Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-15

constituents and as local legislature
should decide questions affecting these
constituents solely from the selfish view
point of other constituents in the home
districts in the states.
Result of Selfish Legislation.
If all congressman performed their
constitutional duties as exclusive local
legislators for Washington, on the sug-
gested low plane. ignoring or repudiating
any obligation to consider the interests of
the local community confided to their
protection and management as trustees,
and basing every vote in respect to local
concerns solely on the supposed selfish
or ignorant wishes of their home constit-
uents, a thousand or two thousand or
three thousand miles away, the logical eff
feet of this combined cooperative hostii-
ity would evidently be to depopulate the
District of permanent residents by de-
priving il of every attraction to tempt
the resident of d state and by imposing
upon it such unbearable restrictions as
would tend to render 1t uninhabitable.
Too much of past local legislation has
been in effect. if not in intent, hostile
and hurtful. If Congress had wished.
I'm the interest Of the states. to drive out
and keep out from Washington all de-
hardly have acted differently OH certain
lines of legislation. In the interest OF
Baltimore Richmond. Philadelphia and
other ncighboring commercial cities it
has. historically. discouraged Washing
toms commercial and Industrial growth
1t has deprived the Washingtonian of the
means of self-support found in the local
industries that develop In the ordinary
American city. 1t has concentrated the
great local industries corresponding to
the factories, mills and manufacturing
plants of other cities. in the hands of the
government. and then by the Apportion-
ment-of-officers law shuts out from the
classified service in these great national
local industries all who claim Washington
residence including the growing
youth of the city. Thus Congress denies
the capital great industries of its own. it
shuts out WaShingtonians from the ma
tional-local industries. 1T drives out from
the city the growing youth that they may
find elsewhere the means OF self support
Having taken these steps to exile labor,
it is now invited to proceed to drive out
capital by enacting an inquisitorial. un-
equal and perjury promoting form OF per
Sonal taxation at d time when the needed
local tax revenues arc collected with a
minimum of friction and Offense under a
system to which the taxpayers have be-
come accustomed. 1t discourageS perma-
Dent residence in the District by either
the poor or the rich man by retaining
the District resident in the status Of an
alien so far as representation In the ma
tional legislature and electoral college Is
concerned, and in a status lower than
that of an alien according to the SUI
preme Court of the United States) in his
relation to the national judiciary. With
despotic and exclusive power in it's hands
il taxes the District resident heavily, in
view of the limitations placed by ii upon
his money earning capacity: and some of
its members then abuse him mendi-
cant. Having done much to make it
undesirable to live here, it is now pro-
posed that Congress through the imposi-
ton of an unnecessary and drastic in
heritance tax. shall render ii undesirable
even to die here.