The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-25
Washington Letter in the sun.

This is the only city in the united
States that Is not ruled by its own
citizens. Just now a feeble effort IL
being made to secure local self-goN-
ernment, though IL has no larger prom
ise OF success than any of those that
have preceded IT. The agitation is in
teresting chiefly as showing that in the
absence Of many of the usual features
of municipal government that are OBJ
noxious to the advocates of local non
partisanship, the administration of the
business affairs of the community is
not better than that of other cities.
The arguments of the agitators prove
that other communities. where parts
anship is constant and rampant, have
little to fear in a comparison with
Washington.
Citizens Of the district are extremely
cautious about criticising the local ad-
ministration or any part of the ma
tional government. 1t is the traditional
and sustained policy to keep all per-
sons Of influence in a pleasant state Of
mind toward the people here The
conditions here are, or could easily be
made, the ideal of the advocates of
local nom -partisanship," said an INTEL
ligent citizen who was an active local
politician before his business in the
departments induced him to become
resident of the capital. The population
of the district is 100000, which is
enough to make experiments in local
government significant. Certainly there
never was a better opportunity for eX-
pertinent. Even without any change in
methods we should be able to see some
of the beneficent effects of non-par-
tisanship that its advocates promise
when their principles are adopted.
ADVANTAGES.
"Among the 2SO,OOO people there are
many men of wealth, who take pride
in the beauty and good government of
their town. An unusually large pro-
portion of tie whole is made up of we'll
to-do people Probably no other city
has as large percentage of citizens
with a fixed income of from $1,000 to
$1,000 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 it is rea-
sonable 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
cent distances that are without paral-
lei. Everything is ripe for an admins
tration of business affairs that will
make the place, without extravagant
outlay, a model for all the world. I'm
der the present system there are no
ward politicians keeping bosses in pow
er to pervert the proper course of pub
lie expenditures. The jobbery COM
planned Of in most communities does
hot lay it's heavy charge on every dol
lar of tax money. The affairs of the
town are not run with an eye single
to the welfare of a political party.
yet in the arguments for local self
government toned down to save the
feelings of commissioners and legisla-
tors it is asserted that the people OF
Washington are forced to drink the pol
luted, unfiltered water of the Potomac,
than which only the water of Jersey
City is less drinkable. The water is
obviously dirty. though that does not
necessarily imply that it is unwhole-
some, but it is impure under the tests
of the chemist aud the microscopist.
Experts have affirmed that in its un-
filtered, unboiled state, it is detri-
mental to health and is in some degree
responsible when the citizen is not
able to resist the encroachments of
disease. 1t Is contended that by a
process of filtering it is easily possible,
without great expense, to make the
water more potable, or at least less dis
pleasing to the sight; that many n city
less financially able, has drawn its pure
water from distant hills and brought
1t into its homes. The advocates of
local self government assert that If the
form of government were changed to
that of other cities, no such condition
of the water supply could endure. Evil
IDENTIFY they forget Jersey City.
UNHEALTHFUL AND DIRTY.
THE death rate of Washington seems
to support this argument. 1t is high
er than that of most, If not all, North
ern cities of the same class This is
partly due, of course to the greater
mortality among the blacks, and part
ly, due to the malarial conditions But
these conditions can be changed. The
signs of inefficient administration are
frequent enough to make that count
among the causes An epidemic of
diphtheria or scarlet fever is among
the rarest ol things in a well-regulated
community of this size. At this mo-
ment there is what would be called
elsewhere an epidemic of each. The
new cases of diphtheria in one week
were fifty-eight. This may mean in
efficient methods of seclusion or a bad
state of the water supply, and of the
atmosphere, or both. Typhoid fever is
not an uncommon thing here, even in
the winter months. Yet sanitarians
assert that it is possible to make Wash
ington healthful as well as a beau
tiful city.
Foliage covers a multitude of sins,
Just now the veil of leaves is with
drawn, and the place is naked to the
eye. 1t is undeniably dirty. Covered
as miles of its tree-lined streets are
with cracked, uneven asphalt, show
ing bad inspection, they are not kept
clean by the sweeping machines and
the negro laborers. Besides being bad
ly put down In many cases, the pave
ments have no proper drainage, al
though the natural topography is such
as almost to require skill to prevent
self-drainage. On a rainy day the
streets OF no ring-ruled city are mud
dier. There are virtually no street
crossings. To go down the southwest
side OF Pennsylvania avenue il to wade
through muddy water above the shoe
tops. The sidewalks are atrocious,
made OF soft red bricks that are as
uneven as the course of true love.
Little puddles of water stand for n
full day after rain. About Center
Market at this season OF the year there
is an atmosphere of caFelessness. In
the street the black man builds his
fire to cook his coffee and bacon, un-
disturbed by the easy policeman, who
does not always wear his coat but