The Washington times., 1913-12-17
CONGRESS AND THE DISTRICT.

said on the floor of the House Yesterday about tii
government of this District. Much that was sal
is altogether too true, and Washington people kno,
it was
They know that a restricted circle of 2otenti7
people in the local community have in the PES
welded most of the influence in our local admin
istration
They believe that this influence has too os.e
been used for personal profit and too seldom for pa
triotic ends.
We are told that the District is suspicious" o
Congress. Well, on the other side, It be ques
toned that in Congress there are signs of decide
suspicion against the District? Let it be remen
bered that for many years Congress, assuming tr,ls
teeship for the interest of this community has pei
sstently refused to do the things the community mos
wanted. We do not refer, now, to lavishing none
on parks and monuments and municipal adornmen
and magnificent boulevard systems and the ike. w
refer to such intimate details as giving the peopl
cheaper gas, cheaper electric lights, universal ca
transfers.
Are the PEOPLE of Washington to be "suspec.
ed because they have not got these things for them
selves? The PEOPLE of Washington have had nj
voice in deciding such questions. The PEOPLE O
the town would have had the things they 7articu
larly wanted, long, long ago, if they had been fret
10 60 OUT anu get tneli Dut tllcy ~SiS HUI.
Congress would not give us these things. Why
Because narrow, selfish, self-seeking interests ir
Washington had the REAL INFLUENCE with Cen
gress
George H. Harries had more influence with
House District Committee than the unanimous veic
of all the street car patrons of the town.
The Washington Gas Company had more pull
year after year, decade after decade with tine Dis
tricf than all fhe peOpIe who
and paid exorbitant prices for it.
1t was of the commonest knowledge that the Dis
trict Committees made up as to represent the
for better conditions.
Do the Congressional people of this generation
remember how Joseph w. Babcock came here from
Wisconsin, poor man; how he served long serie
of years as chairman of the House District Commit
tee; how he was all that time the plant tool of ou
gas and electric and railroad corporation promoters
and how he died worth big fraction of mol
dollars-al of it made and most of it actually il
Washington?
How did he do it? Where did he get it?
Is Washington are the plain people of Washing
ton, now to be punished because Congress place.
such masters over us?
Is it remarkable if some people in Washington
are cynical about Congress?
We need not 60 so far back as Bsbcock. Samue
W. Smith was head of the House District Committe,
following Babcock The Washington Times got ant
published in facsimile correspondence passing be
tween this Smith person and the editor of the Wash
ngton Post, then organ of the gas company, at
time when the town was fighting for and the gas com
pany was opposing reduction in the rates for gas
The correspondence showed plainly where SmitE
stood.
Again, is it strange if Washington people some
times have doubts whether Congress is altogether
reliable vicegerent of Divine Providence for thi
jurisdiction?
While Smith was head of the House Committee
GalIinger was head of the Senate Committee. Gal
nger introduced a bill to permit the gas company
to reorganlze its finances, and the gas crowd trec
desperately to get that bill passed 1t would have
had the effect to add about $8OOOO00 tie capital
zation of the corporation, to give that much melor
to the stockholders and to end the prospect of the
town getting cheaper gas.
That measure was exposed in detail by The
Washington Times, and died.
But do gentlemen expect Washington to have
the fullest the most abiding assurance that C)ngrcs:
can be relied upon protector and benefactor wher
that sort of thing has been going on in Congress al
the years?
Let it be understood that these incidents are o.
the past; but of very recent past, at that W.
d3n believe much of that sort Of thing exists, in tht
relations between the legislative masters and the
business masters of this community today. Condi
tons better, so far as morals go.
But can Washington-the $4,000 people of the
town-be blamed now, because our legislative mas
tiers and our business masters have in the past plot
ted to divide the rament, and make good thing a
our expense? The plain PEOPLE have merely beer
the victims of that proceeding Let them not now be
indicted as prafters tax.eaters mendicants and I'M