The Washington herald., 1915-11-06
Only a Legislative Fiction, Z
Says Brownlow Of "Half' System

improvements as had been made down to
ls7l, and in the stormy times from ISL
30 1878 while the Congress did indeed set
up the machinery under which the Cap
ital was transformed. Congress had no
responsibility. Congress did not take any
action
TT was the legislature. or the board of
public works. or a temporary commits
sion In the last four years of that period.
II was not Congress. But since 1873 net
a single municipal thing has been done
that has not been done on the nat of
Congress.
Put Congress Into Good Habit.
II can freely say with the people who
stfll support the half-and-half. that It
was a great benefit to the National Cap
ital in that It induced Congress to get
into the annual habit OF taking into con-
sideration all the projected requirements
Of the District Of Columbia and to make
this annual appropriation based upon
the needs of the District OF Columbia.
That was its chief function and that
function II has performed. We now have
an orderly budget. We now have an
annual scheme OF appropriations. So
can see that the half-and-half has been
beneficial. but its benefits have been
benefits resulting solely from the psyche
upon n legislative mind.
Now. a psychological fact Is Just as
stubborn a fact as a physical fact. but
you cannot expect other than a psyche
logicl result from a psychological i'm
pulse. Everything that the half-and-half
can do In the way of influencing Con-
gress to take into consideration the needs
OF the District of Columbia has been
done Indeed, Congress has become so
No t0 he annual rOtItfna Of
proving the budget OF the District of
Columbia that It now accepts that as
Just as much a part Of its duty as IL does
TO pass the annual appropriation bill
for the postoffice, or for the navy, or
for the army. or for any other branch
OF the Federal gvernment, and, having
accepted that fact, II has forgotten the
chaos that existed here prior to, 1878, and
II is asinkg why this limitation? Why
the haIf-and-half?" So that now in the
year 1916 the half-and-half. instead Of
being psychologically advantageous TO
the National Capital, has become psy-
chologically Instantaneous.
Table Manner. Illustration.
whenever two men sit at table to
partake of food. and each Is permitted
to help himself according to the dictates
Of his own appetite. there will be no
quarrel. But whenever two men sit at
table and for any reason there Is an
arbitrary half-and-half division, there Is
room for doubt as to whether the man
who gets the tall end of the fish has the
advantage or disadvantage as compared
to the man who gets the head end Of tbs
fish.
But 1 have never personally heard n
resident Of the District talk about any
member of either house of Congress as
an enemy of the District, nor. on the
other hand, have ! ever heard any men,
Der of Congress have any unkind thing
to say about the people Of the District
unless they were discussing the half and
half II you could get this hard-and-
fast half-and- half rule out of the way,
this unjust and enequitable rule. there
would not be any reason on earth why
the patriotism and civic pride of men
from Oklahoma, North Dakota, Maine.
and South Carolina might not meet and
blend with the civic pride OF the men
from Georgetown, Chevy Chase, Anacos-
tia and Brookland. They are all Ameri-
cans and It doesn't make any one the
less an American because he happens to
live In the District OF Columbia instead
OF Pennsylvania
Holding as I do that the half and
half is but a legislative fiction, that its
effects and influence are altogether psy-
Geological. conceding as l do Its one
time benefit, / say. that now II is almost
altogether harmful. 1t is breeding dis
trust OF the District in Congress; II Is
breeding distrust OF Congress In the Dis
trict; 1t is fomenting a feud that, II
carried on TO fruition, will result in dire
disaster"
summary of Argument.
in conclusion. I want to say that
believe that your duty will be best
fulfilled IL you report to Congress that
IT is impossible to ascertain a fixed
to describe the proportion
Of the expenses of the National Capt.
tai that should be paid on the one
hand by the Federal government. and,
on the other hand, by the residents OF
the Capital: but that in your opinion,
II will be wise in the future for Con-
gress to appropriate for all the ex-
penses of the District of Columbia out
Of any money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, the govern
ment thus assuming to the full its
obligation to care for the National
Capital: and that the people here shall
be required to pay a just and equita-
BILE tax such as they would pay II they
lived in any other American city of
like size: and that the revenues SO
collected be covered into the United
States Treasury as a part of the re-
ceipts of the United States"