The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-09

marble were scattered about waiting to
be placed in position and the building had
no dome. The Treasury. Post-office and
Interior Department buildings were also
incomplete. The Washington Monument
had not attained half its present hight.
There was ample area on which to build
a city with little promise that it could
ever become one of the most beautiful
capitals on the earth.
Take away the War, State and Navy
Department building, Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing, National Museum, Agri-
cultural Department building. Congress
sional Library, City Post-office, Pension
Bureau. Public Library, Pennsylvania
Railroad Station and Corcoran Gallery of
Art; all the theaters but one; the modern
school buildings; the New Willard. Cor
don, Raleigh. Cochran, Grafton, Riggs,
Shoreham, Arlington, Dewey and Rich
mond hotels; the street railways; all the
good street pavements and most Of the sid
walks; large proportion Of the fine resi-
dences and stores; all the statues and
monuments with few exceptions; cut down
nearly all the trees that border our thor
oughfares; remove the improvements from
all but three Of our important squares;
tear down all the houses north Of X street
and west Of 18th street and nearly all
east of the Capitol; wipe out of existence
all but three of the banks and trust COM
panies; take off the map OF the District
every suburban subdivision; restore the
hills and valleys which have disappeared
with the improvement of our streets and
avenues; restore the B street Canal and
Tiber Greek running through the city and
cutting off what was known as 1.-The Isl
and: put in their old positions all the
streams, bitches, pools, and swamps which
have long since been carried into sewers
or filed up; then let horses, cows, goats
and pigs roam at will over the larger part
of the city's area-and you will have a
fair view of the place from which was to
be directed the great campaign to preserve
the Republic. Here Lincoln was to see
the war for the Union opened and closed,
his country strengthened, perpetuated'
and saved.
SCHOOLS OF THE CITY.
The narrow limits Of the public school
system in 1861 may be understood from
the fact that it cost but 81, 064, while in
1901 the appropriation for public educa-
ton was 81, 1OS ,619. The fire department,
then operated by volunteers, cost but
81 ,61O. In 1901, the corresponding allow
ance was $325,92O.
The city was growing steadily. From
1850 to 1850 its population had increased
45 per cent. There were but few rich
residents, although large number were
in moderate circumstances and the cost
of living was comparatively low.
The social standards were peculiar.
Education was considered dangerous to
the masses. Those in trade were looked
down upon until they attained political
preferment or acquired fortunes large
enough to give them influence. Work
demeaned everybody. A resident OF the
District who inherited valuable property
remarked: 81 never did days work and
| never will" He lived long enough to
| waste his ample fortune through inatten.
ton, and passed into the next world
| leaning on charitable friends. Any occu.
patton which would require woman OF
social standing to leave her own family
and home was deplored. Seclusion and
poverty were ordinarily preferred to self
| help. Female labor, except by persons
of the middle classes, was unheard OF
What wonderful change has taken place
1 in this respect! Now women are employed
in every Department of the Government
by every corporation, firm, and individual
doing business Of any magnitude; and the
workers are contented, happy, and re.
specrcd. The memory of slave labor and
| its concomitants has almost passed away
and it is now difficult to realize what an
important place it once occupied in the
life of Washington.
THE coLoRED PEOPLE
were as q rule respectful and made good
servants. Although they met with al
most inyariable kindness and consider
Grafton, they were generally treated as an
inferior race, born to do mental service
They were not allowed to ride on an ON
nibus line which was inaugurated about
that time, and when horse-cars were in
troduced separate vehicles were provided
| for them. This phase of public opinion
may perhaps be better understood when
il is recalled that in January, 1856, nearly
6,GOO ballots were cast by the voters Of
the District against mixed suffrage and
30 in favor of it. No colored person could
testify in legal proceedings, and frequent.
ly much embarrassment arose from this
restriction. Judge Andrew Wylie, wht
was for long time on the Supreme
Bench of tho District of Columbia and
for some years prior to his appointment
a practicing attorney in the Distric,
courts, said that in a case in which hi
appeared for one of the litigants he wal
convinced that the only person thoroughly
acquainted with the facts involved was I
colored man; that he so stated to thu
Court and claimed that In the interest Of