Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-20

is this paragraph OF the act OF 1873 to
the people Of the District of Columbia
federal Constitution give more prolong-
ed or more patient consideration to Its
provisions than was given by the emf
nent statesmen who implanted In the
statutes Of the United States as per-
manent settlement Of the claims of the
people of the District of Columbia the
protecting clause requiring Congress to
take no more from them by way Of tax
alton for the maintenance and improve
ment Of the capital of tho nation than
Congress was willing to have the nation
provide for the same purpose.
City Grows In Beauty.
Under the 50 per cent provision Of this
great act OF Congress the city of Wash
ington has grown in beauty and attrac-
tiveness from year to year. and even
now fears comparison with no other
capital in the world. For many years
no serious effort was made to dissolve
or change the bond which that provision
established between the nation and its
chosen seat Of government. But in jan
uary, 1896, there was introduced IN the
House Of Representatives a bill Oh. r..
4448) entitled "A bill to repeal all pro-
visions of the law for the payment by
the United states of one-half of the ap-
propriations for the District OF Column
bia." In due course this bill was re-
ferred to the House committee on the
District of Columbia.
May %. 1896. the chairman of the
committee. Mr.. Babcock. submitted to
the House its unanimous report (H. r.
report No. 1879. and its recommends
ton that the bill be indefinitely post
poned.
To keep this brief within reasonable
limits we must omit much that Is Of
interest and value in this report. We
doubt not that every member of the
Joint committee will read 1t carefully.
tenor Of the whole report:
ITO change the act OF 1878, as pro-
posed by this bill. would be a clear
Reputation of both the equitable and
ton in regard to Its National Capital
This we cannot believe Congress will
do:
"A reputation Of national obliga-
would result either in a discreditab BILE
capital, poorly sustained by reasonable
taxation upon local resources, or in the
virtual confiscation of local property
through excessive taxation.
Six Million Not Enough.
'"The six millions expended annually
upon the capital are not enough to
meet the current reasonable and in
creasing municipal needs. The three
millions contributed by the local tax
payers would be inadequate to sustain
the National Capital as 1t now exists.
or to keep 1t in line of natural develop
ment. One million of the three would
be absorbed in interest and sinking
fund upon the heavy debt; the greater
part of another million is demanded for
the schools the District having no pub
lie land grant to help 1t like those en-
mo nv Of hA ato%
naming million would have to meet
such expenses as maintenance of the
police. fire and health departments. the
construction and maintenance of mu-
maintenance of charitable and reforma-
tory institutions. the cleaning Of
streets and the general cost of admin
istration. And how they would be met
bered that over $780, 900 is now ex-
pended upon these objects, and that
the present appropriations are made
quate in respect to many of them" I"
"A large number Of the pupils in the
public schools Of the District reside in
the states and territories. All govern
ment employees and officials. including
senators and Representatives, may send
their children to the District schools,
and many avail themselves of this ad-
vantage"
Nothing is more conspicuous in all
the early utterances of our Presidents
and public men than their insistence
upon the nationality and the per-
the capital. Why did Washington call
it SO continually "the Federal city" IL
i i w, vas to be only mere municipal
Asks Only Justice.
I'm conclusion. the District of Co.
lumbia asks from Congress only jus-
tice, and not favor. Its people make
no appeal to sympathy, nor to pride,
but, strong in the equity Of their case,
as here presented, they invoke for it
the impartial judgment of an enlight-
ened Congress. II it is said that no
other city has half it's expenses paid
by extraneous aid. 1t is answered that
no other city has to maintain a magni-
ficent capital. fit to be the political
of seventy millions II its
financial system is anomalous, its sit
uation and it's obligations are equally
anomalous. The only child of the
Union. as Senator Southland styled it
sixty years ago, was never SO worthy
as now OF its illustrious parentage. The
exclusive legislation of the American
Congress surely entails upon that body
a grave responsibility. and all that is
OF the District and the gov
eminent may be discussed and decided
in the forum Of reason and by the
well settled principles Of constitutional
law"
1t is sometimes urged that this act
Of 1873 has already been destroyed by
that have been made to it
from time to time. But this argument
Is more ingenious than persuasive. The
provisions in 1t are:
(D Government of the District by
Congress through Commissioners ap-
pointed by the President. without par
ticipation in any way by the people Of
the District; and (2) that the United
States shall pay one-half of the ex-
penses of that government. 1t would
be absurd to put in the same class
with these provisions the numerous de-
the act. And. indeed. Congress in the
act itself looked to such amendment.
for by section Is it was provided:
That 1t shall be the duty OF the said
to report to Congress at
the next session succeeding their APP
pointment a draft OF such additional
laws or amendments to existing laws
as in their opinion are necessary for
the harmonious working Of the system
hereby adopted. and for the effectual
and proper government of the District
Of Columbia"
The Contribution of the United States
to the Expenses of the District
should Be Definite. FIXED Proper
tion Of the Same.
Necessarily much that has been said
above in support of the proposition
that the federal government should
contribute largely to the support of the
District of Columbia tends also to
demonstrate that the nations contri-
The whole. Without repeating what
mas already been said in that regard