Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The condition Of the Washington
streets so years ago was not all that
:. the pride and comfort OF
Streets In the citizens demanded
Rad Shane and from time to time
O"U SoPS pr o ties is were made
against the nuisances Of disrepair and
dirt. The following in The Star OF
August 20. 1881, is In line with this
complaint
Now that the District authorities
have found time to give some attention
to the ridges Of dust and filth left by the
street railway company on PennSyl-
vania avenue, and to some of the
concerns on the river
front Is IL too much to ask them TO
take some measures toward putting the
footwalkS Of our principal streets, and
particularly along Pennsylvania avenue,
in decent order before Winter comes on
and stops that kind Of work? The con-
dition in which the sidewalks III front
of some of the most profitable and fire.
Quented business blocks on the north
side Of this otherwise fine promenade,
between the Treasury and the Capitol.
now are would be discreditable to a
decently governed country village. They
are not only unsightly in themselves and
uncomfortable to pedestrians as we'll but
in some places they are in such a
dangerous state as to make the District
liable at any time for damages result
ing therefrom, as 1t was held some time
ago for similar neglect at the corner of
Thirteenth and F streets. Whether
these repairs should be done by and
at the expense Of the property holders
or the District. we do not know Nor
is that material. The work should be
done at once. no matter who has to foot
the bill. To leave some of the places re-
ferred to in their present state another
season would be at once disgrace to
the city and an insult to both citizens
and visitors"
Immediately upon the shooting of
President GARFIELD so years ago, a
military guard
Armed FORCES at was placed at
the White House. s s,ne " nos m ouoe
tanned there until the removal of the
President from this city to Long Branch,
N. ]. This gave rise to comment. The
Star Of August 81, 1881. says:
"A number Of newspapers in various
parts of the country are commenting in
a rather disparaging way upon the care
that is taken, by surrounding him with
a Gordon of soldiers. to prevent the
assassination Of the Gar of Russia by
some Of his own subjects. One OF these
Journals portrays the situation quite
graphically by saying that during his
recent trip from st. Petersburg to Mos
COW. the train which carried the proud
ruler OF that vast empire was shut in
by wall of glistening bayonets,' and
then triumphantly points to the pic
ture as one of the fruits of a despotic
form, Of government
"Reversely it should follow that q
republican form of government bears
no such fruits. Yet. what do these
patriotic editors think of having SOL
diers encamped in the grounds Of the
Presidents House for the past two
months. and all approaches to II
guarded by armed troops? On reflec-
ton. they will probably come to the
conclusion that the spectacle presented
by our country Is no more to be com
mended than the one they criticize In
Russia. OF course, it will be said, that
the circumstances are different. So
they are, but a comparison Is never
theless and for that very reason rather
to our disadvantage than to that OF
Russia. The existing state OF affairs In
Russia at the present time renders the
protection Of soldiers a necessity. Here
the continual presence Of troops Is q
vain display OF military force, LOT WHICH
there is not only no use but really nc
excuse. It Is entirely safe to say that
there Is not in washington today, and
there has not been since the fatefu
I'd of July, a sane human being
who would not quickly risk life ane
all to protect that Of President Gar
field, rather than to seek to do hin
harm And there Is no more need Of
q single soldier anywhere about thu
premises than there Is of surrounding
the White House with deep moats anc
heavily fortified walls. A solitary
policeman at the main entrance of the
building would afford all the protec-
ton required, If even that much bt
needed.
The presence Of soldiers everywhere
In Russia is not to be wondered at
They are a integral part Of the gov