The Washington herald., 1908-07-05

there would have been a District govern
ment from the beginning. and adequate
national provision for the maintenance
of the National Capital throughout the
last century.
Instead OF celebrating the opening OF
the first District government building.
we might be meeting to-day in Dis
trict government building a century old.
recording In itself the successive ad-
vances Of the nations Capital in regular
relation with the successive steps in the
nations progress. The long neglect OF
the National Capital by the national gov
ernment would not have occurred II
Washington had lived And il would not
have had TO wait three-quarters OF a
century for a government. and over a
century for It's government building The
Give patriotism and self-sacrihce OF the
District people. uLequaled elsewhere.
which practically maintained the common
National Capital for seventy-eight years,
anu fas borne half the cost OF It's main
tenanee for thirty years since might have
been no less. but the results would have
been mueh greater. AS 1t is while the
District is los years OLD its first general
government dates only from 1871. and its
permanent form Of government only from
1873. SO that It is one OF the youngest
governments In the nation.
THE names OF Gov Shepherd. whose
statue. the gift Of the grateful people.
will shortly stand here, and Gov. Cooke,
under whom Gov Shepherd directed the
board OF public works. as it drove the
plowshare OF preparation through the
principal streets. planned by Washington,
"a d
since. rise before us as we think Of the
beginnings Of modern Washington. All
honor 10 these governors and to the Com
uisGioners Of former years. 70 whom we
owe so much And while the plowing
went on under the governors. most OF
the seed-sowing. as well as the cultivation
and the harvesting. has gone on under
the Commissioners. The tree is known
by its fruits We have thirty years OF
practical solid success TO report You
who remember the conditions OF 1878
have only to look around you 10 see
( what has been accomplished The dou-
bling OF the population. the reduction OF
the death rate, the quadrupling OF the
financial resources, the transformation OF
the transportation facilities. the multipli-
cation OF beautiful buildings. public and
private, Of parks. bridges, bouleyards.
trees. These are only the visible signs
OF the great change which appears most
striking when we examine our present
intellectual and spiritual resources. our
educational and religious institutions. the
Improvement In our laws and customs
Typihed in District.
II Is all typihed In this District build
ing this typical District construction. the
outcome OF the efforts OF the Commits
sioners and citizens through all these
years. now delighting our eyes with its
beauty within and without. and its great
possibilities Of usefulness. In this, as in
all other things. we are entering into
the labors OF other men. We are for
tunate In having what they worked for.
bur saw only with the eye Of faith We
are fortunate In having had the oppor-
tunity 10 make the final efforts which
brought the thing to pass.
In June, 1903. when Mr.. Ross and Col
Biddle were stin Commissioners. We got
the first legislation from Congress pro-
viding for the purchase OF this site and
the erection Of building. the total cost
limited 10 $1,000 0o0. and the site was pur-
chased for S550,O00. and the work begun
under the contract authorized for the
building We had told Congress that Il
would cost. including site. S25O0OOO. and
we subsequently, succeeded in getting this
limit OF cost raised. first in 1903 20 81
loo. and then in 1905 10 81 $4,000. That
latter year no new Federal building was
authorized and no limit Of cost Of any
Federal building was increased through
out the United States so that the diff
Guilty Of getting the limit Of cost OF this
District building increased in order 10
make It beautiful with marble instead OF
having it a common brick structure can
easily be imagined.
Commissioners and citizens working
together in harmony have won the prog
ress which We see to-day. There re
greater victories for them ahead II they
continue together 10 strive in the same
spirit Who can fully foresee the tri-
umphs OF the next fifty years when
Washington will cover the District OF
Columbia with a mighty population. a
splendid beauty Of architecture and land
scape. marvellous intellectual and spir-
! ltual Efe. when II will be In all respects
that most perfect capital for which we
are willing 10 make sacrifice with the
best Of our lives"