The Washington herald., 1907-08-12

The District of Columbia. permanent /
seat Of the government of the United |
States Of America, Is the smallest politi- !
cal division Of the country. but its wealth
is greater than that of any one of TWEEN
ty-five Of the States and Territories.
Of the States whose wealth it exceeds, |
FIVE are OF the thirteen original States, /
namely, New Hampshire Rhode Island. !
Delaware. North Carolina, and South Car
olina- The District has an area of but
seventy square miles. yet IL has wealth
OF S1.O40, 10000. In The beginning little at
tention was paid TO the needs OF the Dis
trict Congress refused TO appropriate
money to erect public buildings, and the
Commissioners were forced TO borrow
from the States, Virginia lOaning $4,000
and Maryland S72.OO0 Congress again re-
fusing to vote money. Maryland let the
new National Capital have another $780, !
90. but only on the personal security /
Of the Commissioners. In those days the
public credit was poor indeed.
The Union was only sn experiment, and
the Constitution was an untried and sore
ly .mistrusted instrument. Few men
thought that the States would stick to-
gether. When Mr.. Jefferson was Presi-
dent he offered 10 give a fine building
square on Sixteenth street, which extends
north from the front OF the White House.
TO any nation that would erect a legation
building. Not one Of the countries Of the
world thought that the United States
would amount TO enough 10 justify the
building of legation at Washington. and
no one accepted the offer. Recently Ger
many paid $l25,O0O for site for an en-
bassy building. Had Jefferson's offer
been accepted by the nation. Sixteenth
street, the handsomest Of boulevards
would have been to-day the avenue of the
ambassadors. Now it is proposed TO
change the name to the Avenue of the
Presidents. because every President since
Adams has looked from his windows out
on its beautiful sweep to Boundary EnL
The Constitution gave Congress the
power ito exercise exclusive legislation
in all cases whatsoever over such district
mot exceeding ten miles square) as may.
by cession Of particular States and the
acceptance OF Congress, become the seat
Of government of the United States" The
rivalry between the North and South was
marked in those early days. and the
question of the location Of the Federal
district was debated with heat and ear
nestness The Northern States in Con-
gress. led by Alexander Hamilton, favored
the assumption OF the revolutionary war
debts Of the States by the Federal gov
ernment. The Southern States opposed
the assumption.
Thomas jefferson met Alexander Ham
ihon on the street Hamilton appealed
TO Jefferson 10 aid him in passing the
assumption bill. jefferson gave a dinner.
At the dinner table It was agreed that
a sufficient number OF Southern Congress
men would vote TO assume the State
debts, If a sufficient number Of Hamil-
tons followers would agree to the loca-
tIon Of the Federal district n the South
The compromise was put through. and
the Congress directed that a seat Of gov
ernment be selected on the banks Of the
Potomac. The state OF Maryland ceded
seventy square miles, and Virginia gave
thirty square miles. IN 1915 the portion
taken from Virginia, including the town
OF Alexandra, was retr0ceded 10 the
State. and the District OF Columbia was
reduced TO its present area
George Washington selected the site OF
the District at the confluence Of the Po-
tomac and Anacostia, or Eastern Branch.
rivers. The Father of his Country was
the founder of its Capital in a peculiar
and particular sense. He selected the
site. he directed the acquisition of the
land, he formulated the plans for the
Federal City which was to bear his
name and. with the aid and advice Of
Jefferson, directed the work OF the engi-
neers At first the city Of Washington
and the towns OF Alexandria and George
town were given separate municipal gov
ernments, and each elected its officers
The District outside the incorporated
towns, had no government except that
OF the Levy Court. which assessed and
collected taxes. A mistaken impression
prevails all over the country that the
United States pays all the expenses Of
the District. On the contrary. the gov
ernment paid nothing at all until ISIS
when the present arrangement Of half
and-haR taxation was arranged between
the District and the Federal government
IN 1871 Congress changed the form of
government and created the Territory Of
Columbia. with a government based on
the plan adopted for the other Terri
tories. The governor was appointed by
the President, the council and the house
of delegates-composing the legislature
were elected by the people. and the Ter
III. hoI
could speak. but not vote. The new gov
ernment undertook the Improvement Of
the city on comprehensive plan.
Alexander r. Shepherd. a plumber bv
trade, first a member Of the board Of pub
lie works and then governor. was the
mdsng spirit in the new government
II Washington was the founder. Shepherd
was the builder Of the Capital City. He
found it struggling town, without pub
lie Improvements, and left it well on its
way to be made the most beautiful city
OF the world. Where the TEnfant plan
had been departed from, he restored Il.
He graded the streets and paved them.
He planted 5000 trees. He narrowed the
streets and established the parking, which
IS one Of the most attractive features of
the city to-day, a citizen going away
from home for few weeks would return
10 find his house perched high on a red
clay bank many feet above the level Of
Shepherds new street.
Disregarding the protests Of citizens. he
tore away an unsightly market house and
made a park Of the space. He filed up
the miasmatic open sewer that had been
the canal Of earlier days, and turned the
water OF Tiber Creek into great sewer.