Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

IN THE STAR
As tho date for the expiration Of tho
charter Of the city OF WAshiaetee sss~
nsar. NIFTY years
Considering Form Of ass' sness ~.
Local Government. rus,ie activity
here. in anticipation Of = change N me
form Of local government In Tae star
Of December Q, 1857. Is p asws item On me
subject to this effect:
"A number Of gentlemen intsrestsd N
the welfare of the city and District met
at the office Of Messrs. KiIbourne q Latta
on Saturday evening for m sxdhaake o.
views as to the best form oS govesanaAnt
to be adopted on the expiration next year
Of the present city charter. The best Of
feeling prevailed throuGAeut. and All
seemed to be earnestly and Honestly de-
sirous Of promoting the public eesd A
might be expected, a diversaty OF opinion
was entertained which found fFee s4-
preston and was respeotfeiy rscelved,
the object OF the meeting being to discuss
informally the several plans proposed and
to ascertain, II practicable, which present
the least objectionable features with the
view of taking the necessary steps at the
proper time to secure its sdoplon. No
the subject WIS had, but . nee discussion
was had upon the respeotlve meFfts Of the
two plans Of government Of he District,
lature Although the form Of choosing The
necessary officers WAS observed. no actual
business was done beyond the appointment
of a COMMITTEES Of three tn collect and d.
and prepare business for an adjourned
meeting. to be held on the evening OF the
21st instant. BY that time. 1t 10 hoped.
some definite and acceptable plan may be
will also have given the matter such dis
passionate thought as Its Importance de-
mands and such expression thereof a.
viii Justify the adopsion Ct s1issbl: ms II,
The parties present at the meeting were
for the most part large taxpayers. having
no interest in the matter beyond that Of
tse es ana s f pr Ct .t fss
at the meeting that Senator Harlan.
chairman Of the Senate District commit
tee, has in preparation q bill looking to
the eo,s9n h. A. q n ct,ce ana
1t was thought that the appointment OF a
committee, who should prepare and CUB
init to a subsequent meeting drafts for
form Of government, might be productive
Charles Dickens was touring this ceun-
try for a second time fifty years ago
and was creating tremAn-
Dickens dous furore- In The Star of
December 10. 1857. Is a
IA
terms the Dickens fever. 1t says that
when the Dickens deiirium WAS at its
height in Boston the more sedate poo
pie of that stafd town fed from its ex-
cited precincts to escape the persistent
topic" Inasmuch as Dickens was about
to visit Washington for a second time
The Star expressed the hope that the
people Of the capital would "act with
their customary geed sense and refrain
from the ridiculous manifestations
which are SO apt to mark, in some
places, the presence Of q foreign celeb
rity." continuing:
Seriously speaking, there is ground
fer apprehension that the lion hunters
of the present day had not pFofited by
the lesson taught their predecessors
under similar circumstances some Ave
and twenty years ago, and that
they are likely to present targets for
the great noveIists shafts of ridfcule
equal in numbers and dimensions to
those obtruded on his notice on the oc-
casion of his former visit. They should
not complain. therefore, II the results
are now. as they were then. anything
hut gratifying to our nationaf vanity.
are not. We know. easi-
~ moved to extraYagance in this re-
spect. still, there Is a gaoda deaf Of HUI
man nature here--especiaily in the win
ter season--and considering the tendency
Of the average American to sensations
of all kinds. an admenftory hint in adj
vance may not be uncalled for. We
pray you. therefore, good Mr. and Mrs
4 H. and family. repress your inclina-
ton to gush and to conceal your ears
as well as you may. Remember that Mr..
Dickens is here, not for the purpose Of
being wined and dined or fattered OF
fawned into taking hack any OF the
quarter of a century ago. but
on the very unsentimental and every
day business of making money, He will
also be pretty apt to respect you all
the more In that you respect your
selves"
The star was preaching the doctrine
OF better pay for the clerks fifty years
ago as 1t is today, and
Pay of the has through the strength
n1.rL. OF half century. In the
oiefhs. issue Of Decembar IA.
1867, is the following that might
almost apply to- present conditions:
I'VE regret that the New Fork Trib-
une should persistentiy oppose the 20
per cent increase of the salaries Of the
government clerks in this city. The
last article on the subject in that pa
per, in which the editor advises them,
IL they cannot live here, to emigrate to
Kansas or Nebraska, is an unfortunate
one for the opponents of 80 per cent
because the assertions that Washing
ton Is not nice place to live in and
that the rents are high, the food IL
bad. the dust is disgusting, the mud is
very deep and the morals are depior-
able would, If they were true, be the
strongest possible arguments why
those SO unfortunate as to be compelled
to live and labor here should be well
paid for their work. The proper and
prompt administration Of the affairs Of
the government requires the services
in this city of a great number of ia
telligent employees. These duties must
be performed by some one. and Ii ali
who are competent go to farming,
what will become Of the public busl-
ness? We are told that II the clerks
h. s-Ao r,yskt Iof. A.