Evening star., 1915-03-13

Confined from First Fasep
action AS Legislators: not merely or
primarily. for instance. in respect to the
taxation. but in resnect to acts and
werds which trsiucc the good name
and bruiSs the seif-respect "f the most
misunderstood and most mi<repreSent-
ed rf f~aMe rtcan communities.
What - there in the past record or the
present condition of the people 0f
Washington to prevent their c"nstitu-
tiona! Legislators from viewing them
with appreciation and esteem: In
numbers they exceed the population of
several 0f the states. They are drn"h
from aud reflect the spirit Of ever! sec-
tinn of the Ini"n. Owing no divided
can In peculiar sense. the most
American and national of all Ameri-
cans.
They are now generally recognized as
by far the largest contributors TO the
upbuildin.s OF the capital. They gave
OF their own property that the nat1oh
might practically own and exclusively
control q uation@l city. They dohateu
to the nation tivG-Sevenths OF the area
OF Washington. They gave the Land
from the proceeds of the sale OF which
the original public buildings were
erected. Nearly all the work OF street
Enforcement and ifa!-lhtkiIS Wh!cn
WAS done for three -fourths OF a century
by the nation of its financial "bllSit-
tions to the capital the Waslingtonlahs
We're in 1855 forced into bankruptcy
IN the public-Spirited attempt TO peal
alone the nations burden. In tue same
spirit they endured in the seVentles
the travail Of the birth of the new
Washin gton. They have PAID their
proportion of every national tax, direct
and indirect. They pay as much per
capita III city taxation. the census re
q
n the American cities approS1matlns
Washington in size. They have r!skec
life. and shed their blood in ever! ma
tional war is II border community
Washington sent many OF her sons
to the south in the civil struggle: while
to preserve the Union TIC first volunteers
came from the capital and Washing
tonians supplied more troops IN excess
of their quota than any state except
one. in the war with Spain they sent
to the front u fine regiment. tar ex-
ceeding their quota in numbers Ihes
have thus placed both sacrifice OF
treasure and blood-sacritice upon the
nations altar. in modern times oil
peace the public spirit of the Washing
toniau is equally in evidence whenever
sacrifices of time or OF energy or Oh
money in the city's interest are re.
auired. Our business and professional
men-the educational, scientific. literary
and artistic elements of our population
our workingmen in public and private
employ, our department clerks and
other government employees, our WIN
ter residents in process Of conversion
into Washingtonians. combine to con-
stitute one of the strongest. most intel
ligent, most public spirited and most
American communities in the whole
republic
Our Great Local Legislature.
Applying the doctrine of an exactinS
and far-reaching national responsibility
toward the capital, what is the obllga-
tion resting upon Congress when it acts
as local Legislature?
Clearly it denies the justice when leg
islating for the District of disregardinS
entirely local needs. conditions and
prejudices and using the capital as
national experiment station, where
dubious legislative projects may be
tested as an example or a warning to
the nation. with no one injured but the
District Gas apothecary'S cat), IL the eA-
pertinent is unsuccessful. .
1t forbids such legislation solely or
primarily from the point of view of the
legislators home constituency. with the
congressman posing as the Grudglng
dispenser of aims alleged to be contrib
uted by his district or state to. the
greedy mendicants OF the capital
1t makes Of the congressman as local
legislator u representative under the
Constitution of his capital constituents
as distinctly as If elected by them and
under the same obligations. as II thus
elected. TO consider patiently and sym
pathetically their point of view. to
crystalline into legislation as FAR as
practicable and reasonable their opln-
ions and wishes and to protect faith
fully their interests and welfare.
AS local legislator under the Consti-
tuition the congressman represents not
the patton, not the state, not the con-
gressional district, but the District of
Columbia and it's 100000 Americans.
The extensive powers In respect TO
the capital conferred upon Congress In
yOive equally far-reachinE responsible
titles and obligations; and sacrifices to
the nations interest are required on
both sides Of the partnership. 4 great
power In to be greatly. nobIy exercised.
controlled by no motive or impulse that
is small or mean or base.
The greatest legislative body in the
world. representing the worlds fore
most nation. is to build up, tyDifyinG
that nation, the worlds srandest cap
ital. The natioB's city which the fore
fathers DobIy planned IN by us to be
perfected ON lines NO less noble.
The capital which wisdOm and patri-
otisln are to make truly great includes
not only the physical city. but the peO-
ple who live in 1T. the men who make
the sacrifices In the nations interest
which call for sacrifices of time aud
thought and patient confederation by
the nation through Congress In return.
The obligation Is TO build not merely
4 beautiful city. but healthful. whole
some, well governed. cOntenfed ana
self-respecting city.
What, then. will the nation do with
,ts city to make 1t more attractive.
more healthful, more creditable N
every way as the National Capttals
What will it do with the Americans
who constitute the people Of it's city to
promote their ply steal, political, intel-
Iectual and moral welfare:
The greatest OF our public men have
been the strongest champions OF the
capital George Washington created 1t
and gave it his name. Thomas JeHer-
son with and following Washington
was a planner, founder and upbullder
of the city. Andrew Jackson threw
himself with enthusiasm into the work
of. adequately bridging the Potomac;
urged the allowance of delegate IN
Congress to the District and in his adj
ministration. with his cooperation and
sympathy the nation came to the hnan-
cial relief Of the community bankrupt
ed i'll performing the nations task.
Discriminate between the later Presi-
dents from Lincoln to Wilson, all OF
trict, would be invidions. Grant, the
man Of deeds, not words. had the OPP
portunity which he effectively utilized
to lay broad and deep the foundations
of Washington as truly the nations
city.
Great men from all sections, in Con-
gress as well as the White House, have
worthy OF the republic. Clearly there
is no nobler work for any statesman
than to identify himself conspicuously
with the upbuilding of the nations