Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-05-01
WASHINGTON IS
EVERYONE 3 CITY
Upkeep of. National Capitol
Paid for by Taxes From All
parts of the Country.
BY w. MANN.
Copyright, 1920, by The Washington
Sfar)

5tdT.
WASHINGTON, May Now, just
bear in mind that this is as much your
city as anybody's" said senator to n
group of people from back home"
who were visiting Washington for the
first time, and who on account of
their prominence the senator was
himself showing around the capitol.
He had taken them out on the west
balcony of the main floor of the build
ing whence the eye sweeps a COM
manding panorama of surprising ur-
ban beauty and stateliness. Directly
to the west. the background was form
ed by the Virginia hills, sheltering
lovely Arlington, md at their base the
Potomac river. thin line widening to
a broad and majestic sheet of silver
mile farther down. Intervening, a
veritable forest. at the time decked in
living green, the foliage of early
spring. To the northward, the white
house and other public buildings. and
rediating in every direction, like
spokes OF a wheel from its hub, the
magnificent avenues bordered with
trees and intercepted by parks. now
resplendent in bulbous flowers OF all
: colors.
What do you mean 1t is our city"
demanded one of the party.
II mean that Washington belongs to
the whole people of the United States.
the taxes they pay for its upkeep and
by their national pride In having as
their own capital one of the loveliest
capitals in the world. Many travellers
have classed 1t as the most glorious, In
fact"
= He then went on to explain that the
city Is located in federal territory, that
its citizens do not have the right to
vote unless they return to their home
states: that it's judges are federal
Judges and its minor officials United
States officials; and that. congress has
power over the city which no state
possesses over its own capital. even
to the extent of stipulating the price
of street car fares and the water and
gas rates.
Now, it falls out that this senator
when he first came to Washington
was imbued with the feeling which
pervades many new solons upon COM
ing to congress OF almost hostility to-
ward the city. born of a suspicion that
there must be some ulterior influence
back of the grandeur of their ma
tional capital But he. as with others,
soon learned their mistake and came
to realize that Washington Is indeed
the nations own city and in way,
the nations ward
Everything that has been done to
enlarge and beautify the capital of
the nation has been done with the as
sistance of congress and accomplish
ed only through the active and not
passive acquiescense of congress;
congresses made up of representa-
tives and senators from all states.
with not one from Washington, for
the city has no representation, al
though 1t bears taxation 1t is not
only allowed to select It's own officials
but must take appointees, frequently
men not even residents. as its govern
ing commissioners
1t is the most cosmopolitan city in
the country cosmopolitan in a ma
tional sense, because its residents arc
drawn from every state of the union,
large numbers attracted by the. gov
ernment service In which they are
employed There are no Indigenous
Washingtonians; the population con-
sists of people from the states and
the "oldest inhabitants" are the chill
dl-en of those who came from the
states and have remained. many to
keep on in the government service.
Every outgoing administration, ev-
cry expiring congress, leaves here It's
proportion of sediment of population
Welding to the lure of the national
capital. Some don't want to go away,
some had burned their bridges be-
hind them at home and desire to
make a new life here. and some can't
get away. 1t is not the attraction of
the ordinary big city, the lure OF New
York or Chicago or any other me-
tropolis but something different,
which keeps the voluntary resident
here 1t is. explained in various ways
but mainly because of the political
and official life which predominates.
Where the President of the United
States, the congress the supreme
court and the great executive depart
ments are located there must of ne
cessity be activity in big affairs of the
nation and insensibly the transient or
permanent resident feels himself
part of the big game that II going on.