Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

washington city Is the HearI OIL tHe ie
public. 1t is the center Of the energies OF
the American people. Not always is Wash
ington thus thought of, because it Is not
here that the rumble of great trade beats
on the ear. 1t is not here that black fogs,
belched from red furnaces, pour from the
stacks of foundries, factories and mills.
It Is not here that hordes Of men and
women and children, too, rush along the
street as though haste were the goal of life.
1t Is not here that time Is thought too
precious for men to draw natural breath
or land too dear to give to flower or
tree. But for all this, Washington Is the
heart of the republic. 1t is the political
heart from which the influences flow that
determine the destiny Of TIE nation Every
throb Is felt throughout the Union. 1t is
here that the chief functions of the body
polite are performed, and 1t is on the prop
er performance of these functions that
civic health depends. Hero II IS that
money, which makes the pulse OF the ma
tion throb, is authorized and created. Here
1t is infused into the arteries of trade CIV
ing life and health. force and vlgor. warmth
and color to all the people And, when 1t
has run It's course when it has become old,
sullied and contaminated, 1t Is to Washing
ton that 1t comes to be renewed. reissued
effaced, 1t comes In; bright, fresh and
young again it goes out to strengthen all
the organs of trade. commerce or other in
dustry In the performance of their func-
lions. Thus as the blood of a man passes
or repasses through his heart, so the blood
OF the nation to which that wonderful
medium of exchange which we call money
has been SO often likened. passes and re-
passes through the heart of the republic.
True, the minis where gold and silver,
nickel and copper, are milleG in discs and
stamped with legends which make them
everywhere welcome are not in Washing
ton. They are in Philadelphia, New Or
leans and San Francsco-subordinate cities.
But these minis, precious foundries that
shey are, are only branches Of the great
money making establishment-the Congress
snd the treasury at Washington.
Nations Money Center.
Money is one feature of Washington
which excites much comment. What
clean money you have here" say visitors
from the SOUTH visitors from the north,
visitors from the west. as they hand forth
a frayed and frazzled. greasy. grimy bill,
tattered as battle flag. and receive in ex-
change currency that Is crisp and crinkling.
as lustrous as the shimmering metal 1t
stands for-new currency clearly dressed
in white and black, green and yellow,
with a seal. which on some bills Is as
blue as the Danube is said to be in song
and story, and which on other bills is as
rosy as the sun when 1t sinks behind the
hills of Arlington. Filthy lucre" Is a
phrase not often heard in Washington I'M
less in description of paper money from
other parts of the country.
The vast treasure chest of the nation is
in Washington. Not only is 1t here that
mills Of Midas boom and whirl as they
reel off miles Of stuff which men mistake
for happiness, but here also are stored
dazzling heaps of gold. the money Of ulti>
mate redemption. money the world over
in all that the word money means. Then
there are mounds. almost mountains Of sill
yer and great bales of paper currency piled
bale on bale. All representative OF that
yellow prize for which the world strives.
Washington Is the Manchester OF money
Money is talked Of and thought OF In Wash
ington in vaster sums. In vaster amounts
than in other cities. Whereas In other
cities men speak of millions. here in the
white pile upon the hill statesmen and
other members OF Congress speak of hun
dreds of millions and sometimes a billion
for army, for navy. for pensions. for in
ternal improvements. or legislative. execu-
tive and judicial expenses-and they talk
IN these mighty figures several months each
year. and the size of their talk grows big
ger as the nation expands. 1t IS al the Cap
itol indeed where one hears figures of
speech. 1t IS at the other end of Penn
sylvania avenue where the warrants are
drawn and final authority given for the
disbursement OF those great sums. When
the New York banks get pinched, where do
they turn for cash? To Washington. In
which direction do they cast their languish-
ing gaze when they need money and have
bonds to sell? To Washington. This much
of Washington as a money center.
Head of the Republic.
Washington IS not only the heart of the
republic; 1t is also the head OF the re-
public. 1t is in Washington that ideas on
government are crystallized. 1t is here that
thoughts on government take sensible form
and definite shape. And government is
subject which affects every man, whether
he lives in the pines of New England or
among the peoples of the Pacific slope.
whether he lives in the sage and grease
wood of the northern deserts or among the
palmetto OF the fatwoods or the saw
grass OF the everglades. Ideas on govern
ment may take verbal form elsewhere and
everywhere; men may speak out in meet
ing and crate in convention, but If those
IDEAS are to take the form of law which
shall apply to all men from frontier to from
tier and from one to the other of the seas
that flank the Union. such form must be
given them at Washington. and If law be
made In the legislature OF one state or in
the Congress of all the states, it is for an
august tribunal of black-robed, grave and
reverend judges, sitting at Washington, to
determine whether such law is in conson-
ance or conflict with the Constitution, and
therefore whether such law shall stand or