Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13
that of representation as Ameri-

|, that of representation as Amerl-
.. cans in Congress and the elec.
, toral college This surrender
, either temporary or permanent
was made at the birth OF the city
and the mess of pottagc was the
pledge by the nation of capita
maintenance and development
and the peculiar privileges sup
posed to be enjoved by the capita
community against which protest
i'll the early DAYS was made by
] many, including Patrick Henry
! The promised mess OF pottage
was withheld for three-iourths OF
4 century. 1t has been one-hali
rendered and received since 1873
The Johnson proposition is now
to withdraw this hall portion OF
/ pottasc. but not to restore the
| birthrisht. With a flourish OF
trumpets he makes pretcnse OF re-
storing this birthright by pro-
claiming his willingness that the
| District shall enjoy ''self-govern-
mcnt" in municipal affairs and a
votelcs~ delegate in Congress.
Since Congress is, under the John
son proposal. to retain its constl-
tutional exclusive power OF lcg1s-
lation in respect to the District,
and since Washington is to have
no effective constitutional repre-
sentation in Congress under it,
the practical effect of the John
sonian readjustment is to bunco
Washington out of both birth
right and pottage.
The Washingtonian Is cheated
out of the gold" which pays a
lust national debt and also out OF
his political liberty.
| Tint Mr. johnson IL in error ms to
the date OF the alleged transfer of
birthright for pottage. and that ne Is
wrong as to what constitutes the
American birthright thus hartered. and
n. to the mOnOpOlistic enjoyment by
the community of any mess of pOttage
" ha tsOeycr lis demonstrated by the evil
ience Of all local history
! Summarizing. the Legislation of 1873
was not the sale ny Washington of it's
birthright for a mess Of pOttaEe: %
The transaction involved no sale OF
anything by the District. The latter
had no part Whatsoever In the deal.
II was not cOnsulted at amy stage. 1t
was not asked II II assented or object
ed; its assent was neither requested
nor given. t9 The half-and-half pro-
vision was not pOttaGe paid for the
I .SsrB,A
In 1878. 1t was the long delayed and
only partial fulfllment of national
obligation of capital maintenance and
upbuilding. incurred for q valuable
considerations three-fourfhs OF a cen.
fury earlier at the very foundation of
che city. 49, The privilege of which
Congress deprived Washington in 1873
was that of voting for some parts OF .
local government of extremely limited
power. This privilege. as we have
seen. il not an American right or
birthright: the real American birth
right of which Warrington had been
deprived being representation on equal
terms with other Americans In Con-
gresa. and this deprivation was en-
forced from the moment of the birth
of the city more than q hundred years
ago.
Thus Warrington did not In 1873 sell
since there was no sale. NO 1873 potta&e
and no birthriRht involved in the
transaction. If then the United States
treats the limited. Inadequate and un-
satisfactory municipal voting prisi-
leRe Of which Washington was de-
prived in 1874 as it's real American
birthright. and as the price of the res
toratiOn of this sham and counterfeit
birthrieht deprives Washington of the
1878 provision for fixed and definite
national participation in capital up
building. 1t will practice a swindiink
game upon the helpless capital and Will
cheat It out of both birthr1ght and
pOttage.
Cheated of Birthright and Pottage.
The congressman who heaps scofn ana
contempt upon an imaginary natlona1
capital Esau. who Gas alleged. has soio
his birthright for mess of pottage,
and who then uses his despotic power
of exclusive legislation to rob the
capital of the fragments of stipulated
pottage without restoring the capitals
real birthright. is baser than the
fictitious Esau whom his Imagination
has pictured And so is the congress
man who threatens to repudiate the
century-old national obligation of CAPT.
tai upbuilding If the capital suggests
even a partial restoration Of its real
political birthright. And so is the con
gresham who metaphorically weeps
hitter tears over the enSaved condition
of the Washingtonian, and who makes
false pretense of an offer to emancl,
pate him If he consents to municipal
bankruptcy and who is in the end eS-
posed as swindling by the attempt to
pass a bogus, counterfeit freedom as the
genuine article-a freedom which con-
sists in striking off only one of many
manacles. or at the very most Is the
freedom to a prisoner of his cell.
The congressman who proposes to de-
prive the capital of national mainte-
nance and development under its century
old obligation. which now finds express
sion in the alf-and-haf provision. and
who loudly vociferates a patriotic and
public-spirited readiness to make free
| and sovereign American citizens of the
subjects the voluntary serfs and slaves
who infest the District of Columbia, IL
consciously or unconsciously buncoing
| the community. After this congress-
mans great act as magnanimous and
patriotic emancipation has been per-
| formed the Washingtonian will find
| that he is not sovereign Ameri-
| can citizen; that without representation
| in Congress and without control over
the municipal taxing power he has not
American political rights and privileges
| and he is not free.
II Washingtonians are political slaves
| now they will still be political slaves
! after they have the power to elect "A
| voteless delegate, or even District Com
| nissioners or any other municipal Of
fcials II the exclusive power of legis-
I lation under the constitutional provision
| still remains i'll Congress not elected
| by them and in which they are not rep
| resented. Their chains may be made a
| little lighter and may not clank so loud
| "; they may be granted by kind masters
! a little greater freedom of movement
but they are not free. The power to take