Evening star., 1958-05-11

we're miserable. The majority had
come to the District during the
war as refugees from the PLAN
tations OF Maryland and Virginia.
and they were living in alleys,
insanitary shacks and In the ruins
Of abandoned fortifications. The
death rate, particularly from
tuberculosis and malnutrition, was
alarmingly high.
However, there were over 1900
Of the older colored' residents OF
the District who had been free
before 1860. many Of whom were
comparatively affluent. Among
them were such men as James
Wormley and John Gray. promi-
nent caterers: Carter A. Stewart,
owner of several barber shops; Al-
fred Lee and Alfred Jones, feed
merchants, and John F. Cook, a
well-known teacher who had been
a graduate of Oberlin College.
In the 1867 municipal elections
in Washington and Georgetown
the colored population turned out
in full force to vote, and more
than twice the proportion Of Ne
groes to white men registered. AS
a result of the heavy Negro vote,
the Republicans obtained for the
first time a majority in the WASH
ington city councils, although
Negroes were at this time still ex-
cluded by law from holding public
office.
Just before the Washington
city charter was due to expire
on June /. 1868. Congress made
several important changes which
had a direct bearing upon the
elections which were to be held a
few weeks later. The power OF
the Mayor to appoint subordinate
officials was transferred to the
councils. the property qualitica-
tions for council members and
other officers we're removed, and
the period of residence in a city
ward prerequisite to voting was
reduced from three months to IS
days. BY another act, Congress
also removed the word white"
from the charter. thus making
Negroes eligible to stand as can
didates for the city councils.
Political Boiling Point
In June, 1868, when the mu-
nicipal elections were held. the
political climate of the Nation
was at a boiling point, especially
so in Washington.
The impeachment trial of An
drew johnson had only Just been
concluded, and Congress had be-
gun to carry out its program OF
reconstruction in the South. Since
this was the year in which a new
Mayor was to be elected, the white
voters of Washington, who had
been slow to register the preced-
ing year, turned out in large num-
bers. The Republicans had chosen
as their candidate for Mayor
Sayles ]. Bowen, radical, who
had been appointed by President,
Lincoln as city postmaster, and
who was known to be a warm
friend of the colored people.
Because of the heavy registra-
ton the vote in Washington City
was extremely close, and Bowen
was elected by majority of
only SO votes. The Democrats con-
tested the election on the grounds
that the City Register, Repub-
lican, had declared invalid the
votes of $50 servicemen who had
registered before Congress had
amended the charter, under which
they were not permitted to vote.
Bowen was forced to break open
the door of City Hall to gain ad-
mission to his Office, and for
almost. two weeks the Democrats
sat in a "rump" session.
Mayor Bowen, who had been an
ardent Abolitionist before the
war, was highly unpopular among
the older white residents of
Washington. Many businessmen,
however, and most of the daily
newspapers supported him in the
hope that, as a Republican, he
would be able to obtain substan-
tial appropriations from Congress.
Bowen was unfortunately less of a
practical politician than an ideal
ist, and he lacked the drive and
personal charm which would have
enabled him to achieve this goal.
Although he did his utmost to
improve the streets of Washing
ton, he lacked the majority which
would have been necessary to float
a bond issue for large-Scale paw
ing. Most of the work carried out
during his administration, there
fore, consisted of cutting out new
streets and of grading and gravel