Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-21
threatened to undermine dangerously the
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:
| threatened to undermine dangerously the
constitutional foundation.
| Washington would. 1 believe. endure
any sacrifice clearly necessary in the
| nations interest, but no other d1scr1ml-
nation should be inflicted. Your prede-
| cessor, President William Henry Harri-
son. wisely and justly suggested the prin-
| ciple which we think should govern when
| he said: cit Is in this District only
where American citizens are to be found
| who under a settled system of policy are
| deprived Of many important political
privileges without any inspiring nope as
| to the future. Their only consolation under
| circumstances of such deprivation is that
| of the devoted exterior guards or camp
| and safety within. Are there any OF
their cOuntrymen who would subject
them to greater sacrifices. to any other
humiliatiOns than those essentially nee
| essary to the security Of the object for
| which they were thus separated from
their fellOw-citixens?"
Representative Government.
President Harrison's suggestion puts
| the relation of nation and capital on a
| lofty and inspiring plane. The people OF
| the District are not Esaus. who have
| basely sold their political birthright for
| a mess of pottage, but are Americans
| making public-spirited and patriotic sacri-
| fees for the national welfare like those
endured by men fighting for their coun-
| try in time of war. The nation compelled
by national necessity to control despoti-
cal1y on un-American principles group
| or Americans is to SO exercise Its power
with equity and beneficence as dominat-
| ing principles that no discrimination
against the Washingtonian shall be per-
mlttPd unless ii meets the acid TEST or
national necessity; and that by carefully
ascertaining and giving effect to local
public sentiment the spirit OF American
representative government shall. as far
as possible. in substance prevail, though
| the forms be lacking.
You. Mr.. President. are on record as
indorsing this principle both by precept
in your 1910 message to Congress, and by
your constant practice. The untiring
patience with which you have sought to
ascertain genuine and reliable local pub
lie opinion as guide to your local de-
cisions is one of Your most character
istic and to us most admirable traits.
This sound doctrine applies as forcibly
to the acts and decisions in local matters
of the District Commissioners and the
President as to those of Congress. 1t
suggests, for instance, observance of an
Appropriated home rule principle in the
offices. scrupulous adherence to the law
requiring three years exclusive local res
idence for civilian District Commissioners
and steady resistance to the encroach-
ment of bureaus of the national govern
ment upon the functions intruSted to the
municipal corporation.
Great Powers, Great Responsibilities.
President Harrison's words suggest that
the extensive powers in respect to the
capital conferred upon Congress involve
equally far-reaching responsibilities and
obligations; and that sacrifices in the ma
| tons interest are required on both sides
of the partnership. A great power is to
be greatly, nobly exercised controlled by
no motive or impulse that is small or
mean or base.
The greatest legislative body in the
| world. representing the worlds foremost
nation, is to build up. typfying that
nation. the worlds grandest capital. The
| nations city which the forefathers nobly
planned is by us to be perfected on lines
no less noble.
The capital which wisdom and patriot
| ism are to make truly great includes not
only the physical city but the people
who live in 1T. the men who make the
sacrifices in the nationis interest which
call for sacrifices of time and thought
and patient consideration by the nation
through Congress In return. The obliga-
ton is to build not merely beautiful
city, but a healthful, wholesome, we'll
city.
What then will the nation do with it's
city to make it more attractive, more
healthful, more creditable in every way
as the National Capital? What will
it do with the Americans who constitute
the people of it's city to promote their
physical, political, intellectual and moral
welfare?
Greater and Shrunken Washington.
AS have already indicated, your answer
to this question, Mr.. President, covers a
wide scope of District betterment. We
hail you as champion of the greater, as
opposed to the shrunken, Washington-a
capital which If it is to change at all
shall. if your view prevails, be expanded
to include a part or all of the Vir-
ginia retroceded section of the Ten Miles
Square, and shall not be contracted SO far
as the national interest is concerned to
old Boundary street of the original city.
BY declaring that the United States shall
take no part. financially in extending the
grand plan of the original city to the SUBJ
urbs. and by proposing in an amendment
now pending that the nation shall cut
down from one-half to one-quarter the
national contribution to the Improvement
of the capitals streets-(thoroughf
made extraordinarily broad and excess
sively burdensome in maintenance by the
nation itself solely for national purposes)
"a contracted and discreditable Washing
ton is projected, repugnant to your view
of the nations city and to our ideal of
the Greater Washington of the future of
which we dream.
President Taft has shown a special
interest in the upbuilding of the
City Beautiful through park extern
sion and development and in the
planning and erection of public build
ings and memorials. The Potomac Park
speedway and the Lincoln memorial
which have been won, and the Memorial
bridge and the grand chain of future con-
nected outlying parks, including both
banks of the Potomac of Rock creek and
of the Anacostia. for which he has la
bored will be perpetual reminders of him
and his interest in the nations city.
Distinguished Champions.
In this advocacy of capital development
President Taft is in good company. The
greatest of our public men have been the
strongest champions of the capital George
Washington created it and gave it his
name. Thomas Jefferson with and follow
ing Washington was a planner, founder
and upbuilder of the city. Andrew Jack
son threw himself with enthusiasm into
the work of adequately bridging the Po-
tomac; urged the allowance of a delegate
in Congress to the District and in his adj
ministration with his cooperation and
sympathy the nation came to the financial
relief of the community bankrupted in
ton between the later Presidents from
Lincoln to Taft, all of whom have been
friends Of the District, would be invidious.
Grant the man Of deeds, not words, had