The Washington herald., 1914-03-13
HERALD PAVEs
WAY TO CAPITOL =
Representative Prouty's I'm
intended Tribute to Paper
Cheered at Meeting.
IN DEBATE WITH WEST
Former Commissioner Pleads for Or
ganic Act While House Mem
Der Assails District.
IN DEBATE WITH WEST
by 8. ID. wEYER.

by y. ID. "E1Eh.
THE way to hell may be paved with
good intentions, but for the last two
weeks, the way to the Capitol OF the
United States has been paved with The
Washington Herald"
With q pathetic wave Of his right arm.
while the left pointed dramatically at
some innocent reporter sitting about the
press table, Representative S F. Prouty.
member Of the House District Committee
and co-author of the amendment to the
George bill, threatening the death kneil
of the organic act under which the Ma
tional Capital has prospered and -four
ished for nearly forty years and for the
maintenance of which The Washington
Herald has made a vigorous fight, last
night launched into a highly dramatic
speech at a well-attended meeting un-
der the auspices of the Study Club In
Economies at the Public Library.
washinston Herald Cheered.
The Representative from Iowa was not
allowed to finish his sentence uninter-
ruptedly: No sooner had he mentioned
the work done by The Washington
Herald, than his audience voiced its un-
qualified approval OF The Herald's battle
in behalf of the people of the District
by bursting into overwhelming applause.
The audience was composed by nearly
500 men and women from all walks of
life.
What is the connection between hell
and Congress, as viewed from the stand
point of the DisSrict's residents. Judge
Prouty failed 10 state, but that his list
eners were heartily in favor Of. and deep
ly grateful for, the pavement fur
nished by The Washington Herald for
the road to continued progress and pros
perity for the District. was manifested
clearly by the ovation.
The program OF the evening was seized
uled to be a debate between Repre-
sentative Prouty and Henry Litchfield
West. former District Commissioner. on
the question. SHOULD Congress Abolish
the Half-and-Hslf TAXI"
my Innocent Amendment"
1t developed to be a clear. logical, busi-
ness-like statement OF facts given by
Mr.. West in regard to the issue in ques-
tion, and an oratory by Judge Prouty
divided into three paris: First. a pathetic
and dramatic defense Of what he termed
my innocent little amendment to the
George bill; second. a vitriolic attack
upon the stand taken by the taxpayers
of the District, not only at present, but
ever since the organic act became law.
and third. a beautifully phrased, highly
patriotic confession Of faith of a rep
resentative Of an American common
wealth.
To be sure. despite his villification Of
the principles and attitude of the Dis
trict, Representative Prouty was the hit
Of the evening. His oratory and elo-
quence, ably assisted. by lot of really
funny jokes and comparisons and anus
ing stories, were well appreciated. In
deed. when Mr.. West, at the conclusion
of the Iowa Representatives. speech
praised the latters ability to pace up
and down and wave his arms and let
the big words roar out of his mouth"
better than any other member of the
House, the Study Club in Economics and
its friends and guests nearly went wild
with enthusiasm.
Mr.. West Wins Debate.
AS to the real subject of the discus |
sion, however. the half-and-half plan, |
which Mr.. West defended and which |
Judge Prouty assailed. it was clearly !
evident from the general discussion that
followed that those present were unani- |
mously in favor of Mr.. Vests argument. |
The District sold its right of citizen
ship for mess Of pottage greed, and !
that is all prompted it to give up its suf- |
frage rights for a scheme by which one
half Of the costs for its maintenance is |
paid by the Federal government"
This was perhaps the strongest of the
accusations hurled at the District by Rep
resentative Prouty. Yet in the course of |
his address. the member of the House |
District Committee emphasized repeat
edly:
Il don't blame the people of the District |
for yelling in face of the threatening |
abolition of the half-and-half plan. II / !
were resident of the District 1 would |
yell, too" |
He qualified this assertion, however, by |
charging that Washington has the great !
est cinch of any city in the country, and |
TO its people, it seems a shame, of course. |
that this cinch should be taken away
from them"
Can Govern Itself.
A feature of Judge Prouty's speech |
was his emphatic and repeated asser- |
tion that the people Of the District are |
better qualified for f-government |
than any other community in the
United States.
Mr.. West in his speech pointed to |
the fact that II Washington were per-
meated with oficial graft. rottenness
and corruption, there would be a rea-