Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-14

There is something bordering on the illogical
in the reported attitude Of the democratic con-
ferees on the District appropriation bill re-
specting the appropriation asked to provide for
the comfort and entertainment Of the Grand
Army in this city in September. That they are
satisfied that the proposed expenditure is a
legitimate municipal charge is apparent from
their reported willingness to vote an appropria-
ton to be paid entirely out of the District rev.
enuss. These legislators, Of course. recognize
tina. they have as great a responsibility with re-
gard TO the appropriation Of the money raised
BY taxation in the District as they
have regarding other moneys, and it is hardly
conceivable that they would be less careful with
the disposition Of one class of funds than of the
other. So il Is taken for granted that the COM
mitsee regard the appropriation asked for as a
proper one, and their conclusion in this respect
is sustained bv the preeedents established by
other municipalities which have had to meet
the same question. II this Is a fact it is simply
absurd to maintain that the appropriation should
be paid entirely out of the District revenues.
1t seems to be the result of a peculiar train of
reasoning that is promised fancied neces-
sity Of keeping peace with one class of constitu-
snts who NAV not have the friendliest feeling
for the G.. A. r and at the same time of giving
no ofense TO others who might be of another
mind. To the ono class these astute statesmen
can say they were analterably opposed to ap-
rropriating federal funds for such purpose;
to the other they can declare that they did their
best to secure such an appropriation out Of the
funds Of the District They may hope that in
the ignorance that prevails outside of Washing
ton concerning the relations of Congress
and the District that it may not become
generally known that the proposition to
charge the appropriation entirely upon
the District revenues is practically to defeat
It. There are good grounds on which this ap-
preparation could be asked to be made entirely
out Of the federal treasury. The very fact that
this is the nations capital, that it is the city
which was the center of interest during the
war, Will draw here in September hundreds of
thousands. The task before the citizens COM
mittee is immeasurably greater than that
which ike committees in other cities have had
to confront, and this because Washington is the
national capital The debt Of gratitude that
the government owes TO the soldiers of the
Union should at least prevent any mig
Ezrdly treatment of a reasonable proposition
to provide for their proper entertainment when
they return to march once again over Pennsyl-
vania avenue. With all this in view, however,
thecitizens' committee applied only tohaye that
done which has been done in other cities-to
have the amount raised by subscription among
citizens, supplemented by an appropriation
from the joint fund out of which other munich
pal appropriations are made. The sum of
slOo, 600 asked is small in proportion to the
amounts appropriated elsewhere, when it is con-
sidered that the attendance here bids fair to be
from four TO five times larger than has ever
been known on any similar occasion.