The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-03

! ,6lSlaIed Tor II ID a haphazard way for
! the most part although il had given il a
/ Juulllal system al the beginning of the
/ century, and q METROPOLITAN police SyS-
! TEN AZ Jne beginning % the civil war. Bul
! IN INh II gave the District a territorial
! Le4 ia OF government. with a Governor. APP
/ pointed by the President and a IegisI8-
! lure ana delegate in Congress, elected by
/ thg people. who still retained the right of
! suffrage which they had formerly exer-
{ clsed In voting for the municipal officers
/ or the cities IN the District Alexandria
/ had been lost to the District when Nir-
. Elild TOOK back. in 1916. the strip OF terri
/ tory which IL had donated on the south
! side Of the Potomac; and in IS7l the cities
] o. w dShlnEtO1 and Georgetown gave I'D
/ their municipal governments, and from
! that time on they have had no other gov
: eminent than that Of the District OF CO.
/ IunblA 50 that the city of Washington,
J which now cOmprehcndS also the former
| CITY OF Georgetown. is the only city in
/ own.
THE MARCH OF IMPROVEMENT
! The government Of the District Of CO.
/ Iunoia, controlled by one masterful spir-
/ H. proceeded to improve the city of Wash
/ lngton by opening up. grading. and paw
1 ing avenues and streets all over il ac-
corning TO WsshingtOus plans The IL
I Ltys We're hlled up with the hills. The
/ WoIh was done on grand scale, and al
over the city at once. so that when il had
once been begun IL was easier 20 go on
ana Hnlsh II than 10 try TO undo il. Sud
{ deitf ana generally the nlOWSharP Of
progress was driven roughly but siziIlful-
z " IN all sections Of the city Naturally
4 there was bitter and ardent protest from
property owners who preferred the old
conditions to the increased taxation Of the
new But for the time being the new
force AT work was irresistible. and be-
/ fore It could be checked il had started the
I new W aShingtOn. and had made il i'm
( possible 10 go backward All that the re-
actlonaTy forces could do, aided by a pc
! liiCal change in Congress and the panic
I OF 1913, was 20 halt the march Of improve
/ ment an" change the form Of government.
! Although the charges of corruption and
] thieNefy- which were so freely made. were
] not established in the Congressional in
Z NcSuSauOn that followed. and though the
1 general results Of what was done under
I the territorial government were accepted
! as on the whole beneficial. although II
I took years 10 make some see IL. the tax
I payers Of the District generally were sat
! iSned by their experiences that they want
! ed no more Of the electoral franchise uu-
/ Ger the apparently Interchangeable COndi-
I ton Of universal manhood suffrage. and
. therefore they induced Congress. in 1874.
T to provide for the government OF the Dis
Z Board OF three Commissioners, which was
I 10 prepare the way FOR a permanent gov
/ eminent by Commissioners.
AT The same time Congress was
I brought to acknowledge for the first time
/ It's financial obligations 10 the District Of
/ Columbia in view Of the fact that the
.
D tate was IN the nteu states, and the
E National Government was receiving the
. run dement, or all municipal services Con-
1 sress promised that under the new gov
! eminent bV Commissioners IL would pay
half the expenses Of The District. the
. other half to be paid by the citizens who
had heretofore borne the whole burden.
J congress alS0, IN consideration OF the au-
/ thOrlty II had given the territorial gov
! eminent to borrow money for the ex-
] tra"rdlnary expenses Of Improvement
I for the PAYNE Mt of the principal and in
. tercst OF the bonds issued on that aC-
! count.
: In fuIfIImeut OF its promises Congress.
