Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-12

| resenting from the beginning the best ele-
ments of the whole country, brought to-
| gether largely in connection with the ma
| tiOnal government, which at first boaSted
! of long tenure OF office Washington de-
! veloped local life unique III chara cter. It
shared with Georgetown a peculiarly re-
| fined and cultivated society, and an espe-
| claly Intelligent citizenship. 1t had cos
| moOOiitan tone ana view before the days of
| constant and general world travelling. 1t
! had the consciousness of being distin-
! gulShed by the presence Of the national
| government, and by events in the country's
| history. Members Of the diplomatic corps
! and European travellers who wrote about
! the hatona! capital in the first hall of the
| century admitted AL this, even when they
/ made sharp criticisms OF its physical APP
| psdrance and temporary defects in comfort
| ana convenience. 1t is easy to see In the
! letters ana "reminiscences of the Washing
| tonlaES of that time, that life here had A
| flavor and interest not found in any other
american cIi!eS. Neutrality-suspicious. thou ut
hduonally more than the people of othar
| cities, and showed peculiar public spirit
| as they endsdvoged to meet the ohligation
Whlch the neglect OF the national govern
nehl imposed upon them il peace ana in
war. "
transformed in Three Years
10 meet the local needs a considerable
commercial and manufacturing interest de-
Veloped with the growth of the city and
gradually the taxable wealth increased so
that by 1S6O it amounted to $547 per capita.
Inc civil war wrought great changes here
or the second time the whole District of
Columbia was recognized in practical legis-
lalon by the creation of a metropolitan po-
lice force. The eXigencies of the war times
compelled in ether ways the recognition of
the TACT that there was a District of Column
bid. But Congress was too busy to take IN
any general scheme for its Improvement
Gntll ten years later, when, by the act of
February y, 1871, it created a territorial
form OF government, with a governor and
legislature, the governor and the upper
chamber to be appointed by the Preside Mt
together VITA beard of pubic works ana
a board of health. while the house of dele
gates was to be elected by the ma e citizens
With tbs act begins the second chapter
OF the Districts history and its real exist
ence under a substantial government. In
three years the District was transfoIme
largely through the energy and enterprise
OF one man IN the new government. All
that should have been done toward the i'm
provement of the District and especially
the city of Washington, according to WASH
ingtons plan, in seventy years was done in
halt that many months. The District was
saved from being. Ike the then unfinished
Washington monument, Il disgrace rather
than a credit TO the great founder. 1t was
literally redeemed ana given beauty Tor
us.iness and wealth for poverty. But the
first work was done roughly hastily. though
thoroughly, and it naturally reused strong
opposition, and for the time being was mis-
unders TODD.
Most Beautiful of Capitals.
People saw the comparatively large IN
debtedncas it created, rather than the in
Compardb.y large results it ensured and
many of them felt personal resentment as
wei as righteous anger against some of
the workers. Between the private Griefs,
and the pubic indignation, and certain
amount of political feeling there was pres
sure enough On Congress TO induce it 10
10
1874, aboIsnIng the elective franchise and
providing temporarily a government by
three Commissioners, the same time
guaranteeing the interest and principal OF
the bonds issued for the new improve
ments, and providing for the preparation
of permanent frame of government and
a plan of dividing the payment of expenses
between the United States and the District
of Columbia Four years later these
pledges We're redeemed in the act of June
II, 1878. which the United States Supreme