The Washington herald., 1913-08-09
,CITY'S STATUS
We'll DESCRIBED
IN OLD ARTICLE
r. {. Ciaain Recalls Editorial
Written Quarter Of a
Century Ago.
SAME CONDITIONS EXIST
Campaign for Seat d Hsass for
District b Meeting with
Encouragement
SAME CONDITIONS EXIST

Sentiment in favor OF the enactment U
the bill now before the Senate District
Committee for consideration, provio1hg
for representation Of the District oy q
DELEGATE in Congress. daily Is growing
and =. making itself manifest. Scores of
PERSONS have informed the omcers OF Ire
district Delegate Association that they
heartily are in sympathy with the movi-
ment, and that they win lend their Sup.
mort in the campaign for the passage 81
the measure.
Nccesnity for Bill. -
Deplorabie conditions resulting from
the present state Of affairs were points
out yesterday afternoon by Roy Z. Ciai-
lin chairman of the association, VINO IL
confident that the bill will solve many o.
these Objectionable features and Will rem
der Justice to the people of the Distric'.
Mr.. Clahin called the attention OF Inc
Herald representative 20 an editor!?i
printed in 4 local newspaper twenty-five
years aso. which depicts the same
n :lcctful attitude of Congress iowa
the district that exists at the present
time and that has existed steadily sine:
the Gay the articlc'was written.
Old Editorial Reprinted.
The .d.turi. bore the caption Some Il
Wash!ngton's Grievances and was ;s
follows:
Though the first Of Washington's
Grievances is the luminosity of msuy
among thcsc who should have been the
city'S protectors. the indifference OF
,.yh, rs not actively hostile. has been an
,,ll oi hardly less me- gnitude. Under IT,:
Constitution Congress has power OF tx
elusive legislation over the District OF
columbia Il is a tract OF national terri
tory to he governed by the representa-
tivCS of the whole people. Its Interests
ARE entitled to this Thoughtful considera-
tom Of every one of its constitutionally
.lpointed Legislators. Unfortunately they
I've not received, and do not receive.
this consideration.
In the House discussion of 1871 upon
the bill to provide a territorial form OF
government for the District. one OF the
members of the District Committee said
that within two years parts OF only nine
afternoons had been spent in legislation
FOR the Capital. The Improvement in
this respect since that has not been
strrtlins. The announcement that a
short time is to be devoted by Congress
to District affairs is looked upon by
many legislators as an invitation to be
absent. Others remain long enough to
show that they view their presence and
attention as personal favor to citi-
Zens of the District, and not Is part
Of their Congressional duty"
Thosa Congressman who consider that
the main purpose of their terms is to
arm themselves for a reelection are of
course bored or disguised with petty and
rEinterestng District affairs. Discus
sion concerning such affairs furnishes
nothing to be quoted in the home papers
for their constituents benefit and their
own glory. Even of those who interest
themselves in the District a considerable
proportion endeavor to utilize it as
field of experiment for their political or
other hobbies. the practical application
of which they would not. in many in
stances. dare to attempt at home, where
there are voters TO make their resent
ment felt in case the experiment should
prove hurtful. But the District is the
apOthecarys cat to be dosed experiment.
ally With dubious compound before it
can be safely o red TO the public.
Treatment Is Df.couraEing.
THE Capital could hardly have antici-
pated such discouraging treatment. The
early standard of duty set for Congress
in the matter Ct its management of the
Distr I was not a low one. In 1903 Rep
resentative Bacon made a formidable es-
innate of the expense and loss of time
TO the nation, increasing with the growth
of the District. which would be involved
in the assumption by Congress of the
power 0 exclusive legislation. Should
justice, lie said, be done to the exercise
of this power. it was likely that as much
time would be spent in legislating for
this District as for the whole United
States. 1t is hardly necessary to say
that increasing population has not Sc
cured a proportionate increase in Con-
gressional time devoted to District af-
fairs. and in view of the facts, the
various suggestions that the Capitals
Legislature should give one-half its
thoughts TO the Capitals interests seems
ridiculous.
AN unfitness for the performance of
the duties assigned II often has been
urged as part either of the accusation
or confession of Congressional indiffer-
ence in respect to Washington. In 1906
Representative Randolph remarked in
the course of debate that Congress was
incompetent to legislate for the District,
adding: 1t was well known that the
Incidence of other members Cthan the
District Committed, or their indiffer-
ence. inseparable from the situation in
which they were placed, would prevent
Congress from legislating with a full
understanding of the objects before
them
Congress Without Responsibility.
Congress for a long time not only &C.
cepted the idea OF Its incapacity to