Evening star., 1915-01-09
DEBATE IS HALTED
ON DISTRICT BILL
Senate Lays Aside Appropria-
ton Measure to Eulogize
Late Senator Johnston.
FIGHT ON THE "RIDER" TO
BE RESUMED MONDAY
Senators Root, Gallinger, Shafroth,
Lee and Others Defend Half
and-Half Plan.

and-Half Plan.
The District appropriation bill was
laid aside in the Senate today to give
the right of way to eulogies upon the
late Senator Johnston of Alabama. 1t
will be taken up for consideration
again when the Senate meets Monday.
The fight over the Johnson rider re-
pealins the half -and-half principle of
appropriating for the District. upheio
In the Senate by Senator Kenyon OF
Iowa, Senator James OF Kentucky ana
others, and opposed by Senators Root
Gallinger, Shafroth. Lee and others, IS
expected to continue Monday. The sup
porters of the Senate appropriations
committee amendment. which would
strike out the Johnson rider and re-
tain intact the half -and-half principle,
express confidence that the committee
amendment will be adopted.
The debate in the Senate over the
method of appropriating for the Dis
trict and the system of taxation here,
it is believed, will lead to JOINT con-
gressional investigation of these mat
ters 1t is possible that an amendment
to the District bill will be adopted pro-
Supporters of the half-and-half plan
believe that the feeling which has
sprung up among some members OF tne
House and Senate antagonistlc to the
method of appropriating for the DIS
trict is due to lack of information. For
that reason, and to clear the atmos-
phere, friends of the District in. Con-
gress are willing that such an investi-
cation should be made a quickly as
possible. They believe that an investi-
finv, chn al ya1
citizens of the District are as heavily
taxed as those of other localities, and
the share which the federal govern
ment ct present bears in the eXpendi-
ture for the District is only fair.
Rally to Support of District.
Many senators rallied to the defense
of the District of Columbia during the
debate yesterday afternoon. Senator
Root of New York made notable ad-
dress. urging the Senate to do justice to
the people of the DISTRICT. Senator Gal
linger of New Hampshire. who for
many years has been warm friend of
the District, attacked in vigorous man
ner the arguments which have been
made against the retention of the half
and-half plan. He insisted that thor
ough investigation of the whole matter
of the relation existing between the
federal government and the District
should be carefully investigated before
any legislation proposing change in
existing law was enacted. Another
champion of the District was Senator
Lee of Maryland, who riddled the state
ments made in support of the Johnson
rider by Senators Kenyon and James
of Kentucky.
During his address Senator Post said:
I'VE cannot give to the people of the
District of Columbia the right to con-
troll their own affairs. We cannot do
1t. because it is inconsistent with the
which makes the United States, the
whole United States, and no one else,
sovereign at the seat of government.
"Sir, that may be debatable, but we
are not going to debate it and settle it
here. We are not going to change the
fundamental idea which brought US
here upon this amendment, and we
ought not to. 1t ought not to be
changed at all, unless after mature
deliperation and with full consideration
OF all the reasons and all the results
which We cannot give here.
I'VE have not brought the govern
ment OF the United States to city
There was no city here but few scat
tered farmhouses when the government
was located here. Otherwise there
would have been no city here. The To-
cation is not adapted to the building
up OF great city. The people who in
habit the District of Columbia have
come mere in the main because the
here. and what ere they? Are they a
CITY! We speak of them as if they
were corporation. They are not You
cannot make them corporation by
Saylns so in a statute or in debate
They exercise no powers. They have
no corporate life. They have no con-
troll over their own affairs.
!hey nave come to the capital of the
Chiteo States in reliance upon the
Denencent government. in which they
nave no voice. in which they lose their
voice by coming here. Our relation to
Il fs relation not to a CORPORATION.
but to individuals: individuals who
nave no voice In this bedy or in either
membership in this body or in either
house of Congress. They are our help
less wards We have a higher duty to
them than We have to any constituents
o. our own, because our constituents
can protect themselves. while these
people are helpless. They have mo
voice or vote by which they can pro-
tect themselves.
Does Not Think Taxes Low.
The senator has said, and several
other senators have indicated a feeling
that taxes are unduly low here. 1 dc
not know whether or not that is so
but my impression Is the contrary. Ny
impression Is the taxes here are no,
unduly low. but that Is not especially
important to the observations that
have in mind. I think that the idea
that the city of Washington has be
come a rendezvous or a resort for the
rich who wish to escape taxation is al
wrong: I think 1t a great mistake.
know something about the people OF
Washington; l have seen a large part
of them come here. There are here 9
few compared with the size of the
place-a very few-residences OF
wealthy people. You can count or
your fingers people who have come
here and who have not come because
of some relation to the government Of
the United States.
"Old and honored servants of the gov
eminent have passed their lives here
and, dying, have left their families tt
remain and live in Washington, not ts
escape taxation, but because this was tn.
place where the husband or father wa.
known and honored, and where happy
associations have grown up. That ac
counts for most of the houses which hay,
stirred the animosity of some of the sen
ators who have spoken on this subject
'Nor is 1t true. it seems to me, tha
the people of wealth, the very small mum
Der of people of wealth. who have com
here without that reason. have come I,
avoid taxation / know that the chang
of the tax law which has been suggeste.
here, providing for the taxation of stocks
Aa md fh0V Tf q noxiI -rk,