Evening star., 1915-10-30
SAYS D. c. SHOULD Be
FREE Of LOCAL TAXES
B. N. Seibold Makes Argument in
Brief Filed With Congressional
Committee.

A brief In support of practically no
taxes at all for the residents of the
District of Columbia has been filed with
| the joint select committee by B. M.
| Seibold of sol 14th street southeast.
Mr.. Seibold bases his argument on the
theory that the original residents OF
the territory of the states of Mary
| land and Virginia did not for nothing
give up their right to vote, and that
| the compensation was a freedom from
all taxes. He declares that the act of
| 1878 is not the true organic act of the
District of Columbia, but that the act
of 1890 whereby the federal govern
| ment outlined the District of Columbia
| is the real fundamental law on which
all consideration should be based.
Summary of Brief.
Mr. Seibold's brief is summed up as
follows:
First. That the Congress of the
United States has no power, or author
ity. to lay and collect taxes upon and
from the inha bitants of the District of
Columbia for purely local purposes.
Second. That to live free of local
taxation Is the compensation for which
the inhabitants have given up their
right of self-government and become
the willing subjects of Congress.
Third. That the District of Columbia
is a municipal corporation in name
only.
Fourth. That the act of June II,
1878, which creates Cor allows to be)
the District of Columbia a municipal
by Congress, and is used for an un-
lawful purpose. to wit, the laying and
collecting of taxes, upon and from the
inha bitants of the District, without
authority to do SO, and is therefore
null and void.
Fifth. That the contract entered into
between the federal government on one
side and the states of Maryland and
Virginia. and the inhabitants of their
respective territories ceded, on the
other, and which has been ratified and
accepted as binding upon all parties. by
the act of July 16. 1890, is the only
lawful and real organic act in exist
ence.
Sixth. That the Congress Of the Unit
ed States cannot by law, or any other
legislative act, declare void said con-
tract, but that said contract can only
be repealed. or annulled by the common
Denies Right Of Taxation.
Mr. seibold claims that nothing in the
to enact tax laws for the people of the
District; that the federal government
has no right to tax the residents here.
He declared that the legislatures of
Maryland and Virginia have secured
the compensation to their citizens for
ever, that they shall live in this Dis
trict free of local taxation, for which
they gave up their right of self-gov-
| ernment and became the willing sub
jeCtS of Con ngreSS,"
He declares that the existence of the
District of Columbia is the result of
that original agreement, and that the
organic act Of 1878 is nothing COM
pared to the act of 1890 creating the
federal city's outlines.
Part of the Agreement.
He asserts: THAT the citizens of the
territory ceded were told, before they
became a party to this compact, and
that they SO understood it, that as soon
as the federal government would take
over this District and it would in real
ity become the seat of government of
the United States, the financial obliga-
tions for the running and the upkeep
! would fall entirely upon the federal
government, cannot be doubted"
Mr.. Seibold said that ignorance led to
the passage of the organic act of 1873,
and said it is "in reality a willful and
| malicious fraud, perpetrated upon the
ignorance and unsuspfcous majority of
the District"
In speaking of the amount which the
District should pay. to the federal gov
ernment, he says:
'The proper proportion which the in
habitants of the District of Columbia
shall pay for the support of the District
is the same .as that of every other
American citizen-that is, that they
shall pay into the Treasury of the
United States the same as paid by every
American citizen for the support of the
federal government, out OF which the
expenses for the running and improV-
Ing OF the District are to be paid"