Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-07-29
THURSDAY EVENING JULY %. 1909.

Washington paper Oh the retfocesSlon VI
Alexandria city and county to the Dis
trict of Columbia, not for want OF deer
interest in the matter (heartily oppos-
log the proposition IS it dots), but be-
cause it believes the whole idea to be
visionary and a scheme that will never
be consumated. The reports published
from day to day that many congressman
are deeply considering the retrocesSiop
question is untrue, for IS matter Of
fact but few of them even talk of the
scheme and these only when questioned
nv sInteryieHers." The Virginia con-
Rressmen, senators and representatives,
nav little attention to this talk, belieV'
jnV that retrocession will never take
Mace. One Of them said to represent
alive of the Gazette day or two ago
that Mr.. Taft was too busy now to con-
sider such matters and that most of what
is being published is said for and not by
him. This congressman also said the
sebeme was started by newspaper own-
or who also owns a railroad which runs
through Alexandria county and a gss
plant located in that county. These
properties, he added, the owner is try
ing to get from under control Of Virgins
laws, believing he could manage three
commissioners much easier than he
could the Virginia Legislature and cor
porali)n commission. This indeed seems
to be the real reason for the agitation OF
the question.
Why any Alexandrian should favor
retrocessiou is difficult to understand.
The city and county were a part OF the
District for fifty years and at the exPira'
ton of that time the city was reduced
almost TO the conditions Of village.
From 1916 when the city and county
were given back to Virginia, to 1851,
when the war came Oh, the city advanced
wonderfully both in wealth aud popu-
lstion. Were it in the District now 1t
would be on a par with ADscostia. The
very act creating the District pro-
yided that all the public buildings should
he on the north side of the Potomac, GO
II was intended from The beginning that
Alexandria should not stand on sll fO1rs
with Washington city. Should there
now be retrocession this city would al
once become subject to the District laws.
There would be at once mixed police ard
mixed iuries. Mixed schools would prob
ably follow. The separate cars would be
abolished and negro equality would be
enforced, ali of which would cause end
less trouble. There are 50 many res-
sons against retrocession and so few
valid ones for 1t that discussion of the
subject seems a waste of time. The
suggestion that property values would
rise in case of such an advent is pre-
posterous.
Concerning the legality Of the act OF
Ietrocession there was some debate 10
the United States Senate the second day
of July, 1916, when the act was passed
Cedlug back to Virginia Alexandria city
and county. The Gazette OF July Ord
gives quite summary of the debate.
Senstor Reverdy Johnson, OF Maryland,
said, ''cediug the whole district was not
the question; Congress had as much
right after accepting the ten miles square
to cede back a part of it If it found 1t to
be unnecessary for its purposes IS seat
of government, as it had to increase the
area to ten miles square, after having
received r smaller qusntity. The power
of the constitution had not been exhaust
ed because it had been exercised"
Mr. Miller, of New Jersey, was q
strong opponent to the retrocession act,
his argument or claim being that 1t was
unconstitutional. Answering him Sem
ator flanagan said, il he wss not
mistaken Maryland had first .ceded the
ten square miles on the Maryland side
of the river, which was accepted by
C,ngress. And yet Congress had re-
p,aled that act, aud accepted that poT-
ton OF Virginia which 1t was nov pro-
posed TO cede back, and in that Congress
were many trainers OF the constitution.
Senator John @. Calhoun said, he
could see no force in the constitutional
objections that had been raised, aud he
would vote for permitting these people
to 20 back to Virginia and relieve them
selves Of the bondage OF which they
A good thing was said
by Senator Westcott, as follows: The
people Of Alexandria had no privilege |
but that Of gtumbling, and be should
vote for the bill because they had asked |
for it. They had right to go back |
whenever they wished to do so, II they |
had asked for it the very next year after |
the formation OF the District they would |
have been entitled to it. Among |
Other supporters Of the bill was the great
senator from Missouri. Thos. 81. Ben