The Washington herald., 1913-12-19
Wise Craftsmanship.

Sound Statesmansnlp assSASeu ~
self at the Capitol yesterday ant
iuterposed a barrier in the path o
the few who would ruthlessly tea
down what has been reared by th'
toll and forethought of others.
As a result, the Crisp bill, de-
signed to wipe ont the organic ae'
of 1878 under which the United
States and the City of Washington
each bearing half the cost, have
maintained and improved and beau
tilted TINS wonderful Capital CITY
for thirty-fve years, is in a fair way
to be buried without obsequies and
with few mourners.
The secret haste with which the
eight sponsors of the measure
rushed it from the District Commit
tee to the House inspired a demand
for light on its real purpose, and
when such men as Speaker Champ
Clark, Representatives Underwood;
Page, Mondell, Fitzgerald, and
Coady proclaimed their opposition
to legislation designed solely to de-
stroy, the House was ready to listen
and sit in calm Judgment.
There is little danger that the
Crisp bill will be given further con-
sideration, but there remains the
section of the District appropriation
bill designed to confscate a portion
of the revenues of the District. The
directors Of the Board of Trade and
Chamber of Commerce, who met in
joint session yesterday afternoon
and took vigorous action to pro-
tect the city's interests, should not
be content until this section is
eliminated from the bill.
The Districts case was most ably
presented on the floor of the House
by Representative Frank Wheeler
Aondtu, of Wyoming, a man of
wide business experience, who has
long served his State and the nation
in important Office, The people of
Wyoming have sent him nine times
to Congress.
Mr. Mondell's attack on the Sec
ton of the District appropriation bill
which proposes to take part of the
Districts revenue and deposit it to
the credit of the United States, was
especially foreeful. He called atten-
ton to the fact that while public
Fairgrounds are supported entirely
from District revenues the bill as
reported ignored the Commissioners
request for $4,000 additional ap-
preparation for this object, and yet
proposed to seize outright 81 500, 900
Of the money raised by taxation of
the people Of Washington. Mr.. Mon
dell's assertion that this section
strikes at the vitals of the half-and-
half principle is beyond dispute. In
pernieious destructiveness it is Sec
ond only to the Crisp bill. Its en-.
actment would establish a danger
our precedent that a year or two
hence could easily be invoked to
overthrow the present system. Mr..
Mondel continued:
cannot recall any discussion, much
less the enactment Of any useful con-
structive legislation, for the District in
many months On the contrary, there has
been a perfect food Of criticism and
fsult-fnding Of the District and its peo-
pie and q number of proposals Of Iegis-
lation obnoxious to them and of doubt
full Justice and wisdom have been pressed
with heat and haste.
District batting has become a popular
pastime in certain quarters, and under
these circumstances it is perhaps not to
be wondered at il the people of the Dis
trict are suspicious and critical Of Con-
gress- ''
Here is something for the truly
original octet Of the District Com
mittee, who pushed the Crisp bill
into the House by the underground
route, to ponder over. Mr.. Mondell
describes q condition. Can any one
tell why it existsl