The Washington times., 1911-02-14
WHAT is CONGRESS GOING
, TO DO ABOUTITa

Under the rules of the National
House of Representatives the second
and fourth Mondays in each month
are District days" On these days the
House is SUPPOSED to construct laws
for the District of Columbia.
1t is the most absurd, un-
business-like, senseless, stingy ar
rangement that could well be made
for handling the affairs of 33l 900
human beings. The fact is that the
District doesn't get those days. 1t
hasn't had one-not a single District
day-during the present session, and
chances for getting one are about as
hopeful as the tariff reform promises
of,a standpat platform.
Yesterday the House deprived Wash
ington of District day again. 1t had
something more important" to con-
slider. This time it was Canadian reci-
procity, but if it hadn't been that it
would have been something else. There
is always something more important"
There always has been and there al
ways will be:
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF CON-
GRESS SNAPPED ITS FINGERS IN
TIE FACE OF ANY CITY IN THE
UNITED STATES PUT WASHING
TON?
Suppose that, when San Francisco
and New Orleans came down here with
their distinguished citizens, their grape
frEit, their bottles of wine, and their
SaGarac cocktails, the House had been
toe busy with things "more import
ant" to consider the rival cities claims
toIthe Panama exposition. There would
have been a roar from California to
Maine and from New Orleans to st.
Paul that would have given Congress a
nightmare for the rest of time. And
some members of Congress would have
stayed at home in the future, wouldn't
theyf But Congress can MAKE a 4non-
key out of the District and you don't
hear a whisper.
Everywhere but in Washington
people vote-and there's nothing in the
world that inspires such wholesome ac-
tivity in a member of Congress as a
handful of ballots. In Washington it's
different. It's perfectly safe to throw
down the distinguished citizens of
Washington, the progressive business
men of Washington, the earnest women
ofiWashington, the Government clerks
Of. Washington, and the modest aver
age citizens of Washington They don't
vote, and, consequently, they WELD
about as much influence in the halls
of Congress as a clawless kitten would
Weld in a universal peace movement
in an African jungle.
The House has passed up every Dis
triet day In this session. Not one item
of general legislation has been acted
upon. The District of Columbia might
as well be a cannibal island in the
South Seas so far as any display OF
interest in it by the House of Rep
resentatives is concerned. In spite of
popular theory to the contrary,
Washington isn't on the map.
Now, how long is this sort of thing
to ,continueH That's the question that
beeomes acute as a result of the ac-
tion of the House yesterday. And it's
a bigger question than 'When are we
to. get District day?" It's a whole
lot bigger. 1t goes down into funda-
msntals. It cries aloud, in tones that
even Congress cannot well ignore, for
a change in the system-not in the
system of the House but in the sys-
TEN by which the District has been
misgoverned for thirty-three years.
The delectable performance of the
House this winter in persistently re-
manning blind to the needs of the
Neople of this great city, the Capital of