Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-01
DISTRICTC DEVELOPMENT
The Political Phaaes Discussed by District
Attorney Henry E Davis.
Question Presented to Students of
SOcfolOgy-Q I'D tatfon From Mes
sage of President Monroe.

the political development of the District
of Columbia formed the topic of an address
made by Mr.. Henry e. Davis, United States
district attorney, before the Washington
Academy of Sciences Saturday afternoon.
The lecture hall of Columbian University
was well filed when Mr.. Davis began his
remarks and throughout the course of his
interesting and instructive address he re-
ceived close attention
By way of introduction Mr.. Davis said
the District of Columbia of today Is unique
among the social communities of the world.
The political center of people imbued with
the spirit which made possible the reVolu-
ton; the capital of a nation which fought
against taxation in the levytng of which 1t
had no voice, the District of Columbia Is
yet bearing without murmur taxes the
levying of which it cannot affect in the
slightest degree. Notwithstanding this. and
the fact that it has no voice in the making
of its laws, the District is probably the
best governed community in the country.
This fact presents interesting question
to the student of sociology-a question dlf-
fcult of apprehension by the superficial ob-
server. The District has come to be what
1t Is today in spite of executive and judi
cial notice of it's anomalous position in the
past.
President Monroe's Views.
Mr.. Davis quoted from a message sent to
Congress by President Monroe in 1913, con-
corning the District, in which the eXecu-
tive thought some other means OF gov
eminent should be devised, saying:
The situation OF this District, it is
thought, requires the attention of congress
By the Constitution the power OF leglsla-
ton is exclusively vested in the Congress
of the United States. In the exercise or
this power, in which the people have no
participation. Congress legislates in all
cases directly on the local concerns of the
District. AS this is a departure, for spe-
cal purpose, from the general principles
of our system, it may merit consideration
whether an arrangement better adapted to
the principles of our government and to the
particular interests of the people may not
be devised which will neither infringe the
Constitution nor affect the object which
the provision in question was intended to
secure.
Mr.. Davis then explained the gradual de-
velopment of the District in spite of the
supposed handicap of deprivation of self
government. He spoke of the formation of
the separate municipality of Georgetown
and its political history. He also spoke OF
the system of dividing the expenses of the
District between it and the United States,
saying the idea was not a new one in 1918,
having been foreshadowed in the act of
May 10, 1920. He told of how there had
come demand, by degrees, for the unity
of the three municipalities into which the
District was once Observation-Disclosures
Georgetown and Levy Court. 1t was first
manifest in the establishment of courts and
judicial offices and general laws of juriS-
diction and authority extending throughout
the District.
Stress of War.
1t remained for the stress of war to bring
about decisive and comprehensive action in
this regard, however, this being found in
the act of August g, 1861. In conclusion,
Mr. Davis said:
ITO Patrick Henry in 1895 Washingt on
spoke one dear wish of his heart in The
memorable words, I want an American
character and in his will, devising a por
ton of his property for the founding of
national university here, he expressed his
ardent wish to see plan devised on a lib
eral scale, which would have a tendency to
spread systematic ideas, through all parts
of this rising empire thereby to do away
with local attachments and state preju-
dices, far as the nature of things would
or indeed ought to admit, from our national
councils If you seek WashingtOnS true
monument, look upon your ideal city, at
once the training school of the American
character and the university of his dream"