Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-10
Vilifcation and intimidation.

When The Star last December began
its fight for square deal for Washing
ton it declared that the anti-Dtstrict
policy practically proclaimed by the
House District committee disclosed as
its dominant factors reputation, con-
fiscation and utilization. The events and
the discussion OF the last three months
have uncovered the proposed reputation
and confiscation in all their repulsire
nakedness Yesterdays verbal assault
furnished the final and conclusive exhibit
to demonstrate the anti-District cam
paign of vilification.
The House OF Representatives permits
itself to be led In local concerns by the
District committee. The District COM
rnittee permits itself to be dominated by
Its chairman. This chairman permits
himself to be controlled by his prejudices
his spites and his personal resentmcnts at
imaginary insults and injuries.
Intolerantly he views every honest ex-
preston of opinion differing from his own
as an attack upon his reputation or his
honor or his honesty, emitting him to re-
spond with low personalities. In the
imagination that he is vilifed he himself
viliiies.
If the citizens organizations like the
Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce
and Retail Merchants Association CO.
operate agains. the Reputation and con-
fiscation of the Crisp bill. he proclaims
the discovery of a corrupt conspiracy to
bride his constituents to vote against
him. and would drag the conspirators be-
fore the bar of the House to answer for
their crime. II citizens are driven
by his destructive legislative proposals
to belated public protest. he dis
parages and vilifies the good and
public-spirited men and women who
are bold enough to make this pro-
test Though they meet publicly and de-
clare openly their object, their intention
to attack no one, their purpose to bring
the pertinent facts before the members of
their exclusive legislature with confidence
that this legislature will respond with
sympathetic consideration and with JUS
tce. he slurs their motives by the in
situation that the organization Is for
bribery. that our legislature is to be
seen corruptlS, to be bought with
money and not informed with facts. He
viiifies the committee of 100 collectively as
tax-dodging malefactors of great wealth.
hypocritically masquerading as the poor
mans defenders.
This anti District policy is one OF in
timidation as we'll as vilification. 1t in
ficts cruel injury and then to quiet the
helpless victims outcry adds verbal
abuse and threatens to strike again and
harder. 1t buts the House in the atti-
tude of saying that it wants nothing
from Washington but silence and
mighty little of that.
If the House makes this policy its own
OF the District committee it will deny to
Washington its only remaining American
right, that of petition. The Washing
tonian is already to d by some Of his legis-
lators that his only privileges are to sup
plicate or to evacuate, to petition or to
get out. Is supplication by public petit
ton TO be now denied. leaving to WASH
ingtonians only the privilege Of getting
out?
This community of 3Jo,000 unrepresent-
ed Americans. one OF the most intelligent
and publc-spirited in the country, is
honored to have as its exclusive legisla-
turc the Congress of the United States
THIS great Legislature is entitled to and
receives the respect and regard of good
Westinghouse. The capital community
is entitled in reciprocity to just and cour-
teously considerable treatment. The House
of Representatives will not permit itself
on due consideration to be definitely COM
nitted to the unjust and un-American at
titudc toward the capital OF which Wash
ingtouians today reasonably complain.