Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-19
The Pledge of 1873.

The special committee named by the
president of the Chamber of Commerce to
consider the threatened attack upon the
organic act has decided to proceed with
the preparation OF a brief to present to
Congress in the formation of a protest
against any change whatever in the
partnership agreement between the United
States and the District of Columbia. IT
Is recognized by the members of this
committee that, however unlikely 1t Is
that Congress will agree to any modifi-
cation of the specific terms of the organic
act, there is always danger of attractions
of the statute in the form of appropria-
ton provisions that throw the entire cost
OF certain works upon the District. Thus
1t is to be expected that the protest of
the Chamber of Commerce. outlined by
this committee will be directed against
any further weakening of the organic
act either by direct proposal of amend
ment or by piecemeal breaches through
the medium of appropriation bills.
AS The Star has on several occasions
of late pointed out. it is unsafe to rely
upon the supposed good intentions of
Congress to be just toward the District.
Had successive Congresses shown an en-
lHtiS NlSpoSillcil toWaiO NiAO
capital municipality the outrageousiy I'M
just street extension laws which are now
IN force would never have been enacted.
Coming down to a recent instance. the
provisions for public playground mainte-
nance would have been on the half and
half basis just the same as the schools
and the various departments of municipal
organization Dependence upon the good
faith of Congress and the Senators has
cost the District pretty heavily in the
past and it will cost the District even
more heavily in the future if not offset
by a vigorous campaign of protest and
education to hold Congress firmly to the
letter and the spirit of the act of 1873.
:. In whatever form the Districts repre-
sentation is made to Congress, by writ
ten brief or oral statement, by whatever
personal medium, through one spokesman
or many, stress should be laid chiefly on
the point that the. organic act is some
thing more than a statute subject to the
usual reservation of the amendatory
right 1t Is a compact not merely be-
tween the United States government and
the people of the District, but a guar
antee to the country at large that the
National Capital shall be maintained
properly, progressively and adequately.
On the strength of that understanding
local business has been developed. New
corners have been attracted. not because
OF the desire to dodge taxes or to enjoy
the benefits of residence in a city of small
tax burden, but because of the implied
understanding that the United States
contribution to the cost of keeping up the
seat of government carried with it a
pledge of good administration. The act
of 1878 has been interpreted as the pledge
of the United States that Washington
should have efficient government. clean
government and steady progression to-
ward the ideal municipality.
"A pledge thus given cannot be revoked.
Congress may have reserved the right
to amend or repeal the statute of 1878.
but it assumed a responsibility by tina,
enactment which no mere form of words
written at the end of the act can weaken.
And this is the point that those who are
to speak for the District at the next ses-
sion of Congress should most strenuously
present in any argument against the
modification of the existing relations.