Evening star., 1918-02-15
Legislation by Slander.

Recently The Star commented edi-
tor;ally upon the rentals anti-profiteer
ing bill reported from the House Dis
trict committee. The purpose of the
bill was commended as sound, whole
some ana in the public interest 1t
was declared that "Washington viii
welcome equitable legislation which pre-
vents District landlords from extorting
excessive rentals from District tenants" ;"
! As hints of equitable amendment The
Star suggested that any excess of rent
ais which a profiteering landlord
OF 1917 is compelled to disgorge should
in equity be restored to the tenant from
whom it mai been extorted. and not be
treated as tax revenue; that if the pro-
posed punishment of past profiteering
is found to be of doubtful constitution
atty or unjust or unwise we should
concentrate on the effort to prevent
present and future proiteering; that
any effective method of prev eHting
: prohteering in house rentals should be
Immediately applied to protiteering in
the evil is even more deadly in the in
jury inflicted; and that If war profit
eering in rentals, food and fuel can be
! prevented by law in Washington, it
should be prevented by similar laws of
universal application in every one of
the many american localities where war
conditions approximating those of Wash
ingtors in these respects confessedly
prevail
/. As every reader of The Star knows. it
has eo-operated earnestly and vigorously
with all other good Washingtonians in
rendering hearty and unstinted response
to every war time demand of devotion
and self-sacrifce made upon Americans.
1t has viewed abstention from profteer-
ing as patriotic duty, and has neglected
no effort to reduce the evil to a mini
mum IN Washington. Its suggestions of
smendment of the proposed anti-prof-
1eesring law expressed its honest con-
vfEtions that the bill would thereby be
rendered more equitable, more helpful
and more practically and widely eff
fective. Its watchword has been: "No
war extortion by proiteering, whether
IN rentals, food or fuel, here or else
whero in the United States,"
In the House debate yesterday Chair
man johnson of the House District com
mittee violently resented The Stars
comment upon this bill; assailed The
6tar as an apologist for and defender of
Wrongdoing, and slandered its motive
~ mercenary. On the insulting assump-
ion that The Star editorially calculates
Whst course will pay in money the best
and adopts that course, he pictured The
Star as hesitating whether to betray its
reader@the government clerksIwho
pay pennies for it, or its advertisers
The real estate men-who pay dollars to
q, and as deciding naturally in favor of
tho dollars.
The slander that The Stars editorial
policy IS based, not upon consideration
Of Washington's welfare, but upon dol
lars received in The Stars business of
fee viii be resented as vigorously by
Tho Stars readers as by The Star itself
The Star is proud that its record shows
rfhat it has consistently fought to pro-
mote and protect the interests of Wash
mgton, irrespective of the effect of these
campaigns upon business Office receipts
H has repeatedly cut out heavy adver-
tiIng which hampered this policy. From
ifs foundation its principle of action has
. beens @To be honest, fair and accurate
and to fight for Washington" In its
campaigns for fair play for Washington
: Il has demanded fair play for all Wash
mgtonians, Poor or rich, white or black
. man or woman, employer or employed
4 irrespective of business or occupation
: Il has ever been the strongest cham pion
OF those Washingtonians who were
weakest and most needed defense.
Chairman johnson, in his policy OF
= legislation by SANDER, has attempted te
beat down all criticism or suggested
;a2mendment of the details of his bill BY
esfmring sweepingly not only The Star
fsbut adj Washington real estate men, rep
sresentms an local landlords, and ever
khiB fellow representatives who had the
ksmdaeity to attempt to improve his bill
Of the committee representing the Rea
Sstzte Brokers' Association, Chairman
eoamson says: @They and their client.
s1re tho profteers." In deprecating :
heanng Of the association's committee
d says- 6Would the gentleman advo
f1eGte giving burglars and thieves a hear
1g IN preparing laws to stop them from
practieesf"
No sound, just wholesome Legislation
leas1alops from such law-making methods
! 1he Star proposes to continue to fgh
Ut tho welfare and good name of Wash
hgton- It will push its suggestions O
y battament by amendment of the anti
g ps6teerimg bill, which have not ye
1sn considered on their merits, an,
d Itch it considers to be sound an,
FsQftable. It viii also discuss in Wash