Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-05
The Good Faith of Congress.

4 DISPOSITION prevails In some quarters
IN Congress to regard the organic act
OF 1878. whereby the United States govern
rnent pledged itself to pay one-half of the
cost OF District maintenance, in the light
Of an ordinary act of Congress. to be re-
pealed by indirection or by attractions
whenever the spirit might move the ma
tiunal legislature. Thus in the matter of
the street extensions it has sometimes been
claimed that the enactment of statute
directly placing all the cost upon the Dis
trict was merely the exercise of the right
OF Congress to change its mind in regard
to any particular of the bargain struck in
1873 with the District. These legislators
turn to the constitutional provision that
Congress shall exercise exclusive jurisdic-
ton over the area ten miles square set
apart for a federal capital, and contend
that this gives the two houses the right
10 do as they please with the territory
thus placed at their disposal
All of which is to a certain extent and in
a certain sense quite true. But 1t Is also
true that the organic act of 1873 Is some
what broader and more significant than any
ordinary statute. 1t Is, indeed virtually
the constitution of the present District of
Columbia the formal declaration by Con-
gress, after many years of indifference to
and neglect of its ward, of the manner In
which the houses propose to exercise ex-
elusive jurisdiction" That statute is thus
the District citizens bill of rights
1t may be repealed. In whole or In part,
without notice. 1t may be weakened by en-
actments which impinge upon its essential
features. But every indirect repeal OF any
part, or any enactment which goes counter
to the spirit of it, Is violation of a pledge
years ago. 1t is undeniably in consequence
of the giving of that pledge of federal
assumption of a proper share of the
burden of capital maintenance that
the District has grown SO remark
ably in population, and activity dur
ing the past two decades and half. I'm
der the influence of federal assistance the
capital has become beautiful. attractive
city. II has been given g model municipal
government. 1t has drawn residents by
the tens of thousands by reason of its ex
cellent administration. Homeseelxers have
bought property here thinking themselves
assured of continuation of the equitable
conditions proclaimed by the organic act.
The just terms of that partnership agree
rnent have in short appealed to the people
as affordng satisfactory basis for citizen
ship.
In view of these conditions Congress
has never had the moral right to repeal
any essential feature of the organic act
without fun notice and debate, and 1t has
certainly never had the moral right to
repeal or invalidate that pledge by indi-
rection. The enactment OF street extern
sion laws on the whole cost on the Dis
trict' basis was no less than a violation
of the pledge of 1878 for which there was
no excuse or necessity. but merely the
opportunity granted by the helpless con-
dition of the District in the matter of
legislation.
The bin now pending before the House
affords that body a chance to undo the
wrong it did the District when it passed
these whole cost" street extension bills
VIII the House accept the chance and
thereby relieve itself of the odlum of
having broken faith with its ward?