
the chemist and the microscopist. Experts
have affirmed that In its ,unfltered, unboiled
degree responsible when the citizen is not able
to fesist the encroachments Of disease. 1t is
liz possible, without great expense, to make the
water more potable, or at least less displeasing
e the has sight SfaI that i,s p many Ssts city iro 5Sss Si ansnel SiIIs
and brought it into it's homes. The advocates
OF local self.government assert that If tho form
could endure. Evidently they forget Jersey
sFhe death rate of Washington seems to sup.
port this argum1enNt; T. is higher than q It that OF
o %es., 4 Th he' is an p;a NGy'n due, 't Of eo Ur sne to sa the
greater mortality, among the blacks, and partly
due to the malarial conditions. But these con
Client administration are frequent enough to
mako that count among the canses. An cpl
the rarest Of things in a well-reeulated com.
nun ro Of this Is size Ia;.d At t,s this moment sn .t there T.
The sscS %0D Tne 0 ne ssit Cases sls 81 aipSts In iSpi IN ons
week were fifty-eight. This may mean inefi-
cient methods OF s%eclusion or q bad state Of the
water supply, and Of the atmosphere, or both.
even in the. winter months. Yet sanitarians
3 Seait fdSi as we'll as a beautiful city.
Foliage covers a multitude Of sins; Just now
naked to the eye. it is undeniabiy dirty.
Covered as miles of its tree-lined streets are
with vth,; cracked iSdS; uneven ans rel, asphalt snt d5.sh owl Nv e. bad in.
ing machines and the negro laborers. Besides
being badly put down in many cases; the pave
natural topography is such as almost to re-
quire skill to prevent. self.drainage. On a
aaaaS cay T 1Hs ssr are v Gr aS E1n &c ssree f'' sro sre
1ngs. To go down the southwest side of Penn
atrocious, made Of soft red bricks that are as
uneven as the course of true love. Little pud-
About Centre Market at this season Of the
year there, "a an atmosphere of carelessness. In
his coffee and bacon, undisturbed by the easy
policeman, who does not always wear his coat
i"of |. in While diknit ON fMH e ie ans a wnG y s'HI amyy
IS though the latter were a political power.
gives to the visitor a painful first impression OF
The capital city such as ! have not had on reach.
ing many cities that are ruled by political
:: A the two railway. stations Northern Wis.
dirty, rickety cabs, coupes, and carriages, to
which, horses At only for the boneyard arc at.
taehed and driven by 5ehus equally as dirty and
desired to establish a line o! respectablc-looking
vehicles ut for decent people to ride in, but are
uuhbio ~ o ~ ioIui5o Vi tuc sLOnlHulbblUHbIb
for proper rules and regulations against the
competition. of the crazy cabs that now hang
about the stations.
Street lighting Is no better and no cheap
o. here than elsewhere. The quality Of tie
gas Is about that of other towns, but 1t 10 not
good. The proportion OF electric lights is not
greater than elsewhere, Not being governed
by popular vote. It would be easy for the Dis:
lighting that other oiies are restrained from
attacking by the political influence of corpora
tons. The price Of gas should be lower or else
the company should pay q profit into the treas.
,ury, as In Paris. Electric lighting might be
made 30 cheap as to enable q much larger pro-
portion Of private houses to use the current.
THE streets are abominably cut up by street
railway lines, "a part of which are underground
electric, and a part horse. The continued use
Of tho latter seems to be due to the leisurely
way In which the slow;moying traction COM
building goes on no faster than the removal
Of the bricks Of the burned structure, Il must
be months more before tue horses are aban-
doned. Horse cars 60. bumping along Penn
lylyania avenue on rails that are loosely laid
down without spikes.
This reminds mo of one respect In which
Washington is. unfortunate. Its labor is vir-
tually all black. and therefore MORALLY slow