Evening star., 1914-04-11
Mr.. Bailey's Statement.

Mr.. Bailey explained the bill in state
ment in part as follows:
Some may say the federal Constitution
makes self government in the District of
Columbia impossible The sufficient re-
ply is that until 1871 the people of the
District of Columbia actually enjoyed
self-government
How, then, did they lose it? Appar-
emily, as result Of the civil war and
complications following it. Disfranchise-
ment came in the midst of an era of ma
tionaI scandals. The District people-or
their self-appointed spokesmen-were pacl-
fled by the scheme of 1878. whereby the
federal government was to pay one-half
the current expenses of the District.
This scheme is now being attacked in
high places. Its friends-chiefy repre-
sentatives of the business interests of the
District-are defending it as the very ark
of the covenant 1t is noteworthy that,
almost without exception, their efforts are
directed solely toward saving the annual
federal appropriation. The shame of
their political bondage they ignore. That
Americans could completely forget the
first principles of Americanism would be
incredible were it not undeniable.
Many regard the half-and-half tax
the federal appropriation of some S6OoO,-
COO per year to the Distrfct-as the price
for which the District peopls have sold
their heritage of political liberty. Hap
ply it cannot be shown that The people
of the District have ever approved OF
such a sale for they have no regular
channels through which to express tnef
sentiments, nor have they been asked to
express themselves in any general or
representative fashion ON this question.
IAN informal opportunity, however,
was afforded them on the last national
through a straw ballot, on the question
of suffrage for the District. Though un-
official and but slightly advertised-funds
being lacking-this opportunity brought
out nearly 1900 people, who. in the most
orderly and serious way. registered their
sentiments on the fundamental question
of suffrage. Nearly ~ per cent of those
so voting voted for the right to vote,
thus proving that even in the District
of Columbia, the love of liberty is not
dead.
Other Questions Laid Aside.
My bill restores to the people of the
District their right to vote. The burn
ing question of federal appropriations
for the District I leave to one side. 1t
can be and should be settled wholly
apart from the auetsion of voting. and
Congress can attend to it either before
or after the passage of my bill. Should
the change in the basis of this federal
appropriation just proposed ny 1oInIHlS-
sioner Newman be adopted, however,
the door would thereby be thrown wide
open for government.
! Two other vital questions-namely,
| those of the form of District government
and of the qualifications of voters-my
bill also purposely avoids. To throw
these into the arena of controversy
might easily defeat or indefinitely post
| pone action on any bill, however care
fully drawn and otherwise meritorious.
| Furthermore. as fundamental demo-
crat, / stand for government from the
| bottom up. and not from the top down.
MY bill simply turns over to the peo-
! pie of the District their existing form
| of government. slightly modified, giving
| them full power to improve it at will.
| and leaving with Congress the power to
! veto any District measure.
This bill requires no protracted. time
| killing investigation either into the
balf-and-half tax or the form of District
government Congress can emancipatc
the District at once. The District people
can then, when ready. call charter con-
vention and. in it. in genuine American
| fashion work out such form of govern
| ,,,.,t as NAV commend itself to them.