Evening star., 1915-03-29

ARCH. 1888.
nificent National Capital. What was said
in 1873, when the question was whether
the government should pay fixed pro-
portion OF District expenses, might be re-
peated il under any circumstances she at
tempt was made to withdraw the Support
then provided: AS in the beginning the
federal city vas without population or re-
sources to which its founders could look
for its development and Improvement. SO
also at the present time it is wholly with
out the means. either in property. COM
merce or manufactures. to meet the enor-
nous outlays which the masnihcence OF
the plan requires. One-haf OF its prop
erty and the best half, is owned by the
United States. and pays no taxes. and the
other half is mortgaged for one-fourth OF
its value by q debt contra cted in exhaust
ing and paralyzing efforts TO make it
what its patriotic founders designed it to
be-a National Capital. worthy OF the
name it bears. II deprivation Of suffrage
is the only condition upon which citizens
of the District are partially relieved from
their heavy burdens. they evidently prefer
to remain political slaves rather than
become bankrupt treemen-
The arguments. already recited. which
led to the establishment of an exclusively
when it is attempted to reverse the de-
cision then made
The sentiment which identities the fate
Of the Union with that Of the capital
should not be disresarded. Washington
has planted the roots of itsy existence
and prosperity in the spirit of American
nationality. 1t has founshed in proper
ton this spirit has been strong. The
grand designs respecting it we're neglect
ed by those. not its enemies. who re-
s,1 ,1H<N.ly
power superior to that Of the state. 1t
again revived when civil war developed
the patriotic national sentiment. and
Americans learned that the Union is
substantial something to love, to live
for, and to die for The bioodshed Of the
revolution gave birth to the spirit Of ma
tionaiity and created the city: the blood
shed of the civil war revived the spirit
and regenerated the city. The imasina-
ton may conceive that the soul of the
Union is enshrined in this exclusive ter
ritory, and that II ever its peculiar ex-
istence shall be extinguished the event
will be forerunner OF the dissolution OF
the Union.
National Representation for City.
Fourthly. retaining exclusive jurisdic-
ton. Congress may propose constitu-
tional amendment giving the District rep
resentation in the bodies which legislate
for it and tax 1t, voice as to the Presi-
dent, who Is to appoint the Commis-
sioners to manage its local affairs, and.
in general. except as to the privilege of
choosing town or county officers. to place
the residents OF the District upon the
same footing as the citizens of the sew
eral states.
A minor discrimination against inhab
itants OF the capital which needs to be
thus remedied is that which denies them
| l.-s.~ t. AIN~ f~1%
courts in those cases where the privilege
is given to the citizens Of state, and
which puts them before the national
judiciary IN a less favorable attitude than
that Of aliens. Hepburn agt Ellzey, 2
Cranch., 445.)
while Its citizens. In addition to the de-
NAL Of the benefits of the federal courts,
are forbidden representation. 1t Is subject
to direct federal taxation. although the
ana direct taxes shall be apportioned
among the several states Of the Union
according to their respective numbers.
These words are held to furnish merely
a rule Of apportionment, and not to limit
the power Of taxation. doughborough
vs. Blake, Wheaton, BID The District
paid its proportion. some $4,000, Of the
twenty-million direct tax OF August 6,
1881, the last Of the four direct taxes. 1t
has also raid into the national Treasury
tax law in 1852 $6.454,907.03 a larger
amount than that derived from Alabama,
Arkansas. Maine. Mississippi. Nevada.
South Carolina or Vermont. Taxation
the capital. 1t is alleged, in justification,
that the District (when nearly uninhab-
ited) voluntarily resigned its right Of dis
tinct representation. and irrevocabiy
adopted the whole body Of consress Gn-
cluding its bitter enemies and its luke
warm friends) as the representatives OF
its interests. Washington was in exist
ence only a few months when Its resi-
dents began to bemoan their prospective
Acknowledgement. their exclusion from
pamphlet concerning the government Of
the territory Of Columbia" published in
1901 by A B. Woodward. it is said: This
body Of people is as much entitled to the
enjoyment OF the rights Of citizenship as
any other part Of the people Of the United
States. There can exist no necessity for
their disfranchisement. no necessity for
them to repose on the mere generosity
tyranny; to mere spontaneous attention
for the regulation Of their interests. They
are entitled to participation in the gen.
eral councils on the principles OF equity
the century. too, members Of Congress
who have viewed the condition Of the cap
ital with other emotions than that OF in
difference have either "felt their hearts
bleed" over the enslaved condition Of the
people, or have denounced the disfran
chised as selling their republican birth
right for q mess Of pottage.
In q debate In the House. December.
1900, Representative Smile said: Not g.
man in the District would be represented
in the government. whereas every man
who contributed to the support Of a gov
ernment ought to be represented in 1t:
otherwise his natural rights were sub
verted and he was left not a. citizen but a
slave. It was . right which this country,
when under subjection to Great Britain,
thought worth making q resolute struggle
Tor. and evinced a determination to perish
rather than not enjoy" In 1903 the "un-
republican condition Of the District was
again q matter Of comment, and 1t was
proposed to .ede to Maryland and Vir-
ginia jurisdiction over the parts OF the
District originally ceded by them. John
Randolph. jr., In February Of that year.
said in the House: II could wish, in
deed to see the people within this District
government is an experiment how Tar
freeman can be reconciled to live without
rights; an experiment dangerous to the
liberties Of these states. But inasmuch
as 1t had been already made. inaslnuch
as I was not accessory to 1t. and as at
some future time its deleterious effects
may be arrested, I am disposed to vote
against the resolution A proposition
to recede the territory Of Columbia out
side of the limits OF Washington caused
Representative Clark to say. in 1S0'. that
he spoke of the inhabitants whenever lac
had occasion to alludc to them with pity
and compassion, and he most devoutly
wished to see them placed in a condition
7, n~rv 0u6