Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-26
The National Anomaly.

Viewed in regard to it's actual character.
the District government Is undoubtedly a
municipality. the attorney for the Post
Office Department sagely decides in passing
upon the franking privilege ISSUE 1t Is
not a state. In it's political integrity or
Jurisdiction. 1t Is not territory as are
Arizona and New Mexico, for 1t has no
legislature. Whenever Congress enacts
what is known as general federal statute.
such a pure food law. 1t provides that
1t shall apply to all territories land" the
District of Columbia, thereby distinguish
ing between the two classes. In fact, the
District is in a class by itself. to be hkened
to no other administrative entity in this
great political system.
But what kind of, municipality is the
District? Not one of the ordinary sort.
subject to the will of a state legislature
and self-governing only as regards strictly
domestic affairs Not even such as Har
risburg Pittsburg. headed by an APP
pointed recorder creature of the gov
ernor of the state. 1t is the nations own
particular municipality, created for the es-
pecial purpose of affording seat of gov
eminent for the republic. founded upon
constitutional rock, carved originally out
of the soil of two states. 1t Is such a mu
nicipality as this country has never seen
before and can never see duplicated, I'M
less in the course of time and in mo-
ment of folly Congress should see fit TO
move the capital to some other such dis
trict mot exceeding ten miles square,. as
may by cession of particular states and &C
ceptance by Congress. become the seat of
government of the United States
The government has need of the District
quite as urgently as 1t requires an Interior
Department. II must be established some
where. man regards his taxes. paid for
the privilege of owning land as the site
for his home. as part of his expenses quite
as much as the money he pays out for
food or the wages he pays to his employees.
1t Is difficult to see how the government
can consider its own central establishment
as not a part of it's organization when it
SO regards the bureau which 1t Gre
ates for the invention of flying machines
and the preservation of specimens of fossil
bones. Something is awry with the reading
Of the laws when this specially created.
urgently needed seat of government is man
aged exclusively by the United States, its
very policemen specified by number. its
schools provided one by one. it's admins
traitors salarled and bound by acts of Con-
gress. and is yet construed as being not
sufficiently part of the federal system
to be entitled to the privilege Of free post
age.
Congress guards with jealous care Its
prerogative of exclusive Jurisdiction over
the District. 1t resents any interference
with it's authority, any invasion of its
monopoly. 1t remains now to be seen
whether 1t will complacently contemplate
this departmental decision. which so pro-
foundry declares that the District Is not a
part of the government of the United
States. AS between the decision rendered
by the controller of the treasury and that
delivered by the attorney for the Post Of
fee Department. Congress is not likely to
hesitate In choosing the former. But when
1t does so choose. 1t should do SO in such
specific, inclusive terms that no occasion
will ever arise in the future for another
such demonstration of the governments
doubt Of it's paternity of and responsibility
for the District in every particular.