Evening star., 1938-11-20
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star
The election is over now said The
Star of November Is. 1888. "and the

l lie eleCllOll Is over llOW. Sdlu Inc
Star of November Is. 1888 and the
PIeo for Earr;sor so is 70 he tho presi
OHtf'e's dent of the United States,
Needs the Governor of the Dis
trict and the Mayor of Washington. The
Senate of the United States-the upper
house of the Districts Legislature and
Washington's Board Of Aldermen-wlll
be Republican. The House Of Repre-
sentatives OF the United States-the low
er house Of the District Legislature and
Washingtons Common Council - will
perhaps be Of the same political COM
plexlon, though the question is still con-
tested. This community will naturally
take much interest in all political news
tending to definite knowledge concern
ing the makeup of its Legislature and
the views and the purposes OF its new
government. But campaign politics.
with its monopolistic demands on public
attention is out OF date. The oppor
tunitv is now given to quit talking poll
tics fo- avhilc and to give ones thoughts
and efforts to something else.
There are. for example, good many
things about Washington that need at
tention. First of all. instead OF wasting
more time and breath in telling what
might have been if something else
hadn't happened, citizens might see if
they cannot get up boom, for the gen.
eral business of the town, which has
been rather dull of late, owing to mis-
directed interest and energy.
Next they might take for a theme
the advantages of Washington as place
Of residence and a point for the invest
ment of capital illustrating the subject
by few striking examples of the rapidly
increasing value of real estate in the city
and vicinity.
Then little surplus eloquence might
be worked off to good purpose on the
District Commissioners with the view of
getting better sidewalk pavements
throughout the city, and especially along
some OF the streets most frequented by
pedestrians. and which are now in a
the District government and dangerous
to those who are compelled to use them.
The triumvirate ought to be persuaded
to quit riding around in comfortable car
riages for awhile and 60 afoot like COM
mon people and thus learn some of the
great needs of the city about which they
now seem to know or care very little. In
the same connection they might be asked
il there isn't some way by which people
and companies who tear up the streets
for various purposes can be compelled to
put them in decent condition within a
reasonable time or some time. The in
quiry might be squarely put to them
whether as simple citizens of the town
they think the muddy ditch along the
north side of Pennsylvania avenue is
anything less than public outrage.
These and number of other things
which will readily suggest themselves to
thoughtful and public-spirited citizens
are far better than campaign politics, for
this community, whose interests are
identified wholly and solely with the well
fare of the National Capital.
Let every one, therefore, eschew an
excess of politics for awhile and go to
work and keep at work for them with a
will. "A long pull, strong pull, and q
pull all together will certainly accomplish
something, and any advance will be an
improvement on existing conditions"