Evening star., 1920-02-15
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR,

i liz ~ ANs
There are two ways to make coun-
terfeiting difficult; one is to produce
currency note
Plain Notes to Beat as intricate and
ror,4,-f.;. elaborate as pos
oo"n'eei'eiS' sible and the
other is to print it as simple as possi-
bic and of distinctive design and
color hard to initiate exactly The
latter method wac proposed fifty years
ago by an official of the Treasury De
partment in connection with an issue
of the then shin plasters" or frac-
tionai currency. as shown in the fol-
lowing. in The Star Of February :. 1870.
The Secretary of the Treasury Is
not Il little perpleNed by the skill and
facility displayed b. the counterfeit-
ers in initiating the national cur
rency. The swift and successful re-
production by them of the new fifty
cent note suggests the Importance of
deNising some plan by which these
manufacturers of bogus money may
be 'euchercd. The superintendent OF
the note printing bureau has sug-
Gested and the Secretary is consider
ing the following plan: To devise
plates with very few lines and the
plainest Kind Of engraving so that
the nereSt novice can hecon1c fa7aii-
lar with their appearance in a very
brief space: 10 print the notes from
these plates on light -colorcd paper
OF peculiar quality ana then let
the counterfeiters go to work The
idea is that the least variation in the
or in the ngravine. may then at
once be discovered; and the moment "A
counterfeit makes its appearance all
notes OF the denomination thus i'm
when the Treasury may immediately
issue another plate This plan has
been successfully pursued by rhe
Bank Of England for many years"
X X
For some time after the civil war
the question of restoration of the
franc II ise to
Ex-Confederate men who had
Asks for Vote. ,,a a'e'la'eo ~
lHe > Z y ION
movement troubled the federal au-
thorities Washington then having
the vote, the matter was occasionally
an issue here in the District In The
Star of February 8, 1870. is an item to
this effect:
This morning Charles Wheatley.
by his attorney Mr.. A. c. Riddle.
filed inn i'm, bo
for this District for a writ of manda-
mus to issue on Messrs. Edmonston.
newman and Coakley. Judges of cleo
uon for Georgetown, ID. T., requiring
them to show cause why Il peremp-
tory mandamus should not issue
commanding them to enter his name
on the list Of qualified voters of that
city. and Judge Cartier directed the
writ to issue. The petitioner sets
forth that he, Wheatley. is "A qualified
voter: that since the termination of
the late war he has taken the oath
of allegiance: that he was a private
soldier in the army of the so-caIled
Confederate States. and as such was
embraced in the general pardon and
amnesty under the proclamation of
the President of July 4. 1868, and that
on the 2Sth of January he made ap-
plication to have his name plxced on
the list of voters and was refused:
that unless his name is placed on the
list he will be deprived of his polit-
ical and civil rights, ETC.
IS
. The territorial movement continued
to develop in the District fifty year
ago, despite 10
The District's cal OPP sition,
Reorganization. litieal nature In
The Star of February 3, 1870. is the r.
following:
The committee appointed by Judge
Fisher to prepare a plan of govern
ment for this District, of which Hon.
a. G. Riddle is chairman, is composed
of men of intelligence. all interested
in promoting the welfare of the Ma
tional Capital and will. we trust and
believe, present a plan for the gov
ernment of this District which will
command the approval of very great
ma jority of our people. The views of
the chairman, as We understand them,
are to prepare n plan giving to the
entire District a Legislative assem-
bly,, which shall be clothed by Con-
gress with full power TO legisLate on
all rightful subjects not inconsistent
with the Constitution; this legislative
body thus organized TO enact an gem
eral laws for the District. thus re
lieving Congress of the burdens OF at
tempting to legislate for the local
wants of 10000 people. The pro-
posed plan we understand. does NOT
raise the question of interference
with the municipalities of Washing
ton and Georgetown, but II these TWO
CORPORATIONS continue IN existence
their authority over municlpai mat
ters will be derived from the legls-
lature of the District instead OF from
Congress. There is a general disposi-
tion on the part of Congress, so far
G orr knowledge extends. to grant 70
the people of the District the privi-
Iege of regulating their domestic al
fairs in their own way subject only
to the Constitution
A letter appearing in The Star OF
Eabruarv IL. 1870. and signed Tax
payer" is evidence
rro,h1os of of the trials to
which the local pop
Householder. ulation was subject
ed fifty years ago:
'The question whether taxpayers
and housekeepers have any rights
which policemen and magistrates are
hound to respect here no doubt has
often suggested Itself to that un-
banny class of individuals; but yes
terday it was suggested so very
forcibly to myself that 1 am fain
to propound it for your thousands
of city readers for their editcation
and possible admonition. few days