Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-16

Elsewhere In The Star two communica-
. tons raise the question of so-called local
self government for Washington to be OBJ
tanned by act of Congress. and of this
papers attitude toward the proposition.
The contention of The Star Is that IL an
effort is to be made to obtaiO American
citizenship rights for the people Of the
District the full enjoyment Of the most
vital of these rights should be demanded,
and the movement should not stop short
with an appeal for a sham local govern
ment which would be impotent except for
the framing of petitions to Congress. If
We of the District would be politically as
other Americans we must be represented
In the Senate. House and electoral college
through an amendment to the Constitution.
Representation in these bodies is
American right. when law-abiding citizens
are living in a reasonably limited space in
sufficient numbers to be entitled to state
hood. Representation In a municipal cor
poration is not American birthright.
In theory the powers exercised by the
officers of cities are by delegation from the
people of the whole state. in whom the
ultimate sovereignty, modified by the
Constitution of the United States. resides.
In New York from 1777 to 1921 the officers
of municipal corporations were appointed
by the governor and four Senators chosen
every year by four subdivisions of the
assembly. Universal suffrage Is demanded
by republican, principles only in the choice
of those officers who exercise purely gov
ernmental functions, and not in the seec-
ton of agents by municipal corporations to
perform duties affecting private property
interests.
Taxpayers take the place of share
holders in other corporations. In disburs-
ing funds for municipal purposes the just
rfrlIp Of M 10 yad nIy
those who contribute the money direct it's
expenditure. In the case of our local
municipal corporation the nation pays half
the taxes, so to speak, and. with more or
less of Difference to the wishes of the other
taxpayers. does all of the deciding to
methods of disbursement. Such system
OF expending municipal funds. while it Is
very far from perfect. comes much closer
to enforcing the will of the taxpayers
than the system which prevails in the or
binary municipality OF determining such
expenditures by unlimited popular sur-
frage. which gives to nom tax paying ire
spOnsble voters the power to expend ex-
trayagantly and corruptly the money sup |
Piled by the taxpayers, and places the |
contributors and non-contributors to a |
fund upon an equal footing in the matter
of deciding how and by whom the fund |
suited intolerabe misgovernment and rob-
berry of the taxpayers in many of our
American. cities.
No one In the District with n particle of |
interest In Its welfare desires the nation
to cease to be a one-half local taxpayer, |
and as long as ii remains such the nation
will doubtless retain control of the expen-
dltures of the local revenues to which it |
contributes, and possession of the power
to protect its immense property interests |
at the capital anu the persons of officials
administering here the various departments |
of the national government.
Under the Constitution as construed by |
the courts. Congress cannot, If it would,
delegate it's delegated power of general leg
islation in respect To the District. True local /
self-gOvernment under the Constitution is
Impossible here The exercise of suffrage I'M
der these limitations would be an expensive
farce. Without representation permission
to go through the form of voting is of no
value; and. shut out from the bodies which
make it's laws and impose taxes upon 1t,
of the District under the /
Constitution in it's present shape can be
only sham.
To secure this bogus, worthless, mis-
named seIf-government, which satisfies in
no respect American aspirations and prin-
ciples the District must expose itself to
practical. material dangers. which are rec
ognized by all taxpayers and need not be
here repeated. In The Stars opinion the
game is not worth the candle.