Evening star., 1919-04-13
FIFTY YEARS Ago In THE STAR

The people of the District nifty years
ago were not satisfied with the politi-
cal Organization
the mode of gov
Local System eminent and par
ticularly the maintenance of two sep
arate municipal corporations From
time to time they asked Congress for
the consideration of new methods
for the administration of the ten
miles square" In The Star of April
s, 1869. is an item referring to a Pc
tition of this character:
"a resolution was adopted by the
Senate today ordering the printing of
1000 extra copies of the memorial OF
citizens of the District of Columbia
praying the organization of single
local government for the District OF
Columbia The memorial sets forth
that a public meeting of the citizens
of the District. held in Metzerott Hal.
on the 18th of January. 1863, there
was a nearly unanimous expression OF
opinion in favor of a single local gov
ernment of the District of Columbia.
under the provisions of an act OF Con-
gress similar to that proposed IN the
Morrill, bill and at the same meeting
the undersigned were appointed
committee to draw up such changes
in that bill and additions to 1t as tney
should deem requisite for the GOOD
government of the District and then
presented to Congress as so amenoeo
and urged its passage This they nave
done and respectfully urge tne pas
sage of the bill. The memorial is ac-
companied by the amended bill ana Is
signed by the committee-C. H. Mich
OILS, w. b. Todd, H D. Cooke, George
w. Riggs, L. Clephane, Alexander r.
Shepherd, William H. Philips. d. x:
and bill as printed will be distributed
nv the senate District of Columbia
committee.
The question of art at the capital,
mentioned in this column a week
ago, continued to occupy
Art at the the thought OF Washing
ton fifty years ago. In The
CSplga1. Star Of April 6. 1853, is an
editorial on the subject inspired by
a letter by Dom Piatt in the Cincin-
natl Commercial. in which that caus-
tic commentator ridiculed the artistic
| embellishments of Washington. The
Star said:
Like most faultfnding epistles and
like all D. P's efforts it is SPICY
reading. He is. however. a little wide
of his facts on one or two points ana
! the value Of his criticism is impaired
somewhat by the fact that 1t runs IN
| the old ruts He conveys the idea, Tor
| instance, that in patronizing medfo<se
talent the government has overiooksa
I such world-renowned artists as row
ers and Rogers whereas the latter
has given us the magnificent bronze
doors in the corridor leading from the
rotunda to the House wing OF the
Capitol, while the former has con-
| tributed statues in marble of Frank
| lin and Jefferson, albeit they are con-
| fessedly inferior to their companions
! Hancock and Hamilton. by Horatio
Stone, comparatively unknown
| sculptor. Likewise he Improperly
| transfers Washington's small clothes
| from the patent office to tho Smitn-
sonian Institution-a place exclu-
siyely sacred to Prof. Henry and his
ometers, osophies and oligies. their
heirs and associates. forever But
! these are minor matters. and they
may very properly be pardoned. When
the warrior is on the warpath he
can't be expected to be looking after
little things. And on the -warpath d.
p assuredly is. red paint, feathers,
scalping knife and all
Evidently Piatt ran amuck among
the sculptures and paintings of the