Evening star., 1958-05-11
WAsHNGToNs UNcNL WAR-n
First Steps Toward Reform

the future OF the District. and
could see no hope for the national
capital unless Congress could be
persuaded 10 contribute q fair
share TO the improvement and
maintenance Of the city.
In February. 1870. this group OF
citizens, led by Shepherd, had
drafted q bill providing for a Ter
ritorial government for the Dis
triet under which the corporations
OF Washington and Georgetown
would be abolished. The new ad-
ministration would be headed by
Governor appointed by the PreSi-
dent. with an appointed Upper
House and House OF Delegates
chosen by the voters OF the entire
District, A year later. on Febru-
ary 81. 1871. Congress passed a
bill which closely followed the
recommendation OF the Citizens
Committee, providing for an APP
pointed Governor. Legislative
Council Of eleven appointed mem
bers, and a 22-member House OF
Delegates TO be chosen by popular
suffrage. An elected Delegate was
TO represent the District in the
House. with similar powers 10 9TH
er Territorial delegates.
Most important OF all the fea-
lures OF the Territorial Bill was
the section which called for the
establishment of a Board Of Public
Works, to be composed OF five ap-
pointed members, all OF them Dis
trict residents. This board was
to have complete control Of the re-
pair Of city streets, roads, bridges
and sewers, and was empowered 10
levy and collect assessments upon
owners Of property. One-third of
the cost Of such improvements was
to be levied against owners OF
property which was to be i'm
proved by the board.
While there is no documentary
evidence to show whether the con-
cept Of Board of Public Works
was that Of Alexander Shepherd,
and while 1t had not been recon-
mended by the Citizens Commit
tee in their 1870 petition to Con-
gress, 1t is certain that he was
strongly in favor of it. Since he
had become an intimate friend Of
President Grant. whose support he
had enlisted in the improvement
of the National Capital, he could
be certain that no one would be
appointed to the Board of Public
Works who would oppose his ideas.
No Effective Opposition
The Governor and the Legisla-
tive Council were also TO be nomi-
mated by the President, and the
House of Delegates would be GER
tain to contain a majority of Re-
publicans. Under these circum-
stances no effective opposition
could be organized by the wealthier
property-owners, who in the past
through fear Of taxation had OBJ
Structed large-Scale Improvements.
The majority of Democrats and
Conservatives, who had been in
clined to favor the Territorial ad-
ministration as means of reduc-
ing the power of the Negro voters.
were bitterly disappointed when
President Grants appointments
were announced. Henry d. Cooke,
the Presidents intimate friend,
was named as Governor, Shepherd
was appointed Vice President of
the Board of Public Works, and
the four other members of the
board were all Republicans.
Grants appointments to the Leg
iSlative Council did not include
single Democrat or Conservative,
and three of its members were
Negroes, among them the we'll
known public speaker and former
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass
and the Washington caterer, John
Gray.
The territorial government, as
established in 1871. was therefore
from its Inauguration body
which did not represent at its
highest levels the entire population
of the District, and one from which
an important segment Of its
wealthier citizens had been delib-
erately excluded. 1t was a govern
ment designed for the specific pur-
pose of carrying out improvements
in the District by the Board OF
Public Works, members Of which,
though District residents, were all
executive appointees.
Next: From Territorial government to
the present.