Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-23
Evil Days of Unwise Suffrage.

The District was declared free soil
early in the slavery struggle. The ne
groes from far and near literally poured
into the city. Shanties and novels were
thrown up everywhere. Sanitation and
health were not considered. The civic
workers of today are still trying TO undo,
after fifty years, the conditions bred IN
the sixties. But Congress made a fur-
Their blunder at that time. 1t gave to
these poor and uneducated people. these
slaves in mind IL not in fact gave them
full suffrage rights and privileges. Little
wonder, then, that n saturnalia of cor
ruptton followed when these Ignorant
negro votes were directed by unscrupu-
lous carpet-baggers and politicians. Con-
gress. which was responsible for the con-
dftiOn. did practically nothing to control
the situation. The riff-raff of the war.
the illiterate negro vote, and the carpet
baggers, these undesirables assumed con-
troll And in the meanwhile the physical
development of the city WIS going on
practically undjrected.
Then came the supreme error, the
hybrid territorial form of government
inflicted the District. Practically
every Office was federal Office, ex-
cept the lower house of the delegates.
Good results We're put at a premium
And this freak government was estab-
lished in this District just at a time when
political cond lions everywhere were dis
treSsing, such as TweediSm in New York.
Add to this condition tho fact that S.iep-
herd and his associates were intent upon
recreat.ng the city of Washington. were
intent upon doing quickly and before "a
staying hand could be raised the work
that the national government should
have done right from the beginning, and
that is develop the city as it had been
planaed-a Great National Capital. Say
what MAY about the territorial tiasco
ii resulted in changing Washington from
a town into federal city, worthy of the
name.
But it had cost millions to Go this and
technical questions of financing were dis
regarded. Its eyes opened at last to the
physical and political and economic and
sociological conditions at the seat of
government, Congress proceeded to shape
matters. 1t established the temporary
commission of 1874 TO get it's bearings"
IT devoted four years to this work, and
then enacted the so-called organic act
of 1873. Mr.. Davis takes the position
that the Law Of 1878 was clear proof of
the federal ownership, operation and
control idea for the District. He bases
this largely upon the half-and-half
principle therein set out. Isn't it clear
that Congress provided for the payment
order to assist the District in getting
OH Its feet, to help pay for the great
renodelinS job done by Shepherd? But
even II Congress had agreed TO pay all
dltU more tudn ALI OIL the DlSlIlct . ca
penses, ii could not pay for that which
II took from capable American citizens
the right of voice in their government,
the right of self-government, the fran
chise! 1t had bought the hirthright OF
American citizenship and American
democracy for d mess of pottage.
Give Both Sides a Chance.
Give Congress d chance. and it will be
fair to the District. Give the people OF
this District. all of the people, chance
and they in turn Will be fair in their de-
mands upon Congress. In short, let US
express in law the conditions which are
everywhere working for wholesome gov
eminent. Let US call commission. COM
posed of representatives of the taxpayers
in the states congressman and senators,
and of representatives of taxpayers Of the
District taxpayers in the sense OF paying
direct taxes or indirect taxes known as
rent. Let this commission weigh the pros
and cons of the situation, and then SUBJ
NIT the matter to the people. The result
will be fair to the nation and to the city.
and will be in harmony with twentieth
century ideals and conditions not those
of the eighteenth century. And that COM