Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13


decides through Congress all corporate
| business questions. the initiative In sug-
costing action being conceded TO the 9TH
| err stockholders. the local taxpayers. VINO
/ through the Commissioners submit in the
shape of estimates. upon which congress
sional action is had. the views and wishes
| of these local taxpayers. Thus 10 an eN-
tent which prevails in hardly any other
/ large American city the will of the tax
PAYERS is represented in the action taken
by Congress on estimates submitted by
/ the Commissioners
National Representation Wanted.
| But conceding that the present munich
pal government is best for the capital
under the conditions which surround II.
and that while practically efficient.
economical and busnesslike ii ofends no
great American political principle. can
we say the same OF refusal to Washing
tonians of the privilege OF participa-
ton as Americans in the national govern
ment? Conceding that the nation Should
continue To govern and control the cap
ital through Congress. why should not the
| Americans in the District of Columbia be
| treated as a part of the nation which Is
to exercise this exclusive control, and be
permitted in proportion 10 their number
representation in this government when
! is to control them, to tax them. to SEND
them To war. to dispose of their; property
and of their lives? The Americans IN the
District OF Columbia. constituting much
more than the average number of Amer
leans represented by each member OF
! Congress; living within we'll defined geo
| graphical limits and possessed of more
| than the average of intelligence and good
citizenship. paying all national taxes, d.
rect and indirect, and responding To the
nations call to arms in time of war. are
! entitled on general principles to represen-
tation in the national legislature. and
would enjoy it If this legislature were not
also their exclusive local municipal
Legislature. This fact instead of barring
them from representation ought to be
| viewed as giving them a double right 10
such representation. OF all Americans
they would seem to be most entitled to
representation in a Legislature which Is
their own nationally TO the same extent
as in the case of all other Americans, and
which is in addition their exclusive state
| legislature, their board of aldermen ana
common council
| There is. in brief no suggestion that
under the differing conditions there Is
| any duty on the part of the nation to
initiate in Washington the municipal
elf-government of Buenos Aires and
| Rio. or that any benefit would he en-
| joyed by the American capital through
| such imitation.
But can the same concession be made
| in respect to the failure to follow the
example of Argentina and Brazil in
giving the capital representation in the
national government. in the Congress.
which is to the capital both national
| and local legislature? What possible
! injury can the nation suffer from per-
| hitting this American representation?
| What possible plausible excuse can be
| devised for denying it?
/ | have indicated my belief that the
| South American republics. while eN-
| ceiling city builders. are deficient
! in practical appreciation of the true
principles of representative govern
ment. May they not. on the basis of
our handling of the problem of repre-
sentation in the national government
| for the District of Columbia turn the
| tables on us and suggest that in this
matter we betray that we have no real
appreciation of those principles our
selves?
| 1t is assumed that national represen
| tation for the District can be secured
only by a constitutional amendment
| Our Constitution Is amended. even in
| cases of the clearest necessity. only
I through some CONFUSION like civil war
or after long delays and preliminary de-
, fcatS in the campaign against inertia.
| Practically national representation for
/ Washington may therefore be post
poned long after the justice of such
representation is generally conceded.
His Other Capital Constituency.
Meanwhile each representative in the
| House. slouldering his share of RESPONSE
bility for an unnecessarily sweeping de-
NAL of American rights to certain Ameri-
cans. should recognize that under the
! Constitution he represents two constit-
uencieS, the one at home, which elected
| him. and another composed of the people
| of the District OF Columbia: and that his
! oath of office puts upon him burden of
, responsibility in guarding and fostering
| the interests of both constituencies. If
! in meeting conscientiously this dual obli-
! cation he studies the facts and figures
relating to the District he may find that
/ his capital constituency is more populous
than his home constituency. and con-
| tributes more in national taxes. direct
and indirect, through internal revenue
! taxation and in customs duties, either
through custom house contributions or
consumers of imported articles carry
! ing the heaviest burden of customs taxa
| ton. In 1909 the District of Columbia
contributed in internal revenue collections
TO the national treasury more than six
teen of the states and all four of the
| territories The per capita contribution
of the District in internal revenue taxa
/ ton for that year was greater than that
| of twenty-five states and all four terri
! tories Investigation will also teach the
| earnest. thoughtful legislator that the bur
den of municipal taxation imposed by
I Congress upon the local taxpayer is fully
as heavy as that which the average self
governing American municipality imposes
1 upon itself, and, in view OF the peculiar
! disa liIities under which the District
4 iabors, its tax is harder to meet than
4 that Of the average American community.
/ of the l57 cities, excluding Washington.
4 which exceeded 10000 in population in
1907, lo1 had smaller per capita tax Ievies
| than Washington and 4; larger. OF the
| group Of cities in the Washington class
| Cleveland. Buffalo. Detroit, Cincinnati.
| Milwaukee, New orleans. Newark. Min
| neapolis Louisville. Jersey City. Indian
apolis and ST. Paul-SiX had in 1897
! smaller and six larger per capita tax
| lew than Washington OF these twelve
! cities nine had in the same year smaller
! per capita property valuation than Wash
! ngton. and thrne larger valuation.
both national and local taxation the in
vestigator will. it is hoped. catch the full
spirit of the conscientious and enthusiasts
tic. legislator for the capital, and VIII in
/ any event refrain from slurrinS his capt
/ tai constituency by the suggestion that
| the intinitesimal fraction of contribution
I TO national taxes by his average home
constituent is being squandered in graft
! tieation of the extravaganza OF the pau
pers and inendicants of the District of
| Columbia.
The impulse to political consideration
| for the people of Washington. aroused by
the example of Buenos Aires and Rio, is
| thus limited to national representation
| for them on American principles, and
since a constitutional amendment IS held
to be necessary for the extension Of this
| privilege, its enjoyment may be reason
ably postponed The lessons, however,
| taught by the South American cities in
| respect to the material and artistic de-
| velopmert and adequate financial main
| tenance OF the capital have an immediate
toll