Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11
STORM AND STRESS
OF WEATHER MAR
THE DISTRICT DAY
Continued from First Page.)

and the disappearance of the dread of in
vasion did not entirely stop the talk Of re-
moval. 1t was not until civil war with its
mighty struggle over Washington as the
symbol of victory consecrated 1t by mar
velous sacrifices of men and money, that
the advocates of removal became objects of
ridicule. Since In the fierce fires Of that
war the national capital was welded to the
city of Washington, no one has seriously
considered it's removal. And now no one
even suggests it.
1t is very unfortunate. that Congress.
under the operation of these different
causes. did not begin the performance Of
the nations duty to it's capital until the
last quarter of the nineteenth century. For
seventyeight years Congress left the task
of developing and maintaining the nations
city practically to the taxpayers of Wash
ington 1t did nothing for Georgetown or
for Alexandria, and the latter, wearying of
the national capital burden, without ma
tional capital benefits. induced Virginia in
1876 to take back the territory she had
given for the federal district.
1t must be said for the people of Wash
ington that they did their whole duty and
more than their duty. They went in debt
in the staggering effort to make the city
worthy of the great purpose of its founder,
with the same patriotism which has in
every national war contributed more vol
unteers than the quota of the District of
Columbia, with the public spirit
which at every great calamity has con-
tributed more than the Districts share to
the relief of the sufferers, notably in the
Mia.
The Half-and-Half Principle.
Senator Southland of New Jersey, chair
man Of the committee on the District of
Columbia in 1885. in an interesting report
to the Senate sums UP in striking fashion
their sacrifices and achievements in the
cause of Washingtons development and
recommends that Congress provide for an
equal division of expenses with the tax
payers. Other public men in the nations
executive and legislative departments from
time to time praised the Districts people
and condemned the neglect of Congress and
recommended what came to be known
1.-The half-and-half principle. But it was
not until 1878 that Congress adopted that
principle and began to do the nations duty
to its capital.
Congress had, of course. provided addi-
tons to the buildings which had been pre-
sented to it in 1909, and it had erected other
buildings and improved their surroundings,
and had constructed an aqusduct to bring
water from the Great Falls of the Potomac
primarily for the of the national gov
eminent. But 1t left practically all the rest
of the work of national capital making and
national capital maintenance to the COM
paratively few people who lived in the Dis
trict of Columbia. They have never re-
ceived proper praise from the country for
what they have done in the work which
ought to have been the task of the people
of all the states from the beginning. In
stead, they have frequently received I'M
grateful criticism, often ignorant and some
times malicious
Pride and Patriotism.
Many people outside of Washington think
that the national capital Is and always has
been maintained entirely by the national
government and they speak of the people
of Washington as mendicants and tax dodg-
ers. Others accuse them Of being deficient
in civic pride and national patriotism,
Now, when there are more federal office
holders than ever before, there are only
about 25.0o0 in all out of a total popula-
ton of nearly 100000 in the District of
Columbia, yet the District people generally
are sometimes called grasping officehoders.
All this is shown to be singularly unjust
by the naked record Of what the District
people have done.
From the beginning the population of
Washington has been remarkably represen-
tattve of the best in all the states and terri
tories. Drawn by processes of natural Sc
lection which attracted chiefly the more
intellectual and educated people, and since
the civil service law selected, so far as the
national government services are concern
ed, by competitive examinations, there has
always been among them very high aver
age of intelligence and a remarkable degree
of civic and national patriotism.
The temporary residence of the leading
statesmen of all the states, of foreign am
baSsadors, army and navy officers, men of
science and other scholars, and the perma-
nent residence of many of the famous men
VI ouI Country, With, III later years, an IN
creasing intellectual life of a permanent
character. due to the scientific services, the
institutions of learning and the gathering
of students to the government collections
and libraries, and possessed at all times
of Unique general society, Washington
has been metropolitan and cosmopolitan in
many respects, but always a real American
city, and it's people have shown, in their
municipal life, the best American spirit.
No General Government.
Until 1870 Congress provided no general
executive government for the whole Dis
trict of Columbia Washington had mayor
and councils. and Georgetown mayor
and councils, elected by the qualified male
voters, except that for the first ten years
the mayor of Washington was appointed
by the President. President Grant, like
many other soldiers, having first become
civil war; learned to love it, and brought
about the formation of government for
the District of Columbia which gave Wash
ington its new opportunity.
Alexander R. Shepherd, the forceful
young native of Washington who wanted
to see George Washington's plans executed,
backing and the cooperation of the major
ity in Congress, then of their political
party, secured the establishment of a full
territorial form of government, with a gov
ernor legislature, a delegate in Congress
and board of public works. The dele
gate and the assembly were elected by uni
appointed by the President of the United
States.
Shepherd as member of the board of pub
| lie works and afterward as governor was
| the dominant spirit in this government,
which literally drove the plowshare of prog
| ress all over the federal city, opening up
avenues and streets, and, incidentally, lev
cling hills and raising valleys. The ma
Jority in Congress changed, following the
panic of 1873, just as many District taxpay-
| ers were crying out under the heavy bur
dens of the new improvements, for which,
| of course, the taxpayers were expected to
| pay. They feared, too, the obvious effects
| of universal suffrage. A congressional in
| vestigation showed that while his work
| had been hastily and therefore extensively
| done, there was no ground for condemning
| Gov. Shepherd, and now the people of the
| District realize how great his service was,
| and will erect his statue in front of the Dis
| trict government building, when it is COM
pleted, on Pennsylvania avenue. But I'M
| der the circumstances, change in the form
| of government was inevitable, and Congress
| provided a temporary commission which
| served for four years until Congress could
| determine the matter.
| A Permanent Form.
| We celebrate today the adoption of what
| the Supreme Court of the United States
/ cd no oP