Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13
From annual address as president of
Association of Oldest Inhabitants. De-
cember 6. 1913.

The Oldest Inhabitants mem
bership represents in miniature
the population of Washington,
1t is thoroughly democratic. rep
resentative of multitude of pro
LESSONS. trades and diversified
occupations. The composite Old
est Inhabitant, like the composite
average or typical Washingtonian,
is poor in this worlds goods. He
is among the employed and not
among the employers; or if OF
the latter class he is a small EN-
ployer. By far our largest prop
erty owner, our leading employer,
the owner of almost all our great
industrial plants, represented IN
other cities by score OF million
aire citizens and taxpayers, IS
Uncle Sam, who is not noninally
either an Oldest Inhabitant or a
Washingtonian. but who IS, in
fact. our very Oldest lnhabitant
and d Washingtonian since 1900.
With our local .millionaires nearly
all rolled into one. Uncle Sam. and
that one exempted from our calcu-
lations OF averages, the average
wealth OF the Washingtonian is
reduced to minimum.
Our average Oldest or Young
est Inhabitant is thus man of
moderate means. cut off by the
traditional policy OF Congress
from the opportunities OF self
support furnished by commerce
and manufactures in the indus
trial city and denied by the appor-
tionment of offices law employ
ment in the only great workshops
which Congress permits to exist
at the capital. He has no voice
in deciding how much or in what
form or for what purpose he shall
be taxed The nation without
consulting him determines his tax
burden and all other questions OF
government. The nation, thus de
priving the Wasfingtonian in the
national interest or necessity of
the full power OF self-protection. is
under the most binding obligation
to supply this protection itself.
Fair play for the Washingtonian
is the watchword of the Oldest
Inhabitants. not so much III our
own patriarchal interest in the
selfish pursuit OF appointments or
appropriations or material bene-
fits for ourselves as in the interest
of our sons and of the adopted
sons of the capital who will follow
us in the wears TO come.
The average or typical Wash
ington Inhabitant, old or young,
Being of limited powers and re-
sources, on that very account
needs fair play in relation to the
protection OF life and property
in relation to government both
national and municipal; in rela-
ton to taxation and contiscation
in the guise of taxation in rela-
ton to means OF self-support for
the growing youth of the city; in
his relations with the corporations
which supply him with light
heat, rapid transit and the means
Of electric communication by
wire: in his relations not only tc
the means of supporting life. but
to the high cost of living. and II
relation to the physical, menta,
and moral well-being of the peo-
pie of the community even more
than TO the external attractiveness
and material prosperity OF the ma
tons city.
The signs Of the times are sc
nenacin9 that all Washingto-
mans. old and Young. well-to-de
and poor. 81 whatever profession
trade or occupation. must stant
together in the common defense
81 the capital community.
A revolution. in the relations o
Uncle sam and Washington IN
habitants. old and Young, i:
threatened. The equitable com
promise settlement OF 1873 /:
treated as if it settled nothing, OF
rather it is treated as If it disposed
forever of all the pre-existins
equities of the Washingtoniar
and left all of Uncle Sans equi
ties intact One legislator pro
poses the repeal Of the half-and
half provision OF the organic act
a total reputation of the nation:
obligation under that agreement
others would eliminate certain
large revenues of the Distric
from duplication by the govern
mcnt under that act; or would re
lieve the government from par
ticipation in paying the funded
debt Of the District: or woulc
confscate from the District reve
nues the amount of certain al
legged ancient debts to Uncle Sam
rising from alleged violations o