Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-29
DR.. JekylI and Mr.. Hyde.

UT. Jekyl ana MT. HYDE.
| Congress in its relation TO Washington
has been sometimes Mr., Hyde as well as
often DR.. Jekyll. A broad minded. pa
triotic majority and a narrow reactionary
minority have for most of the time strus-
gled to control the destiny of the capital
Congress took donations OF private
property as consideration for the -estab-
lishment here of the permanent seat y.
government Congress has kept its com
pact and retained the capital here and
now no one questions its pernanency
But no sooner had the permanent capita,
been located here than an Intensely anu
perniciously active minority. which threat
ened to become at any moment a major
| ity, demanded removal OF the capital
from Washington in violation OF the ma
tons compact
This proposition tainting the nation with
| pad faith would. If successful have meant
the death of Washington. and an active
minority of the capitals constitutional
guardians and protectors have thus held
over Its head, from the hour of its birth
until comparatively recent date, the
threat of sudden death. Since there was
no certainty that this minority might not
at any time become majority andsc carry
OUT Its threats of perfdious murder. the
slowness of Washington's development
with this sword of Damocies suspended
over it may easily be imagined.
Consress. representing the nation. also
in effect contracted for valuable con-
| sideration In land and money, the pro
ceeds Of the sale of donated land, to build
| up here national capital on q grand
plan entirely beyond the means Of the
local residents and taxpayers to Garry
out. All the power and the primary fnan-
cial respons bility fell under this agree
| ment on Congress as the controlling
partner in whose hands all the assets
of the capital were placed in trust
| When through neglect Of the national
| obligation the municipality, endeavoring
to bear both its own and the nations bur
den of capital making. went into virtual
bankruptcy in 1885 Congress came to It's
relief and recognized and reaff1rmed fits
capital-building OBLIGATION.
| 1t did the same thing under similar
conditions in 1874 and 1878. and in the
latter year 1t recognized formally .,s
partnership relation in respect to the
capital and its financial responsibility In
| this connection from the beginning. 1t
| assumed. in effect. one-half of the In
debtedness incurred by the municipality
through expenditures of the past on the
| partnership cap tai building account en-
| tirely out of the local taxes. and It
agreed in framing a permanent form of
squarely its obligations in the future on
the half-and-half partnership basis
In the early years Of the cardtal. during
the period Of national neglect much more
| Cudu ndlI OF the VI Capital LuAlI-
tenance fell properly on the shoulders
of the nation, represented by Congress.
but as Washington ha6 developed. even
though slowly and pain tllly tstarved and
| stitutional GUARDIAN il had accumulated
some resources with which to meet its
share Of partnership assessments. and re-
lief from one-half of the burden Of cap
ftal making represented to II the differ
ence between inferno and paradise.
| Thus Congress has responded In recognf-
ton Of its responsibilities toward the cap
ital and has finally put these relations in g.
shape alleged to be permanent, which Is
wise and fair, and under the operation OF
which the once shabby, neglected and
discreditable capital is developing stead
lily. If not rapidly. into the city beautiful
and is coming into Its birthrighf o. pride
and affection In the hearts Of the Amer
lean people.
But as a perniciously active minority
TOT
moval: and as the same minority sue
ceeded In starving and stunting the
growth Of the youthful capital for the
! same period by persuading the nation to
neglect its financial responsibilities IN
capital building: so a minority. Influenced
by the same unpatriotic sentiment OF hos
tility to the embodiment OF the national
spirit In a nations city. has resist ed and
wise and fair partnership agreement OF
1878 under the operations Of which CAP
ital which had been shame and disgrace
| to the nation. through conditions for
| which the nation was responsible is
steadily developing into a capital OF which
the nation may well be and is proud.
This minority has assaulted the part
nership agreement in every manner that
a perverted ingenuity could devise. from
the direct proposal Of its repeal to the
proposition Of successive reductions OF
the nations percentage Of partnership
contribution and to its repeal by indirec-
ton through the elimination Of successive
classes Of municipal expenditure from
| its application.
Instead of recognizing the wisdom and
fairness OF the capttal-building partner
| ship ARRANGEMENT Of 1878 and carrying It
| out in good faith, this minority I'm the
spirit of the enemies Of the National Capt.
tai from the beg nning) assaults the local
| community, the silent partner In the ar
| rangement, with a viciousness that, I'm
view of the polit cal helplessness OF the
/ disfranchised community. is cowardIy and
local taxpayers as mendicants. they
! are fertile in devising new taxes for
| the local taxpayers and equally fertile in
! expedients to reduce the commuuity's
taxes: by d sfranchisement and by appor-
/ ionment Of offices law they drive out labor
and by disbursement of all commercial
| and Industrial growth drive out both
/ labor and capital and deprive the youth
| Of the city of means Of seif-support: they
| stunt development as a commerc al and
! industrial city on the plea that the city
| will be made residential. educational and
art center, and then vilify the wealthy
| Americans who build homes here In re-
Spouse to their invitation as the ostenta
t'ous and tax-dodging rich and chase
| them out Of the city by unwise high tax
alton. Instead Of developing Wash ngton
as an educational center Congress will
not even grant to II the benefit OF the
provisions of the so-calied NORTH act
given to Hawaii and Porto REQ: and
caves the question of the Variability and
desirabilty of Washington as a great
educational center, pointed out and en-
forced by Washington and Grant and by
the unbiased Intelligence Of the educa-
ticnal forces of the country. to be set
tied in the negative In the interest OF
Johns Hopkins and the University Of Vir-
eina by the narrow-m!nded agents who
are permitted to speak for Carnegie and
Rockefeller and the education trust.
Appropriations that should be entirely
basis, and in respect to those on the half
ard-half bass there is constant en-
deavor to put them solely on the District
JInwssa and thought1ess assistance along
these lines Of injury IS rendered by Wash.
'ng. onians and by some whose official po-
sit,ons cause their voices to be viewed as
representative of WASHINGTON.
never in all its history was Washington,
the National Capital. SO urrnly intrench-
ed in the pride and affection Of the
American people: never has II had strong
er and more influential statesmen on
Capitol Hill to speak for those who politi.
cally cannot speak for themselves and to
enforce in legislation the PRINCIPLES Of
IN the act of 1878. and never has there
haay President In the White, HNu0o ~