Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-02
Congress Should Control and
Finance Capital. District
Should Be Represented
in Congress.
MUNICIPAL RECALL AND
LOCAL REFERENDUM
Washingtonians Should Vote in Ma
tional Elections Either as Citi-
zens of Columbia or Maryland.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

The Washingtonian eager to
exercise his American right OF full
representation in Congress should
not need to destroy the half-and-
hall law in order to get it. As a
taxpayer and potential soldier OF
the nation he is entitled to. and
should enjoy. this representation
whether Congress for the nation
retains or surrenders control and
exclusive power OF legislation in
respect to the capital.
Doubtless there should be a re,
adjustment of the relations OF ma
tion and capital. but for the va
ried reasons which have been sug-
eested it should involve no altera-
ton OF the half-and-half contribu-
ton arrangement OF the act OF
1873.
Preserving its status OF a ma
jority or at the very least OF a
hall stockholder in the municipal
corporation in order to justify its
full and exclusive control OF the
corporations financial concerns,
the nation should so exercise its
full taxing and legislative powers
as to represent faithfully the
other and unrepresented hall OF
the municipal stockholders. II
one-half is to act for the whole IT
must learn the views and wishes
of the other half and give them
due consideration in connection
with its own. By the referendum
it can ascertain the legislative
wishes OF this unrepresented half
and by the recall it can give the
now impotent half at least a mega
tive voice in the selection of mu-
nicipal officials.
Retaining the half-and-half rela-
| ton and national control i'll mu-
nicipal affairs the nation ought to
insist upon Americanizing Wash
ington by placing its people upon
the same national footing as other
Americans, giving them represen-
tation in the House. and Senate
and electoral college.
(a) By Legislative enactment
without constitutional amend
ment, if that be possible, making a
defective non-sovereign state OF
the District Of Columbia. (b) Or
by constitutional amendment ere
ating the non-sovereign state Of
Columbia, with representatives In
Senate, House and electoral col,
lege. (c) Or by declaring by
congressional enactment in con
junction with legislation by Mary
land that residents of the District
Of Columbia who have no state
citizenship shall be in all respects
citizens of Maryland.
Municipal Control by Local Opinion
Though Congress, after careful consider.
alton, reaffirms the half-and-half pr1ncl-
pie of capital maintenance and retains
full legislative control OF the nations 6
CITY. 1t should recognize more thoroughly
its obligation as municipal legislature to
take into consideration in legislating the
views and wishes Of the other half OF
the taxpayers for whom 1t assumes te
, iact. 1t should devise ways of ascertain
ling accurately the views and wishes OF
line Districts submerged and negligible
!. and impotent half, and then give heed tc
1.-THE expressed wishes. opinions. sugges-
itions and advice of this other half of the
contributors to the capital maintenance
fund.
With full power in its hands, retaining
Its veto and the final word it could dele
gate to District Commissioners or to any
other local government agencies which
lit chose to create any of its legislative
functions In respect to the District oi
which it wished to be relieved. provided
the powers thus delegated We're not OF
; the kind of which the delegation has
been forbidden by the decisions of tht
courts. Roach vs. Van Riswick.) If Con
gress is, as Senator John Sharp William:
suggests, weary of legislating in respec
to unimportant capital concerns. it coulG
in this way shift a large part of thi:
burden upon the shoulders of the loca
icommdnity.
The local political status and condi
tions peculiarly adapt the District to tn,
Iapplication of the referendum and the
recall By the referendum Congress
: could secure the benefit of accurate ex
, pressions of local opinion and advice
concerning important legislative propos
: ais of local concern. and by. giving the
iDistrict the privilege of recall. say in re
: / spect to District Commissioners. tht
+ local assent to or dissent from the Presi
dents selections could be secured II
cases sufficiently fragrant to warrant al
appeal to the recall privilege The Dis
t trict would thus participate by indirec
CONTINUED on Eighth Page.)