Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-05

How 10 Should be Construed.

Eofor Si0r: Ifsuy argument were necessary
T. q ow the impr priety and dangers of rush
i'm i'"pCr RANT bills through Congress at the
ne ar ell s. of session. it is to be found in the
p rsOnal Tax Bill levied upon the uufor-
tura'e citizens of the District of Columbia,
an assed at tn flag end OF the Forty-third
Cog ess. We are rot disposed TO lap mp
"sPILT MILK"
by Keeping into the secret conclaves of COM
mittees or elsewhere to ascertain at whose
door to lay the blame and, least of all, to re-
Il 81 H. any way whatever upon the Honor
able COmmiss OnerS for the District of Co
Iumiia. for we feel assured that if they have
te = AT all Instrumental in the passage of the
h;'l ii has been to serve the best interests of
y" community as they understand them.
an TO protect the sacred rights intrusted to
their keeping. Still, there can be no doubt
that
some ONE HAS BLUNDERED."
FOR more inquisitorial, unjust and obnoxi-
GUS law was never passed by any legislative
assembly on the face of the earth, and to as
sert that it can ever be literally enforced is
TO proclaim what every one knows is an
utter 1mpossibility. 1t is well sometimes
Ito call spade spade
OBNOXIOUS LAWS NEVER CAN BE EN-
FORCED.
A free people must feel that they are being
justly dealt with, before any law, however
guarded its provisions may be, can be duly
executed. But this law is not guarded i'm its
provisions. 1t assumes, among other pecu-
Iarlties. physical impossibilities; and while
II is careful TO provide that the assessors de-
signated TO do certain things shall make re-
turns at a specified time, it
OHITS TO LIMIT THE TIME
when the assessed shall make final returns to
the asSessors. so that the wOuld-be "stand aud
deliver" trainers of the law have quite over
shot the mark by attempting to do zoo npcch
our relations to these gentlemen are some
what analogous To the stranger who had inst
arrived IL Boston teS the story goes, though
somewhat mCdilied) and was surprised To
find himself arrested for smoking i'm the
street, and when taken before a magistrate
was fined 50 for the outrageous offence:
wheTeupOn he handed the learned Dogborry
a $40 bill, with the remark. Never mind
the change; i expect to SHeeZe presently"
In spite of the prejudice heretofore existing
III some quarters against the people of Wash
!EgtOn, tie whole country, with hardly an
eptiOn, are now hearing willing. though
jardy testimony To the cOmmendabie desire
of the citizens Of the National ca pital to bear
their fun burden of the taxes upon the inn
provementS which have meIamorphOSed out
of mud -bedraggied, dust-Sufiocatei village
a city second to none i'll beauty on this con
tirent.
The Honorable Commissioners have oppor-
TURTLES to know these facts as few else can.
and il would he the extreme of superarOga-
ton for them To construe the law other than
IN the SlStJG in which it was evidently passed
by Congress, and, while ii is not yet too late
TO SO
MODIFY THEIR ''SCHEDULE'
and instructions to the assessors as will sat
isIy them that while they are not evading
ihe performance of any duty imposed upon
them by their oath OF Office, they will con
stTue the law with such leniency as will in
duce all good citizens to comply with the,
enlarged view of its absolute requirements
SEMI-OCCASIONAL.
Washington, April 9Th, 1875.