Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-07
Proof of the Purpose to Amend.

But one thing is absolutely certain
and that is that when the unfunded debt
of the District is liquidated. it Will
be three years hence, some different plan
of raising revenues and dispensing them
must be provided for this District. In
terview with Representative Burleson of
Texas chairman of the House District
Appropriations subcommittee in The Star
of October >.
IF this city is to emerge from debt
some men in Congress may see the adj
visibility of relieving the federal treas
ury of a part OF the burden now borne,
and applying the revenues of the District
alone to ambitious schemes of improve
ment. ''-Interview with Representative
Sims of Tennessee in The Star of Octo-
Der &.
These two statements by responsible
and influential members of the House of
Representatives. who have for years been
identified with District legislation in that
body, mean nothing whatever if they do
not signify that it is the purpose to en-
deavor within a short time to amend. If
not absolutely to repeal, the organic act
whereby the United States undertakes to
pay half of the expenses of the District.
OF course neither Mr.. Burleson nor Mr..
Sims can offer to speak for the House
or for his colleagues. and each has pre-
scented his view of the case a per-
sonal opinion. Yet there is no mistaking
the significance of these statements. and
The Star. however il may be criticised
as disposed to raise an unnecessary alarm
for the sake. it is intimated Oh posing
as the friend of the District at a time
when there is no real danger. would be
recreant to its duty to the people of
Washington. duty which it has dis
charged with a measurable degree of sue
cess for over sixty years. if it were to
ignore the threat against the existing
fiscal arrangement which they convey.
II may please some in this crisis to
close their eyes to conditions and to deny
the existence of any menace to the local
welfare, and to rely as last resort upon
the kind words which accompany these
distinct declarations Of hostility to the
organic act and which from other quar-
tiers give some assurance Of senatorial
opposition to any change in the law. The
Star does not hold to this doctrine of
denial and childlike faith in the benevo-
lence of Congress. 1t has seen that body
on too many occasions display spirit
of such luminosity to the District as to
cause even those who are now bewailing
the publicity given to the impending at
tack to denounce the Districts legislators
In the most severe and even savage terms.
There is reason to believe now that the
opponents of the organic act in Congress
planned TO move without giving the Dis
trict people warning of their intention to
put an end to the present relations There
Is every evidence of a design to effect
secret divorce. Now that The Star has
brought the facts into the open, with
ample proof that certain minds in Con-
gress were running to this point, a cry
is raised that it is injuring the local in
terests by waving a bugaboo of its own
manufacture.
The pleasant words that are being
spoken now about the attitude of Con-
gress toward the District might be paral-
leled instructively with expressions from
the same or similar sources during ses-
sions of Congress. Everybody who is in
terviewed at present gives reinsurance
that Congress will do the right thing
for the District. But it is always to be
remembered that Congress and not the
District is TO be the judge of what that
fright thing shall be. If Congress does
what the District knows to- be the only
right thing it will live up to the organic
act in spirit and in letter. taking half of
the approved estimates from the federal
treasury and the remainder from the tax
longterm basis for the payment of ex-
penses incurred in the execution of large
permanent works II will not contrive
the accumulation of a surplus of local
tax money above expenses to tempt the
abrogation of the organic act in the flu
ture. 1t will not propose the refunding
of millions of federal money given abso-
lutely-not loaned-in the liquidation of
the old obligations of the utterly neg
lected District.
That is the only sort Of righteousness
on the part of Congress that meets the
Districts necessities and deserts. That is
what The Star has many years been
fighting for and for what it will continue
to fight. 1t fought for the enactment of
the organic act thirty-three years and
more ago. and 1t will go on fighting for
its preservation. regardless of misrepre-
Bentations as to its motives, secure in the
knowledge that 1t is understood and SUD-
ported by and that 1t represents the peo-
pie of Washington.