Evening star., 1901-09-03
MONROE DOCTRINE
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tween the Capitol and the Executive Man
sion, and a few other avenues and streets
in the southern and central portion OF the
young city were traced through the groves
and pastures in similar way.
1.-The population of Washington In the
year 1890, when the national government
had become established in it, was less than
four thousand, Georgetown having less
than three thousand, Alexandria nearly five
thousand, while there were nearly three
thousand in the rest Of the District. The
total population of the District was 14,O93,
of which 2,O12 were slaves.
Small Amount of Business.
''The national body was a small body of
men and it's business was comparatively
small in amount. The nation itself was
felt to be still an experiment, and it was
not regarded as certain that there would
continue to be national government or a
national capital. Chief Justice Marshall,
however, took his seat on the Supreme
bench In February, 1901, and began, in that
mastery series Of decisions to draw out
or the new Constitution the powers for
mighty national government which could
never be broken, except by revolution.
While that great statesman In the robes OF
JuriSt was thus carrying George Wash
ington's ideas into practical and permanent
effect, the national government continued
to be SO poor that 1t was not able to
build up and improve the federal city as
Washington had intended. And even as the
nation grew in wealth and power, and laTg-
er measures of both came to the national
government, 1t continued to leave the i'm
provement of the city of Washington, and
all the rest Of the District Of Columbia.
practically to the people who lived In 1t.
For seventy years Congress did not even
give the District of Columbia form Of gov
ernment although Washington was given
what Georgetown and Alexandria had OF
municipal government by mayor and coun-
ellis. In that time Congress spent ninety
millions Of dollars in constructing buildings
and other convenienceS for the business
of the government In the District of CO.
lumbia, but, with what seems like neglect
Of the interest of the capital, 1t left the
burden of general improvements and the
maintenance of local governments largely
to the inhabitants Of the District. 1t was
not, perhaps, Intentional neglect. 1t was
undoubtedly caused at first by the compar-
atve poverty of the national government,
and afterwards the very conditions result
ing prevented the pride and interest which
ought to have been taken in the national
capital
"Then. too, 1t was not until after the civil
war that it was finally settled that the
national capital would not be moved from
the District of Columbia. 1t had hardly
been established there before agitation for
Its removal began, first on the part of those
who were dissatisfied with it as a place of
residence, and afterwards by those who
desired for other places the honor and ad-
vantage Of having the national capital.
As the expansion Of the country, begun by
Washington and Jefferson, proceeded west
ward over the Alleghanies and beyond the
mississippi, and 1t became apparent that
1t might go until the Pacific was reached,
the men of the west began to murmur be-
cause the national capital was on the east
ern edge Of the continent, and communi-
cation with 1t was slow and difficult.
Civil War Change.
THE railroad and the telegraph were re-
moving the only substantial reason for a
change, when the civil war made a change
impossible by hallowing the District of CO.
lumbta with the sentiments of sacrifice and
glory. 1t had not been improved as Wash
irgton desired The city Of WASHINGTON
had not been made beautiful. 1t was still
unkempt and neglected in it's general as
poets, but great armies Of the best and
bravest Of the north and south had fought
to possess It, and many thousands of them
had poured out their life blood for it. The
hundreds Of thousands of men who
marched through 1t to the battlefelds all
around 1t felt a new interest in it, and
those who survived and returned to their
homes all over the Union communicated
that interest to their relatives and friends
In these days of travel it is hard to realize
how few Americans had visited Washing
ton before the war, and therefore how dim
and shadowy the national capital seemed
to the people of the country But the ma
tionar capital like the national governs
ment, became intensely real and intensely
precious to the men and women whose
dear ones went to battle for it, and after
the success Of the Union armies had given
a new meaning to both the government and
the capital, the suggestion of giving the
government new home met only with
ridicule. The greatest captain of the war;
the general of the triumphant armies
n tha old o1
for which he had probably cared very little,
like most Of his fellow citizens, before the
war. When General Grant became Presi-
dent Of the United States in 1869 he came
into close official relations with the Dis
trict of Columbia. and 1t was easy for the
leader of its more progressive citizens, a
remarkable man, whose vigOr and ability
impressed General Grant, to enlist his sup
port for an effort to carry into effect the
1ong-neglected plans Of General Washing
ton for the District Of Columbia. For
tunately for the District, it's natural leader
and the large majority Of both houses Of
Congress were of the same political party
as the President Of the United States, and
that party, which also controlled the Su-
preme Court, still had the confidence Of the
majority Of the people as the savior Of
the Union. This made it possible to do in a
very short time remarkable work for the
betterment of the District Of Columbia
First Of all, 1t was given a government.
Congress, under the Constitution, had leg
most part, although it had given it judi
cial system at the beginning Of the CEN
tury. and metropolitan police system at
the beginning Of the civil war. But in 1871
1t gave the District territorial form of
government, with governor, appointed by
the President, and legislature and dele
gate in Congress, elected by the people,
who still retained the right Of suffrage
which they had formerly exercised in vot-
ing for the municipal officers Of the cities
in the District. Alexandria had been lost
to the District when Virginia took back, in
1916, the strip Of territory which 1t had do
mated on the south side Of the Potomac;
and in 1871 the cities Of Washington and
Georgetown gave up their municipal gov
ernments, and from that time on they have
had no other government than that Of the
District Of Columbia, so that the city Of
Washington, which now comprehends also
the former city of Georgetown is the only
city in the world which has no government
Of it's own.
Local improvements.
"The government Of the District Of Co.
lumbia, controlled by the one masterful
spirit, proceeded to improve the city of
Washington by opening up. grading and
paving avenues and streets all over it, &C.
oy,t1