The Washington times., 1907-03-17

90 With the FORM OF government was, OF
course. evident in every such case. Take
for illustration the proposed closer and
more effective supervision of street rail-
ways or other public utilities Corpor-
atiOns and those who agreed with them
that they ought not to be under munich
pal control, offset the sentiment In favor
OF such control by representations which
showed that public opinion was still
much divided on that question.
Demoralizing Partisanship.
But. even IL we had the delegate or even
IL we could have two delegates in the
House (of course. we could have no Sen
ator without an amendment TO the Con-
sttution, which is not practicable), and
they could do hundred times more
than would be possible, We would pay
too high price for that form of repre-
sentation by the reintroduction of par
isan politics with all its demoralizing
and destructive effects into our munich
pal life.
Our public opinion and civic activity
are remarkable. In visiting other mu-
inequalities and talking with the men
who know, conhdenually and, there
fore, freely. realize more than
at home, how unusually large
proportion Of our citizens are active in
our public affairs and how much more
keen, constant, anu intelligent their in
terest Is THAI that which Is found in
the same number OF people anywhere
else. A large number Of them are or
ganiZed here for civic activity, their or
ganizations meet more frequently with
larger attendance and with more stead p
and intelligent grasp upon public al
fairs. They respond more quickly 10 any
OPP, rtunity of expressing their opinions
and are more effective in doing so. This
IS partly due TO their superior intelli-
gence and public spirit. but chiefly TO
the fact that they know that what they
undertake will not be hampered by par
usan politics. They realize that they
have both initiative and referendum. It
Is difficult 10 keep entirely calm under
the slanderous attacks which have been
made upon our citizens in recent
months, as old men without patriotism
and young men without honor. as mer-
cerary mendicants with respect 70 the
National Government. as nerveless and
indifferent, ungenerous, and unwilling
with respect to municipal affairs or for
that matter, the commercial and fnan-
cial interests o. their community.
Civic Spirit Strong.
Nothing illustrates their civic spirit
better than the patience and good humor
with which they have gone right on with
their duties regardless OF such attacks
But / must take this occasion to say
that whether we measure them by their
business activity which is indicated by
the 100000 lOanable resources Of our
financial Institutions of all kinds show
ing an Increase since 1873 greater in pro-
portion, Is has been pointed out by eX-
perts. than IN q number of commercial
cities, or by their intellectual activity
as Indicated by the work OF education
or the labors Of the scientific societies.
or their philanthropic activity as indI-
Gated by their Red Cross gift TO stricken
California, greater than in the case OF
any one Of twenty-five of the States, as
the list just published shows. or the
gift OF the Y. NJ. c. a. building. or the
gift which they are about l.. make Of
the George Washington University site
or their public service as indicated by
the constant and successful effort OF
their civic organizations or such official
work as that of the Board Of Charities,
which. quietly accomplished since
1900, has commanded the admiration OF
the charity experts Of the country. they
viii stand comparison with any body OF
citizens anywhere else in the world.
Their national patriotism is well illus
trated by the fact that in every national
war they have contributed more than
their quota Of volunteers and that they
man a national guard ready for future
service which is in many respects su-
perior 70 any other In the United States.
Il seems 70 me that what we want to
do is 10 continue as we have been do
ing, to work with all sanity and en-
thusiasm for the development and up
building Of the beauty and wealth.
physical and moral, of the National
Capital, with all just pride in It. giving