Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-28
The Senate and the Organic Act.

In gratifying contrast with the attitude
and expressions of the House when the
street extension bills were brought before
IL In the form of conference reports was
the brief debate which occurred yesterday
in the Senate on the same subject. All
who spoke to the point of the whole cost
proposition. including Senators Gallinger,
German. Dubois, McComas and Mallory,
voiced the sentiment that the Senate s
original position on the subject was cor
rect. Senator German urged that the ex-
tensions were better sacrificed for the pres
ent than that this breach of the organic
act should be permitted Mr. Dubois adj
monished his colleagues that they should
be more careful in saddling burdens upon
the District than upon their own states,
they being the guardians of the people of
the District. He continued:
I'VE are the sole judges as to what dis
position shall be made of things affecting
them and of the amount of money they are
to pay In our respective states the people
can vote against taxation. Here we tax
the people of the District, and they have
no voice in 1t except through us. While
l would not interfere with the chairman
of our committee / think halt ought TO
be called, not only in regard to this de-
parture, but in regard to others, where the
Senate Is sacrificing principle for tenn
That is sound doctrine, to be persistently
urged at every stage Of the dealings be-
tween Congress and the District Chair
man Gallnger took less advanced ground,
when he said in reply to Mr.. German s
declaration that these bills are in viola
ton of the organic act and therefore de-
serving of defeat:
II will say to the Senator from Maryland
tn. T,.yI. I, %tA
general proposition, yet it is fact. which
I did not know until very recently, that
since the repeal of the highway act, So
called which took place several years ago,
all bills passed for the opening of streets
have contained the provision that the Dis
trict of Columbia shall pay the entire ex-
pense. 1 think 1t is all wrong. These five
bills, however, carry triting appropr1a-
ton; they are extremely inconsequential
matters, and l really feel that we have
acted wisely in permitting them to become
laws in the form the House insisted upon.
At the next session we will take UP the
matter very seriously concerning other bills
that will involve greater amounts.
While this is encouraging as to the future
attitude of the Senate, 1t is to be feared
that those who urged the approval Of the
conference report did not fully realize the
handicap which that action puts upon the
defenders of the organic act in any future
nBnI tney may make lOT us pIeSciNdlioii.
This matter of the comparatively inexpen-
sive street extensions is, to be sure, "only
a little one" but it serves to clinch the
precedent for the imposition of the whole
cost on the District, If the House is dis
posed next year to insist upon its present
contention. The District would infinitely
prefer to see the issue raised and the bat
tie waged over the triflng projects than
over the big ones, involving heavy sums
It can well afford to wait for these imme
diately projected extensions, and its de-
tenders may find themselves, when the big
enterprises arise. in an urgent mood which
will incline toward compromise or sur
render.
Had the Senate yesterday stoutly refused
to concur in the amendments of the House,
even at the expense of the bills themselves,
it would be in a much better position for
next years contest with the House on this
question. The gain in strategic strength
would be comparatively more valuable than
any passing advantage which might be
gained by the immediate passage of these
measures involving inconsderable amounts
but dangerous In principle.