The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-15
In Washington
Where the Sill yer
Dollar Is Unknown.


OF Wichita writes to the Eagle.
This city is the peculiar and distinctly
tyre of imperialism in the United State:
has no municipal government of
local nature, not in the least. The presi
dent appoints two commissioners and TIL
Secretary of War designates an arm!
engineer and these three govern the city
The citizen has no voice. The nation
has $500, 600 worth of prperty here ex
emp5 from taxation and in lieu Of thi.
pays one half the expenses Of the city
in lump. Every Office down to dog muz
zler is appointed by the commissioners
The citizen pays taxes and like the cit
jzen everywhere, complains that taxes are
high, but he has no mayor and city coun-
Gil to kick.
There are no local laws save those
made by Congress. After 20 years of rule
through a local. municipal government, a
territorial government was established.
and in 1878 this gave way to this pure
and simple imperialstic sway, making a
door mat of the Declaration of indie
pendence Washington city has a pop
ulation which exceeds that Of Delaware,
Nevada, North Dakota or Utah, but "the
consent Of the governed is absolutely
unknown here. a man may not vote, nor
seek local office here; and the Office does
not seek him. This is imperialism in
its simplicity While we sympathize
with 500, 900 ignorant Porto Ricans why
not say word for 100000 intelligent
Americans in this city, deprived of self
government? They are not complaining
as they ought but that may be because
they think il is no use
Washington was located in the woods.
In 1900 it had 5000 population. In 1914 it
had a population Of 1900 and was
captured and burned by the British. In
1860 it, had population of $1,000. In 1870
came an agitation to move the capital.
Then followed an experiment with a ter
Titorial government and Boss Shepherd
was made governor and he resolved to
make a city of Washington worthy the
capital Of a great people, He was a
friend of President Grant, had influence
in congress, had the confidence of prom
inent people in the city, and induced
northern capital TO invest in District
bonds. He organized a Board Of Public
Works with himself at the head, and
went to work. Streets were paved. side
walks constructed. grades were made, OBJ
structions removed, trees planted by the
ten thousands. and in parks, squares and
circles; sewers laid-in fine, there was
spent twenty-five million dollars. Private
enterprise kept pace with public enter
prise and the inert city became a beau
tiful capital He was accused of Jobs and
corruption and his name execrated by the
bourbon element. He came back in 1895,
and was vindicated 10y a tremendous pop
ular reception" Washington has beau
tifuI streets and parks. and owes more
TO Alexander r. Sheperd than any other
ore man.
OF the MANY things that beguile a
stranger the Smithsonian Institution and
National Museum were the objects Of
my recreation on the 18th of July Much
as has been sail and written of these
institutions, I found some false impress
sions TO unleaven and that the extent Of
the exhibits is vastly greater than an
ticipated. One, who is inclined 10 be in
terested in the study of natural history
should not visit Washington without see
ing the instructive collections found here
The National Museum, as is well known,
is maintained by the national government. |
The Smithsonian is administered by the
government, the president. the cabinet a
board of regents, composed Of the vice |
president, chief justice, three senators and |
three members of the house. The admin |
istration is primarily of ne 81 O000 COO left |
by will to the United States by Joseph |
Smithson, son of the Duke Of Northum- |
berland, a man of science, who died in |
1899, ''to found the Smithsonian Institu- !
ton. an establishment for the increase and !
diffusion Of knowledge among men" The |
active management is by a secretary and |
his assistant secretary manages the Ma
sional MuseI2l, Of the Institution. the |
Bureau Of International Exchanges, the |
Bureau Of Ethnology. the National Zoo |
logical Park and the Astrophysical OBJ |
servatoIy are all a part Of the Smithson- |
tan Plan.
The most of my visit was spent in the /
National Museum. Here one finds in !
teres1 from the entrance-historical relics |
from the revolution to the war with !
Spain. Washington relics. Franklin relics |
and so on to Dewey and Allyn Capron |
relics. Here are the collections of Grant !
medals. the Dewey medals and memori- |
ais; the original Morse telegraph instru- |
ment, rude, but containing the idea. Here !
one sees the evolution Of fine arms and |
musical instruments-w7la moral in the |
latter! The piano. the stringed instru-
ment and hundred speciaes of drum,
all bases upon the idea of harmonizing |
sound! The Indian. with all his traits. |
savage. artistic. religious. mechanical. is
represented in q vivid way in the ex-
hibits. Religion. superstition. the idol. the !
altar. the derviSh. the priest. the fright
ful, some times the loving. but more often
outcome Of the germ Of a belief in God
or the supernatural. The exhibits in the
Institution include. simply as an example.
animal life, and one may, in an hour,
sit in the juugles, the swamps. the
woods and by the seashore, and wonder
a, the varieties and habits of all the
feathered tribes Of air. earth and sea.
The Wild animal. the fish uf the sea. the
colors in coral and in plumage. the rock
that has recorded the story of the past,
fascinate instruct and bewil5er. The
story canno. he described. You get an
idea, you construct. You imagine Ma
ture al its best out does imagination.
Washington is the political whispering
gallery Of the nation. Nothing is said |
anywhere in the country Of political i'm
portance but the echo Is heard here.
When Mr.. Bryan Joined the anti-irnper
saiists more than 4 year ago. il was the
Washington Post. independent. that
pointed out with merCi'ess iucision thar
81 was Bry2ns advice that made expsn-
sion in law an established fact. in tb,
ratification Of the Ponce treaty. and
therefore he was terrih'y handicapped.
Hoar and the anu-lmperia,iSts with
Germans lead IN the senate would have
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