Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-26
Mr.. Henderson's Address.


Under the act of 1878 1t is provided that
of the expenses for the government of the
District one-half shall be paid out of the
federal treasury and the other half out Of
the revenues of the District For ten years
mast the United States has ignored that
compact SO far as concerns the cost OF ex-
tending streets.
Eat the time that the act establishing the
present form of government was enacted
into law, and for some years thereafter,
when the trainers we'll understood its mean
ing. and while 1t was fresh In mind, the
United States paid it's share and the Dis
trict its share of street extensions.
s.Rut for some ten years past in every
street extension bill, with one exception.
Congress has required that one-half OF the
cost should be assessed against the aput-
ting and adjacent property. and the other
half should be paid entirely out OF the
revenues of the District. This Is an intus-
tice that ought not to exist, and that 90
not believe would be allowed to continue II
our legislators were fully informed on the
subject The Senate at this session has
sought to right the wrong but the House
has failed to concur In the proposition. In
the recent debate in the House OF Represen-
tatives on the subject, some OF the proml-
nent members asked why the United States
should bear any part of the cost, and 1t
appears that there was no member of the
House sufficiently familiar with the subject
to give any information on the subject. II
any member was familiar and in position
to give the reason, he failed to do so.
The Reason Given.
1.-The reasons are plain and admit of no
answer Ever since the cesson of this ter
ritory to the United States up to the time
of establishing the present form of govern
ment, our people had a. voice In selecting
their rulers. and In providing what I'M
proyements should be made and how they
should be paid for. In 1878, however, our
people were wholly disfranchised. and there
was taken from them the rights exercised
by every other community OF intelligent
citizens in every part of our great and mag
nificent country, and as part compensation
for deprivation of those rights. and because
of more than so per cent of the taxable
property being exempt from taxation be-
cause belonging to the United States. Con-
gress then by that solemn compact pro-
vided that one-half of the expense of con-
Quoting the government thus established
by Congress should be borne by the United
States and the other half be paid out of the
revenues of the District.
United States in Control.
This assumption, however, of all the
powers of government of the District by
Congress. and the dictation of the improve
ments to be made, and the money to be dis
bursed, and the selection of the officers to
carry out its wishes, together with the ex-
emption of the government property from
taxation, were the reasons that led Con-
gress to provide that one-half of the cost
of the government of the District should be
paid by the United States and the other
half by the citizens OF the District Ger
tafniy the 100000 citizens of the District
did not get the better of the bargain which
was made by Congress under the powers
conferred upon It BY the Constitution, and