Evening star., 1928-04-22
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The bill to provide a permanent form
of Eovernment for the District OF Co
District Bill in1ap'A' fsnai and miA' m u a. h
Defeated. SnsnsSS Snsassa 20 W wears "a ago
and was known as the organic act. was
Considered in the House of Represent
atiyes April Is. 1878. and after us
adontion by sections was put to a maj
vote, and. to the surprise OF It's frlenoS,
IL was defeated by a vote OF 30 yeas
10 I24 nays. II was then recommitteo
for revision. The Star Of the Gay Io4-
lowing. April II. 1878. said:
..It Is a strange fact that the House
should spend over 4S hours over tne
District bin and agree TO each separate
section and then turn around ana re-
;ect this work as q whole on the de-
mand for a roll call vote. The TWO
rain causes for its defeat are said 10
he the property qualification for mem-
bers of the council and the poll tax Tor
voters. 1t is alleged also that various
District officials TO be legiSlatsd out OF
ONCE by the bill worked for It's oeIeat'
We can hardly believe this 10 oe troe,
for any District officer must Dc uuli OF
annrehenSion who does not perceive
hed of roses for any man responsible
in anv degree for defeating q measure
which the people OF this District have
so much Mt heart as the so per cent
annortionment As regards the prop
erty qualification and the poll tax, IL Is
understood that the District committee
will strike out these features and re-
mort the bill again Several members,
NE hear. saw that they win vote for II
with these amendments, and 1t will not
REQUIRE change Of many votes 10 carry
the measure Congress has so Iully
committed itself Co the necessity for
legislation this session for this untor~
t,inate District that IL cannot, with any
consistency or without LAYING itSeH open
10 the charge Of childish trifitng with
the serious interests involved. SO on per-
sfecting bills Of District government
merely TO knock them on the head
after they have been laoorioaSly ouiit
up"
For more than decade htue has
been heard save III historical reco1sec-
ton Of the NthillStS OF
Russian Russia. The bolShevtStS,
uL.,;... who have brought about
Nlnils's' complete revolution
in that country, have more than taken
their place in International attention,
Fifty years ago. however, the NlsNltStS (
were much In evidence. The star OK
April 10, 1878, says
DOUBTLESS some Of our readers were
mystified yesterday by the VAGUE AS-
count In the telegranaS Of NihlllSue RIOTS
in MOSCOW on the occasion Of Sen0mS
rs students OF the University oi hleu
into exile, The NihiliSts OF Russia are
a party that has sprung into oclng
within the last 20 years, under the no
eral rule Of the Emperor Alexander. II
consists OF the progressive elements oI
the country and Is composed lalKeN
of lltterateurS and students, Az nrSF
its doctrines were moderate, demand
ing nothing more than = reasonable
amount OF freedom OF the press and
public life, but It has gone on through
the different stages Of modern nate
rialistic philosophy and under such So
eial teachers as Fourier. ~, Simon.
Robert owen and prouahen, and pro
gresSing beyond all the leaders d ad~
vanced thought. has set up a school
known as NihilistS, or believers In
nothing II speedily gained large ae-
eessionS from the universities and pub
tic schools and the medical students
are said to nave Joined it IN body
The extent OF the movement frightened
the government, which prosecuted
everybody who showed the slightest
sympathy with IL All the eanSpiFAeseS
and political prosecutions which aAyy
taken place IN Russia since leNa have
heen connected With Nlhilism Tbs
numbers and influence of the eggantaa
lion have been thus somewhat dtmm
tshed, but lt Is stiil very powerful /
and wideApse AsslaaAAeA The Move