Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13
FAIR PLAY FOR WASHINGTON

more than s5.Ooo.OOO with clean and
economical non-partisan municipal gov
eminent, a marvel in this respect among
great American cities: with surface re-
modelled. with more smooth streets than
any other city in the world; with enter
prising business houses, relieving Wash
ington from dependence upon its great
commercial neiehbors: with manufac-
lures, not imposing. but respectable. that
caused Washington, according to the
census of 1880, to rank among the twenty
leading American cities; with manufac-
turing establishments that have more
than doubled in number since 1880. not
withstanding the design has been to re-
tain Washington's pre-eminence as
residence city by encouraging only llgnt
and clean manufacturing with broad
streets shaded for several hundred miles
with nearly 10000 trees, destined to
make Washington the forest city; with
attractive suburban drives. including
| those which traverse the recent grand
acquisition of Rock Creek Park. with Its
winding stream and its wild and diversi
ned scenery: with parks and reservations,
given picturesque beauty by shrubbery
and abundance of foliage. statuary.
fountains and flowers, and with costly
dwellings, showing the most varied and
pleasing architecture, sprnging up In
rapid succession, where Trollope sunk
knee deep in mud
In Twenty Years.
The greater part of this Transformation
has been accomplished within the last
twenty years. The wretched condition of
the capital for three-fourths of century
is attested by all descriptions. In con-
nection with the gift to it of nearly
three-fourths of the soil of Washington,
in 10 1pfS NC
gift, the nation promised that Washing
ton should be the permanent seat Of gov
eminent, and pretended that this perma-
nent capital would be improved at ma
tional expense without regard to the
scanty population that would be at first
attracted to 1t. Having secured this
magnificent donation and pocketed the
proceeds from the sale of lots. the ma
ton utterly failed to meet its promises
1t frequently threatened to remove the
capital, which meant, of course, the
death of Washington. 1t practically
abandoned the work Of street improve
ment and capital making to the scanty
resident population. There was no Won
der that the District grew slowly.
The nation has now returned halfway
to the original and appropriate idea of
the federal city. This guardian. who for
three-fourths of a century was unfaithful
to his trust. now. without making the
slightest restitution for the wrongs Of
the past. shares the expenses of the ward
whom he equitably bound himself in the
beginning to support-and some men call
it charity! The people of the District are
not subject to this or any other reproach
upon their public spirit, SO far as their
relations to the nation are concerned.
They have risked life and shed blood in
every national war. They furnished the
first volunteers, and supplied more troops
in excess of their quota in the civil strug
gle than any state except one. They have
paid their proportion of every national
tax. direct and indirect They have con-
tributed in proportion to population far
more than any other American commu-
nifty for national purposes. They gave to
the nation five-sevenths Of the soil Of
Washington-an acquisition pronounced
by Jefferson .Sgllly noble" They thus
supplied fund from which most of the
original public buildings were erected.
Those that since then have been con-
structed at national expense are offset by
attractive homes aggregating millions of
dollars in value, with which they have
adorned the city and swelled its taxable
property. Nearly all the work of street
improvement and capital making, which
for three-fourths of century was done.
was done by them. From 1870 to 1876,
according to Treasury Department fig
ures they expended s16.OUoO0O more than
the United States in this, the nations
task. and incurred in addition bonded
debt for municipal purposes of so. GOO.OOO
Under this burden they worked themselves
into virtual bankruptcy in 1875, and so in
recreating the city after 1870 the main ex
pensa of the achievement was represent
ed by the grevous debt of some $50 OO0.
900. In both cases they took upon them
selves national burdens, and were led by
public-spirited motives. as the Senate
committee reported in 1895, into expendi
lures which did not properly belong to
them.
They are none the less public-spirited,
patriotic citizens because they owe no
allegiance to a state Their city has
planted the roots of its existence and
prosperity in the spirit of American ma
tonality. and has f1ourished as that spirit
has been strong. For themselves, they
are Americans or they are nothing: the
people of No Mans land; men without a
country 1t is we'll for the nation that
their Americanism is intense in proper
ton to its concentration. for that which
lies next to the heart of the republic
must be flesh of its flesh. pulsating with
its warmest. richest life blood, or 1t will
be a canker, collecting alien poisonous
matter and eating.at the nations vitals.
The Districts Second Century.
In the Districts second century 1t
will keep step in every respect with
the progress Of the nation; 1t will be
the republic in miniature. In every
branch OF the municipal government.
whether attractiveness, health, trade,
commerce. convenience comfort is
the aim, the city will be made model.
With the republics Intellectual growth
there will be n corresponding increase
| in the capitals Importance as the brain
| center from which Influences In every
branch Of learning. in science and art.
in education. in literature and politics.
! flow to every corner of the nation. The
: fact will also he fully recognized that
: trees and parks and streets. and struc-
lures of granite and marble. do not
alone suffice to constitute the ideal
capital. There must be men full of the
! national spirit and hit. from faVOrnR
conditions, to show forth the American
character In the blaze of the capital
, 10 the inspection of the world.
| And when all possible wonders have
It's people will be considered. They
will be relieved from the burden of
ancient laws, utterly unfit for modern
community. that cling about their
necks and choke them like the old man
of the sea on the shoulders OF Sfnbad.
Injurious Determinations In all respects
will he removed. The District has been
pronounced state under the treaty
with France, n construction comforting
privileges ON aliens. but not state
under the Constitution. whose people
can sue in the federal courts. The
Supreme Court of the United states
Ways in express terms that we stand
the national judiciary than aliens. The
District is a state when direct taxes
are to he collected. but not a state
when representatives are appOrtfOned