Evening star., 1918-06-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN THE STAR

Proposals for the removal of the
capital from Washington. which have
not been heard for
Capital Removal many years. were
Proposed. xesrs asa whsn,
ever anything happened here of a
municipal nature calculated to dis
tress or annoy members of Congress
this suggestion of a shift of the seat
of government was advanced. This
was the case fifty years ago. when
Washington was in the throes of a
municipal contest growing out of
disputed election, and Representative
Logan offered a resolution in the
House for a transfer of the federal
headquarters. The Star, discussing
this matter in its issue of June Is.
1868. deprecated the idea that the
project was to be ignored or belit-
tied, for. it pointed out, there was "a
positive and growing power working
steadily. for the removal of the cap
ital not to be Sighted or overlooked"
1t continued:
"On what do we rely to oppose this
movement? Mainly upon the $4,000
600 of government property here: upon
the rivalry Of western cities for the
national capital, neutraliZing the ef-
fort for its removal: upon historic as
sociations prevailing to keep it where
1t is. But the western men have given
these points study. They have even
calculated what 1t will cost to remove
every stone of the government build
ingS worth removing and set them up
again in the west. Gen. Logan, we
believe. estimates that the govern
ment property could be removed to
the west for less than 100000 900.
Other western men figure out that by
s s~lect1ng only the best materials of
the present buildings the removal
could be effected for five millions.
They propose. for instance, to take
only the new wings and the iron
dome of the Capitol. leaving the in
ferior materials (crumbling sand
stone) of the old central portion of
the building untouched. The same
course would be taken with the pat
ent Office and the Treasury Depart
ment buildings the sandstone of the
original buildings not being deemed
of any value. The general post Office
Is held to be worth removing entire.
The White House would be left behind
and a new building erected for the
ch1eI magistrate OF the nation at the
new capital, on a scale more in ac-
cordance with the national pride and
credit"
Continuing. in the same article, The
Star touches upon the real needs of
Washington in manner
Urgent to paint rather unpleas-
ant picture of the capital
Neeus. of that date:
THE improvement of the city should
be our text from this date. Washing
ton could better afford to have a debt
of ten millions than to be in it's pres
ent condition. The reign of dust in
summer and mud in winter must be
put down, even II the city has to pave
every street in it's limits to the boun
Diary, as Baltimore has done. The
filthy canal must be covered, and
every gill of its loathsome, death
dealing contents be forever shut out
from sight and smell. Fortunately
this all-essentialy work need not cost
the city a cent. as the made land on
the site of the canal will sell for much
more than the cost of the work. The
present unsightly market sheds must
not be permitted to disgrace Pennsyl-
vania avenue and the city another
year. They serve to illustrate too
many an argument to our disadvan-
tage to be permitted longer to occupy
SO conspicuous a position.
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