Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13
MAJORITY RULE
IN WASHINGTON
If Nation Becomes Minority
Contributor 1t Should Sur
render Control to Local
Majority.
NO REPRESENTATION
WITHOUT TAXATION
Half and Half Law Furnishes Only
Defense Against Just Criticism
of Local Government.
May l. 1917.

The nation should not diminish
Its differentiation to capital up
building; for the logical sequence
OF such action is surrender bv the
nation of control OF the capita,
municipality to the local majorit,,
stockholders. Power and obliga-
ton are inseparably coupled, and
II the latter is destroyed or dilnin-
1shed, the former is III equity de-
strovcd or diminished in proper
ton.
If the nation without repudiat-
ing entirely its capital-mainte-
nance obligation cuts it down from
one-lalf to ore-third or one
! quarter. and confines it to close
calculation OF actual benefits in
protection and development CON
ferred upon the government prop
erty. then the nation should cut
down III proportion the control
which ii exercises i'll taxation and
municipal government OF the Dis
trlct. Ceaslng to be majority
or one-half stakeholder iii this
municipal corporation. it should.
in good faith, turn over control Of
the fiscal concerns OF the corpora
ton to the majority stockholders.
This surrender OF power accom-
panylng reputation Of obliga-
ton should be genuine and ef-
iective. II should transfer to the
majority contributors to the tax
fund absolutely the power to say
how much should be raised in
taxes. in what form they should be
raised. and by whom and for what
purposes they should be expend-
ed. No power should be reserved
to the nation which is not OF the
negative, limited character that is
appropriate Tor the protection OF a
minority interest and representa-
ton.
| Power and obligation are in
!separably coupled. and the nation
should not bunco the capital by
merely pretending 10 surrender
power while genuinely repudlat-
ING a material obligation. II the
nation had in TACT bought the
4 " ashingtonians' birthright for a
mess OF pottage it would be com
PEELED in good faith to restore the
birthright il il withheld any Of the
stipulated pottage. With all the
power in its own hands it must
i-not cheat the nation ward OF
both birthrisht and pottaSe.
s. If the United States reduces its partici-
patton in capita maintenance beioW the
/ one half mark it must in fairness sur
render its exclusive control OF the capl-
t,l.s fiscal concerns 1t is hard enough to
defend on American principles the eN-
elusive control OF a fund by hitlt con,
tributor: it is Impossible TO deleho
such exclusive control by "a quarter
contributor A one-half taxpayer needs
the assent of only the smallest TAX
/ payer of the other half 10 become
4 majority and on the principe u iiisa
iority rule be entitled to act as If he
Il we're the whole; but a third or a quar-
ter taxpayer is distinctly and hope
lessly a minority. and if he assumes 10
act for the whole IT IS not even ap-
proximate represe ntative government
Thus if the nation does not Withdraw
entirely from participation in capital,
making and capital aintenance ana
regulates only in part its capital OBJ
legation, it should surrender only IN
corresponding part its exclusive taxing
and governing power IN respect TO tne
capital Its powers should contract IN
approximate, conformity with reduc-
lions in obligation and responsibility
When the nation was Theoretically
meeting all the expenses of capital
making an obligation which 1t as
sumed at the founding of the rlty, 1t
was theoretically entitled to absolute
control OF the capitals fiscal concerns
Even under the half contribution to-
ward capital king. sine" 1873. "A
plausible defence on the America n
principle which couples taxation and