Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-12
UNIQUE Among World Capitals.

1t is unique among American cities and
unique among national capitals. LOT II Il
the only purely national and govern
mental city in the world
The officers and judges are appointed
by the national government. ard the
courts are federal. The civil and criminal
process runs in the name of the Presl-
dent of the United States
Congress cannot delegate its constltu-
tional duty to exercise Exclusive legisla-
ton in all cases whatsoever over the
federal district.
All patriotic Americans everywhere re
gard this capital as the symbol or the
republic and want it to be as nearly per-
feet as possible in all respects They are
proud of the progress il has made under
the "organic act, as the Supreme Court
has termed it (135 L. s. 2i0J, they do not
begrudge the insignificant per capita
amount they pay for its development ana
maintenance and they want more rather
than less spent upon it by the nation.
Every important physical or moral I'M
provement made here is approved py
them. They would oppose any measure
that would halt the progress of the CAPT
tai They would equally oppose any IN
justice to the people who live here.
Because we are part of the American
people and share the feelings of our fell
low courtrymen with respect to the ma
tional capital we have exercised our
constitutional right of peaceful assembly
for free discussion.
The necessity for our action was found
in the fact that four mea sures had been
sent by the House TO the Senate which
would practically destroy the essential
principle of the "half-and-half arrange
ment of the organic act and that other
measures We're pending in the House
which threaten similar danger.
They We're plainly intended to put the
whole burden of the development and
maintenance of the National Capital
upon the $4,000 people living here and
to relieve the rest of the 95,OOO.OO of
have been making. This would mean
doubling taxation here and cutting
progress in half. The first would be con-
fiscation. The second would. therefore.
be inevitable in any event. This would
be a national calamity. 1t would involve
national injustice to the politically help
less District residents and, therefore, ma
tional dishonor.
Appeals to Congress Urged.
Your executive committee therefore,
asks you, and through you asks all the
patriotic residents of the District to ex-
ercise the constitutional right of petition
to Congress. 1t asks you to do this pri-
marty in personal conversations with your
personal friends in the Senate and House.
Secondarily, by letters to those that you
are not acquainted with. In each case
We ask that you will simply bring the
facts of the nations relations with its
Capital city to the personal attention OF
senator's and representatives. Your
executive committee believes in the wis
dom and justice of Congress as a whole
II believes that when every senator and
every representative is possessed of the
facts that the dangerous legislation now
pending will be defeated.
Your executive committee further asks
that each of you will communicate with
his personal friends and will ask other
District residents to communicate with
their personal friends throughout the
country laying the facts of the matter
before them, and asking them to COM
municate with their senators and repre-
sentatives in behalf of their National
Capital.
Your executive committee also asks
your cooperation in the efforts it will
iIrmediateiy make to communicate with
our feliow-citizens throughout the states
hy means oil national organizations of
high and representative character. form
= tls Tor great civic purposes, especially
those having their headquarters in the
city of Washington, over score in num-
Der Already several of these great ma
tional organizations have volunteered to
inform their members throughout the
country of the peril of the National Capt.
tai and to evoke that protest which
they know our patriotic fellow-country-
men Will be eager to make SO soon as
they are aware of the character of the
pending legislation described. They were
quick TO see that it was the nation scause
we were advocating.
Facts Ready to Hand.
The facts necessary to inform our
friends in Congress and our friends in
the country are ready to hand in con-
gressional reports. in national census bu-
reau bulletins. in publications Of the
Board of Trade and the Chamber OF
Commerce and others. The latest and
most concise is a pamphlet published by
the Washington Herald Col. George
Truesdell, Mr.. Theodore w. Noyes and
others have prepared full and accurate
documents. The executive committee
will be glad to direct any one to the
sources of the facts of the subject.
In accordance with suggestions made
TO 1t, the executive committee offers a
brief outline of them as an index to the
publications already made.
They all rest necessarily upon the his
tory of the founding and the develop
ment of the National Capital to show:
First. Its exclusively national char
acter and the intention Of the founders
that IL should be treated as the Child
of the Union. created solely for the seal
OF government.
Second That the national government,
acquired fve-sevenths of the area of the
city of Washington free of cost from the
original proprietors and also built its first
national buildings chiefly out of the pro
ceeds of the sale of part of the land given
1t.
Third. That George Washington, aided
by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
planned magnificent capital. takins
Ji.0S per cent of the area for streets and
avenues, an unparalleled proportion. be-