Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-09
HIS VIEWS OF PACT
Representative Johnson Dis
cusses District Organic Law.
ACT SHOULD BE ENFORCED
District Committee Chairman Says
He Never Advocated Abolition.
MAKES SPEECH AT BRIGHTW0OD
Favors District Representation in
Congress-Warns Against
Extravaganza.

their appeals. In this connection he al
luded to the increase In the water rates
and the installation of water meters.
That District legislation should come
through the District committee and not
through the appropriation committee was
strongly emphasized by the speaker. He
took the firm stand that the statute
books should be followed to the letter.
to items, not because he did not favor
them. but because they had not come
| through proper channels. When bills
come through the committee and hear
gone before the House and become laws,
he favored the items going into the ap-
preparation bill. He again said he had
stood in the way Of bills when they
did not come the right course and would
stand in the way Of more of them.
Is Friend of the District.
Mr.. johnson declared he had been
friend of the District, and still was. To
give an illustration he referred to the bill
to increase the salaries of the three Dis
trict Commissioners.
They are the three hardest worked
men in the District OF Columbia. Their
salaries should not be low as 5000
they should get $500. and then they
work required of them"
Representative Johnson touched upon
the compact of 1873.
Relative to the compact between the
federal government and the District,
said the speaker. lin friendly spirit let
us refer to that A compact must have
parties both sides. In this instance.
on the one side is the federal government
to give, and on the other side is the Dis
trict to receive. For four long years,
night and day. 1 have studied this prob
lem. When Congress was asleep lights
were burning in my room at the hotel.
IL 90 1,>n I/c vnd m
around me.
Never Threatened Abolition.
Nobody ever heard me say that I
would attempt to have the organic act
of July II, 1878, abrogated. / challenge
any man to point out SO far any violation
Of the so-called compact between the
federal and the District governments The
organic act provides that the Commits
sioners shall report annually the expenses
which should be paid for the maintenance
of the District government; that the Sec
rotary of the Treasury shall examine the
figures and after the revision Of them
submit the estimates to Congress, and
that to the extent that Congress approves
of the estimates shall the expenses be
paid on the half-and-half principle. But
it must be remembered that the federal
government is supposed by the act to
pay half only of that amount which Con-
gress thinks is a fair appropriation for
the maintenance OF District attalrs:
"Some people think that the federal
government should pay one-half of the
expenses Of the District year after year.
no matter what those expenses are NO
such agreement is made in the organic
act. l believe that the law should be
carried out to the letter. and that the
organic act should be strictly enforced
If the fear Of the organic act being en-
dangered does confront you. however
f1,o yUh
be because you have grown extravagant
in your demands. The half half sys-
TEN is safe unless you yourselves Jeop-
ardize it by undue extravagances. II ex-
travagance is INDUCED in, the pendulum
will swing too far, public Indignation
will rise and the compact which means
so much to the people Of the District
will be broken.
District Committee Inactive.
up to short time ago." said Mr.
Johnson, leaving the subject of the or
ganic act, 1.-The members OF the District
committee did practically nothing. The
appropriations committee had almost en-
tire control of the affairs of the District,
considering the projects which We're rec
commended to them by the Commissioners.
| am bitterly opposed to this state of
affairs, and l am now trying to put an
end to the practice. I'm opposed to the
attempt of the appropriations subcommit-
tee to do all the work on the District
matters. Yes, gentlemen. I'm opposed to
a subcommittee OF three men and a
board of three District Commissioners
deciding questions which by right ought
to be decided by a House District COM
mittee Of twenty-one men and 301 repre-
sentatives of the people Of the United
States
Should Be Represented in Congress.
"You people should have representation
in the halls Of Congress-" Mr.. Johnson
said. ct have never opposed it and wheth-
er I am in or out of Congress, I never
shall oppose it. If you get it and accept
suffrage you will assume many RESPONSE
bilities The District of Columbia has
no constitution and can never have one
until the Constitution OF the United States
is changed and you are given one. Con-
sequently when you have been given suf-
frage in the District of Columbia, 1t must
go to every one alike, regardless OF edu-
cational qualifications
He called attention to the thousands of
voters In the government departments
who still hold their voting residence IN
their respective states. and noted the
effect on District legal citizenship. He is
opposed to women voting.
''If 1 had my say I would say to you
men. You may and ought to vote and to
the women, You may not vote and ought
bill Of that kind. Look to the bill yoLr-
selves. 1 will not fight it. might help
you to get it. If the District of Column
bit gets it, all the responsibility is yours
But when you assume that right or
self-government, you take it with great
responsibility. You cannot impose the
educational and property restriction with
it."
Opposes Free Text Books.
Mr.. Johnson explained his opposition to
free text books for the public schools. The
law, he said. provides furnishing free
text books for INDECENT children. but why
should we provide books for the man who
is able to buy books for his children at
tending the public schools? 1 believe that
INDECENT children should receive their
text books free, but that the community
and federal government should not De
expected to furnish books to those able
to purchase them"
In speaking Of the increase In water
rates, and the installation Of water me-
tiers, as ordered by the Commissioners, ne
said every member of the House mas the
right to raise an objection when q bill or
appropriation comes up for final consid-
Grafton. and that some one would raise