Evening star., 1915-03-19
Au|NE. OF DEFENSE
OF ORGANIC ACT
vIH uVHu.hUvUI I'LL i



lots has lately risen very much. and q
great increase of price is still expected
az the object eemes to be more inves1i-
gated and better understood.
for the Acknowledgement Of every object
in the city on the part of the public a
large surplus Of lots will remain the
property Of the city which i1 ,s nereai,er re aer
piled as to defray the annual expenses
Incident to the city' and the citizens
and their property. will he forever free
from heavy tax which IN unaSoiaa"ie
In other large cities"
President Jefferson in his message
of 1909 voices the same Thought ana
holds out TO lot purchasers the same
hope He protests against the hasty
forced sale OF the lots donated to the
government. He recognizes "a residu-
AIRY interest of the city" in these lots;
pointing out that if wisely handled
they would not only meet the national
requirements but would insure con-
siderable surplus to the city to be en-
ployed for its improvement II
Indulgence for the fund can be permit
ted they will probably form resource
of great and permanent value.
Cotemporaneous publications in Great
Britain show that to induce the pur-
chase of lots from the government this
suggestion Of complete or partial Inl-
munity from local taxation was dan
gled before prospective purchasers
part of this representation
Probable favorttism toward the pop
ulation Of this endowed city was the
ground of one of the arguments against
the ratification of the clause of the
Constitution which provides for the
ten miles square" In the Virginia
convention Patrick Henry said: The
people within that place may be ex-
cused from all the burdens imposed on
the rest of society and may enjoy eX-
elusive cmoluments to the great in
jury of the rest of the people" And
in the course of pamphlet discussion
respecting the government of the Dis
trict protest was entered against Con-
gress meeting all of the needs of the
capital. on the ground that the indie
pendence and self-respect of its citizens
would be degraded. Congress seems
for a long time to have obeyed this
protest SO far as to render assist
ance whatever worthy the name in the
work of capital making. In connec-
ton with the gift to it of more than
20 per cent of the soil of Washing
ton. in order to sell lots carved from
this gift, the nation promised that
Washington should be the permanent
seat of government, and pretended that
this permanent capital would be i'm
proved at national expense, without re-
gard TO the scanty population that
would be at first attracted to it. Hav-
ing secured this magnificent donation
and pocketed the proceeds from the
safe oI 1OtS, lHS nation utterly 1all6Q
TO meet its promises. 1t frequently
threatened to remove the capital.
which meant, Of course, the death of
Washington. 1t practically abandoned
the work of street improvement and
capital making to the scanty resident
population.
For more than thirty years, during
which period 100000 had been
realized from the sale of lots pledged
for the benefit of improvements, its
Ct ntG
nues, which were its exclusive prop
erty. we're less than $500 per year, and
its annual appropriations since that
time until a recent period in the city's
history have been widely varying in
amount and at the best inadequate. In
1873 the government, which had in the
beginning impliedly undertaken to
meet all the expenses of capital max
ing. and then shifted that burden in
the main upon private citizens. decided
that justice required it to pay one
half of the Districts expenses.
The nation has now returned half
way to the original and appropriate
idea Of the federal city. This guardian.
who for three-fourths of a century
was unfaithful to his trust, now,
without. making the slightest restitu-
ton for the wrongs Of the past. shares
the expenses Of the ward whom he
equitably bound himself in the begin
ming to support, and some men call it
charity.
Future Affected by Past.
t3p Study Of the equitable founda-
.ions upon which proportionate con-
tribution toward capital maintenance
by the nation In based brings the con-
Siction that NO AxinK of that proper
tion can be Just which Ignores national
neglects Of obligations in the past In
determining tire equitable measure OF
MPnn0rf1AnntR Unntrfhmtfnu he I'm.
f0re.
While the nation mp to 1878 exacted
m excessive and oppressive contribu-
tion from the local taxpayers toward
the upbuildinE Of the capital and since
that date has required all that could be
equitably demanded. 1t has failed to
ward the capital. having neglected
these obligations for three-fourths of
4 century and not Offering now to re-
3mburse payments made ON its account
during the season Of neglect.
Since justice requires that the gov
eYnment should pay n certain propOr-
fion Of District expenses now, both
Justice and eensisteney demand that it
should pay the same proportion of the
expenses Of the years OF its Indifference
and neglect.
The original owners of Washington
donated fve-sevenths of the citv's soil
and yielded the right of self-gorern-
ment to the nation OFT the understand
ing and implied agreement that the ma
ton was to build up here a magnificent
capital af it's own expense. reirnbursilIg
itself from the proceeds of the sale of
donated lots. \ pretentious city was
planned and lots were sold by the gov
ernment On the strength of this under
standing. For three-fourths of a cen
tury the nation violated or neglected
the obligations which IT had thus in-
Cured. In 1878 the government which
had in the beginning impliedly under
taken to meet all the expenses of cap-
itai making and then shifted that bur
den. In the main. upon private citizens,
decided that justice required it to pay
one-haif of the Districts expenses
From these facts two equities in IA
vor Of WashinSton's people and against
the nation arise: % For the payment
cal community capital-making ex-
penditures from 1890, based on the ma
,ton's Undertaking to meet these ex-
penses itself at the founding of the
city; (2) for the repayment to Wash
ington OF whatever Its people had paid
more than the United States. applying
TO the past the half-and half principle
Of the organic act.
The second equity has been formally
urged upon the nation The (Poiandy
report of the House committee on the
judiciary. June, 1874, said: "From a
statement of expenditures by the gov
ernment by the Treasury Depa rtrnent
up TO 1871 we find: the total expendi-
tures up to 1871 for improvements Of
avenues and streets by the govern
Advises Lime {