Evening star., 1915-05-27

the result of the full presentation OF
the case to the fair-minded men of the
| joint committee and of congress is
highly desirable. We shall not have
again for many years similar chance
to bring the pertinent facts in the
| Districts case pointedly to the atten-
| tion of Congress. If the joint congress
sional committee which will thorough
ily inform itself concerning all the
| equities in the case fails to crystalline
its conclusions into a definite contribu-
| tion plan and shifts the fixing of the
| national contribution to future congress
| sional committees dealing with Dis
! trict affairs al successive sessions. the
| action will obviously be injurious to
| the capital 1t will be impossible for
the District to get its case as fully and
| carefully considered and the local and
| national obligations toward the capi-
| tai as fairly and accurately measured
| by future congressional committees
absorbed in the routine of current legisa-
| ton. as by the present special joint COM
mites. Since truth and justice are with
the capital the financial relation to the
nation should be definitely recommend
ed by the joint committee, which Is to
! make special study of what truth
| and justice demand.
| If the joint congressional committee.
having dissipated in the light of the
| facts all preiudices that are unreason-
a BILE. does not perform the duty of fix
/ ing a definite contribution plan and
! leaves the national contribution in
definite. the prejudice and irritation
| over District appropriations will he
| removed only by Welding to them and
by failing to appropriate adequately.
The congressman who thinks unfair
| to his constituents a national half
contribution toward capital mainten-
propriate from the national Treasury
the whole of such maintenance. The in
| definite contribution plan avowedly de-
stroys all relation between District
.
for the District, and superacially the
nation will furnish every dollar Of
| capital maintenance. VIII appropria-
tions in this shape lessen or increase
antf-District prejudice and irritation
among the ill-informed?
Another suggested reason why the
friends Of the half half plan should
Kill 1t in difference to an alleged con-
gressional prejudice is thus worded
| The act of 1878 which carries the half
and-half plan is called sometimes and
| by some people the Organic" act; and
| this word organic" suggesting sacred
ness and inviolability. is as red rag to
the congressional bull. offensive and in
| furiating. Washington has disclaimed
any offensive meaning to the word OF
one suggesting disrespect of Congress
or contempt of legislative omnipotence
and has pointed out that the word was
United States in characterizing the act
! of 1878.
, If the law is sound, wholesome, wise
and fair on its merits Congress will
not on account of mere prejudice
against a name destroy an Organic
act and substitute an inorganic" OF
"disorsanic' or disintegratng act
which destroys a system and leaves in
definiteness. uncertainty and chaos.
If Congress wishes at once to pre-
serve the act of 1873 in principle and
substance and to prevent it from be-
ing called the organic act, the word
permanent" may be omitted from the
law. the ordinary provision concerning
alteration and amendment may be in
serted. and as a condition of continue
tion of the law the people Of the capi-
! tai may be forbidden. or may by vol
untary pledge forbid themselves, to
use in respect to what the Supreme
Court of the United States calls an
organic act the offensive word "or-
ganic."
Some way should most certainly be
devised to enable every congressman to
legislate on the merits of this vital To-
cal issue. unaffected by petty prejudice
or unreasonable irritation at an i'm
aginary slur upon the powers of Congress
conveyed in popular descriptive name.
Violations No Ground Of Repeal.
| ;. The act OF 1878 has not been obeyed
and should therefore be repealed. Uncle
Sam has violated the half-and- hall
pledge In the past; therefore he should
| now repudiate 1t altogether.
| But IL the law in wise and fair and eA-
| sentiaI to the capitals welfare. occa-
| sional violations of 1t by the United
i states constitute NO logical reason FOL
! the laws destructiOn. On the contrary
| G%AkA ah n