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

prominent place in United States history.
But from that time on, with the ex-
ception of the Tilden- Hayes electoral COM
mission the work of Congress, though often
enacting legislation of the highest import
ance still never awakenede the interest
among the masses of the people as it had
done during the previous periods. The Til
den-Hayes electoral commission was a de-
vice to settle the question of that memorable
presidential election, and by it's deliberate
action probably saved the country from an
internecne struggle.
After these stirring events Washington
began to settle down to it's normal life of
quiet while the renovation of the city be
gan under the master hand of Alexander
Shepherd
1t became the lot of The Star to chronicle
several changes in the local government of
Washington. The ordinary municipal form
with mayor was to give way to a terri
torial form with a governor and Legislature,
which were in turn to be supplanted by the
present form.
The Star has seen and chronicled the in
auguration of these Presidents:
Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan. Abra-
ham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford
B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Grover Cleve
land, Benjamin Harrison and VIM. McKin-
ley. Presidents Johnson, Arthur and Roose-
welt, succeeding assassinated executives,
had no public inaugural ceremonies.
Since the advent of The Star the following
states have been admitted to the Union:
Colorado, 1876; Kansas, 1861; Minnesota,
1858; Montana. 1889; Nebraska, 1867;
Nevada 1864; North Dakota. 1889; Oregon,
1859; South Dakota, 1882 Utah, 1896; Wash
ington 1889; West Virginia, 1863; Wyoming,
1890
The admission of Kansas was part Of
the great history making era just preced-
ing the war. Nebraska was also holly con-
tested territory for the extension of slavery.
The admission of West Virginia was also
a notable event in the history OF the states.
1t was commonly spoken of as a war
measure" but it established the important
precedent that Congress can, with the as
sent of minority of the citizens of a state,
dismember the state or states as often as
political needs make such divisions desira
BILE.
The Star has seen many contemporaries
in the newspaper field come and go. The
National Intelligencer preceded The Star
by half a century, under the editorial care
of Samuel H. Smith. and was forceful
factor in the political history of the coun-
try. 1t was the first political party organ
at the capital, and after career marked
by many notable changes ceased to exist
in 1870 When the British forces, under
Cockburn, sacked the city in 1914 the In
telligencer office received marked attention
in the work of devastation.
Newspaper row is a great feature of
Washington which has practically grown
up here simultaneously with the growth
of The Star. 1t has gradually become the
custom of the great daily newspapers of
the country to maintain branch offices here
in charge of the abest men on their STATS.
They must be men thoroughly conversant
with the past and current political history
of the country. They must be of
good address, diplomatic and. above all, ac-
quire the confidence of the men whose
doings they are sent here to chronicle. In
deed, it is doubtful whether there is a set
of men anywhere in active business or pro-
fessional life exerting potent an infiu-
ence on public thought, and therefore on
public action, as the newspaper correspon-
dents at Washington.
To all of them The Star has ever been a
constant, steadfast friend. With it's large
! staff of trained newspaper men, covering
every branch of the national and city gov
ernments it naturally carries the news that
| the lone correspondent needs Its columns
have ever been freely offered to the scissors
! of the outside correspondent and no COM
plant was ever made when news appeared
almost verbatim in the pages of an outside
contemporary.