Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-22

avenues almost entirely free of over
head wires. and i'll its numerous and d.
versitied parks il has become a model
among the municipalities of the world.
Thorough search for equities i'm favor
Of the District. pre-eNisting in 1873 or
arising since that date through dis
obedience of the organic act, should be
made.
To offset the anti-District accountants
whom the District has been compelled 10
employ there should be District ac-
coutant who should not only dig no Dis
trict equities prior To 1873 but should
work out carefully the Millions due the
District on account Of violations by the
United States since 1878 of the half-and-
half provisions of the organic act. The
only District Of Columbia taxation author
lied and directed by law is that to raise
half of the amount Of District appro-
priations previously made by Congress. II
the law Is followed there is no possibility
OF a surplus of District money, unmatch
ed by United States dollars Indeed, the
latter are under the law put up first. But
III practice Congress has repeatedly coli
lectcd more in District taxes than il has
matched either before or after the levy
and has expended this surplus without
duplication in violation of the law The
account of such expenditures should he
stated; some one representing the Dis
trict should be among the accountants,
and the amount found in equity to be due
the District should be credited to il.
1lSduluS Tie oaDy Act.
The House District committee, standing
in the shoes OF Uncle Sam so far as
Washington is concerned. causes Uncle
sam TO say. as trustee and guardian. to
his National Capital ward: AS bust
ness man / am simple. irresponsible
Harold Skinpole sort of a child In
lS1G-7S through my Secretary of Treas
I hralxa Law q,
interest on Your bonded debt. In the
same years, through my Secretary of
Treasury. in violation of the law, failed
to reimburse myself from sufficient funds
OF yours in my possession. In 1878 when
the financial relations between us were
finally settled and adjusted in the COM
promise agreement and pledge of the or
eanic act, | stupidity imagined that this
claim or equity of mine was. with all
other claims and equities on both sides.
merged. offset and settled. Being more
than ffty-seven different varieties of a
fool, [ have entertained this silly notion
ever since. expressing il by the inaction
of every Congress since that date and by
the action and declaration to this effect
of the controller of the Treasury i'm the
democratic administration Of 1886. and by
the tacit assent to this doctrine of an 1875
settlement by every other Treasury ad-
mnistration since 1878
But now / have seen new light
may have been all sorts of fool-and
confess it-but / am not such a simpleton
under my new guidance as not to transfer
to my own pocket from your trust money
in my possession the amount which
might have taken from you in 1S16-1S and
F, did not. / find that YOU cannot produce
legal proof OF the merger of this claim
i'll the settlement of 1878, though you and
l have for thirty-fivc years treated it as
| thus settled. 1 have had control of this
evidence during these thirty five years it
any existed to account for my original
stupid notion that the debt was merged
in the settlement OF 1879. and 1 could
not take advantage of the loss or deStruc-
ton of this evidence thirty-ive years
afterward. if the statute of limitations
applied to me as man Or an ordinary
trustee. But l am Uncle Sam, and the
statute against stale claims does not ap-
ply to me. and / am no longer the kind
of fool who would i'm honor apply 1t to
himself
LAS business man. I am no longer
| foolish. but smart / can see the pros
| trust funds in my exclusive control
accountants TO convict me on evidence
=! furnished by myself of repeated blunder-
/ ing stupidity on my part for your bene-
/ fit, and then collect from the money OF
| your taxpayers of today in my exclusive
/ custody and control the penalty for my
| alleged Dlunders The whole process Is
rendered easy by the fact that my
ward you have not been permitted to
! participate in your own affairs at any
STAGE of the proceedings, that you have
not now and never have had since 1874