Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-22
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

Not only has Washington been menaced
! from time to time with the proposition to
remove the seat of govern
White ment to a more centrally To-
Gated city. but 1t has been in
the past more or less dis
turbed over the possibility of shift Of the
executive headquarters to some other point
during the less healthy part of each year.
The Star Of September 49, 1857. contains the
following expression on the subject:
"A Washington correspondent of the
Charleston Mercury. noticing the various
propositions for new executive mansion
intimates that much injustice Is being done
our city through the differences that are
necessarily drawn by strangers from the
various suggestions on the subject, for
which spirit of speculation only is for the
most part responsible.
THE truth is. while the site of the present
mansion is VIGOROUSLY unhealthy during
the summer and fall months. that fmmedi
ate locality. 1t Is equally notorious, Is the
only unhealthy part of Washington. Any
where In Washington. not more than
hundred yards from the site of the present
mansion, Is as healthy any other locality
In the United States. We mention the fact
because it Is very evident that those who
seek to create the impression of a necessity
for change of the site of the mansion are
evidently aiming to obtain It's removal to
points beyond the limits OF the Corporation
of Washington. That may do well enough
for an executive residence for two or three
months In the year; but the idea of Undue
ing Congress to sanction the establishment
of the main residence of the President of
the United States at point different from
its present location is preposterous.
That part of Washington Is now as whole
some any other
1t has probably escaped the recollection
Of most citizens that Andrew Jackson left
gold box to be given by
Jackson's his son to the patriot most
valiant in defense of his
ooA0 AVA country and our countrys
rights, to be adjudged by his countrymen
A reference to the matter appears In Inc
Star of September Is. 1857. 1t appears
that Mr.. Andrew Jackson, jr. had gone
with the box to New York and had sub
mitted the question to the municipal coun-
ellis Of that city. as representative bodies
of Americans. He repented OF his action.
as letter to Peter Monaghan. chairman
Of a special committee. from which the
following is extracted, shows:
Il regret under the deep feelings and
conflicting opinions which find to exist.
that cannot. satisfactorily to my own
sense of propr1ety and Difference to the
will Of my father. now venture to denver
this relic Nothing will afford me higher
satisfaction than the execution Of this
trust whenever the public opinion of the
people of the state shall concentrate upon
some favored son. distinguished above all
others, to receive this precious token. IN
til I can thus execute the trust of the
great and good man whom l represent. l
must. under a sense Of affection and duty.
decline to act. 1 can but regret the divi-
sion Of sentiment and the excited feelings
;ob tn nSyiQ I q.
fore, determined to return to the Her
rnitage with this sacred memento Of my
father. whose wishes I desire strictly to
fulfill and whenever the public judgment
Of the people of the state Of New York
shall settle the claims between individuals
it shall be my pleasure at once to dis
charge the duty resting upon me-"
The Campaign fund" appears to have
been regarded by some Americans as a
serious menace to the purity
Party Of the ballot In 1857, II the
following editorial printed in
The Star of September II,
that year. is an indication:
THE New York Daily News urges the
democracy to pony up. in view of the
necessary party expenses In the approach
ing state election. How much better would
it be for all parties If the modern systems
Of electioneering. requiring the expenditure
Of large sums of money. were done away
with. What becomes Of the hundreds,
thousands and tens and hundreds of thou
sands collected over the country for such
purposes? Some Of 1t goes legitimatey to
pay for printing and the use of teams on
election day; the rest for the most part to
the keepers Of grog shops and to persons
hired to play the rowdy ruff1an for the oc
y1,ov 70 1@ 40 70 inR,r
ence the votes Of rowdy ruff1ans or others
equally unfit to exercise the right Of suf-
frage intelltgibly and conscientiously. In
Virginia and south of that state the use Of
party funds for any such purpose is COM
paratively unknown. One consequence Is
evident in the universally admitted fact
that the odor Of corruption in pecuniary
legislation has never yet attached Itself d.
rectly or indirectly to the skirts of any
one honored with a seat In Congress from
either of these states When candidates
for office are expected to buy votes even
indirectly, with money, it 10 not wonderful
that they come to see no wrong in
buying nominations; nor any in selling
their official integrity now and then after
election. These remarks are applicable to
northern politics without distinction Of
When the National Theater burned
Washington was left without a play
house. and several efforts
Theater We're made during the sum-
mer and fall Of 1857 to raise
funds for such a cOnstruc-
ton. In The Star of September Is is an
appeal for the success of the enter
prise:
"A theater for Washington Is really
one Of the greatest needs Of the times.
That well arranged and fitted theater
Of moderate size. well conducted in all
respects. will pay we'll here Is past all
question: for every year the transient
playhouse-going population of the fed
eral metropolis increases enormously.
Even in the midst of this comparatively
dull season of the year there are twice
as many such persons among us are
in any other American city of the popu-
lation of Washington. and when Con-
gress Is in session we are rarely with
out ten times as many here. The Ma
tional Theater failed to be good property.
only because of its immensely. In size
1t was a theater for a city Of million
souls. There were. therefore. certain
unnecessary contingent expenses Of
lights attendance labor