. in 1873, passed the act which the Supreme
. Court Of the United States has termed
! the Constitution of the District of Co
/ lunDl3, giving II a permanent govern
I ment by three Commissioners. TO be ap-
pointed by the President Or the United
. states, who exercise all the executive
power and TO whom is also delegated a
4 certain legislative authority to make reg
I ulationS eufOrcible by penalties for the
public safety, hesllE. and comfort
l unique grant 70 an executive government
I IN the same act runs the provision for the
! division OF the expenses Of the District
/ OF Columbia half and half between the
! United States and the District Of Column
bia- Twenty-thre- years experience has
4 proved that this IS the ideal form OF gov
I erEmeut for the District of Columbia.
his Is sttested by the fact that there
? IS no probability that It Will be materially
& changed al any time in the future. The
fact that IL is an exception 10 all other
governments in the United States in that
/ II provides for taxation without repre-
Z seutatiOn. and IS aUtoCratic ia form griaves
some good people IN the District who
. care more for sentiment than for sub
D stance, and ETieVeS others who would like
7 10 take advantage Of the uutOward con-
. uttiOns which the restoration Of the sIIf-
Z frage would inevitably produce But the
I people Of the District of Columbia gen
/ erdly beleFe that they have the best
I form or government possible for them
I and II any serious attempt were made to
/ change II II would be overwhelmingly de-
/ feated. They know that the absence Of
partisan politics in the District Of Co
/ lUmDia has made its government purely a
/ matter Of business. and that IL has been
/ carried on with absolute honesty with
/ conspicuous efficiency and economy and
/ ia accordance with It's official motto. Jus
3 utla omnibus There has been no SusDi-
| CiOn Of mal-administrariOn. Of corruption
/ or OF blackmaiI.
SUPPORTED By THE COMMUNITY.
/ The Commissioners and the other Off
4 GERS OF the government of the District OF
/ Columbia invariably. have had the conf
/ deuce and support of all that is best in
( the community Under the organic act
Z Of 1873. two Of the Commissions are to
{ De residents Of the District Of Columbia
4 and the third Is 10 be AN officer of bisb
4 rank IN the Army Corps Of Engineers. the
7 ClAllldES serving Tor three years. the En-
& EincCr COMMISSIONS having no fixed
Z term. but. as rule serving for q shorter
/ period. Under the uuWTitrtu law of GUS
| TOM Jue i'ttSllent always chooses the civ
I mans from diu@TcHt political parties. and
one Of them has always been a LAWYER
! though the law requires only that thay
shall be residents Of the District Their
# recommendation Of legislation and apDrO-
prIatOns are the basis for the annual ac-
ton OF Congress. and Congress through
. It's committees. cOnsults the Commission
. trS about all measures affecting the Dis
. trict and commuOly follows the advice OF
. the Commissioner.
The annual budget OF the Commission
/ ers AMOUNTS now, IN round numbers to
I about 100000, which has 90 be- a8Brs-
I the national Treasury. hail from the Dis
I tTICt revenues. ana all the accounts of
the District. because Of the national par
tUlpauou. are audited. not only hy the
/ Auditor of the District. but by the United
I States Treasury Department Accounts
that pass such scrutiny could not LONG be-
dishonest, even If there were dishonest
men in the government OF the District
This unique government would NOT
have continued. and would not have been
/ successful. had II not been iu fact more
responsive TO public opinion than any
other in North or South America S.Tf-
government or the most direct and effect
I I've character Is the possession of The
people Of the District of CgIUrubf4 rho
President has always chosen as CDr1rnie-
sioners men whose character and abilities
gave them the support of their fellow
. CIltZeIS. and The Commissioners and Con-
T EreSs have always welcomed every a,-
preston OF th- public win Thu Govern
meut Of the District of ClI1Ir1bf4 IL
therefore, admittedly the best in the
. [ nlieu states because il Is "A l.,yarr.-
mrut by the best citizens with rarri.5,,
politics. the professional uaIirf.iarT 81
the municipal JObhsr abS0futel,- sli-,7f
mated. The District Of Columbia desires
10 exhibit at the Fau-tmerie4D ExnIsi-
] tiOu its form OF government MS e. 80.