Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-10
Framing a New Organic Act.

A new organic act. new state con-
stitution. for the District of Ceium bia
will receive in preparation the thor
ough and careful consideration which
wisely characteriZes every alteration
of fundamental law.
The organic act of 1873, with it's
compromises. it's balances. it's Offset
ting OF equities, IL an integral whole
and any substitute for it should also
be complete, rounded and balanced in
all it's parts; and it's trainers in mold
ing it should give to all the equities
of all the parties cSneerned the same
wise and fair consideration that was
given by the statesmen Ct the last
century in their four years. labor of
framing the organic net and estab-
fishing the haIf-and-baIf principle.
AS the first step toward the solu-
ton of this legislative problem the
Senate should reject and the House
should refrain from insistence upon
repeal of the half-and-half provision
of the organic act by legislative rider
or Limitation upon the District ap-
preparation bill.
No Repeal by Rider.
The kind of repeal that is proposed
by the pending legislative rider mere
ly repudiates the nations agreement
and obligation under the organic act.
and does not modify correspondingly
the obligation and sacrifices under
that law of the people OF the capital.
1t gives back TO the nation its promise
to pay: it does not give back to the
people of Washington the right of
municipal self-taxation and other
American rights of which the organic
act deprived it. 1t retains in Congress,
representing the nation, exclusive
power to impose municipal taxes on
the District. but repudiates the ma
tons self-imposed guarantee under
excessive and unjust local taxation.
1t releases the nation from definite
capital responsibility and Omits en-
tirely to safeguard the equities of the
which have developed in forty years
as well as those that existed and
were recognized in 1878. 1t is lOp-
sided, jug-handIed. discriminatory,
unfair.
Lopsided, Jug-Handled, Unfair!
The organic act of 1878 readjusted
both the financial and the political
relations of nation and capital. 1t
fixed the equities both as to money
contributions toward capital upbuild-
ing through local taxation and con-
gressional appropriations, and as to
division of the power of government
In the District between the nation
and the iOcnl community. These two
functions of the organic act are bal
anced, intertwined and inseparable.
From 1900, for about three-quarters
of century the local community
enjoyed the privilege of municipal
seif-government and self-taxation
In the exercise of this privilege and
In the effort to bear alone the whole
burden of capital maintenance, it
twice taxed itself into bankruptcy
The nation had also during this
itself what it pleased for capital up
building. 1t taxed itself for the pur-
pose very little. far too little.
BY the organic act of 1873 the ma
ton % promised to pay definitely
and regularly toward capital develop
ment under a system which CD fixed
definite relation between national
and local contributions for capital
upbuilding and thus guaranteed the
unrepresented District against ex-
cessive taxation; and CD the nation
took to itself from the local COM
munity all power of self-taxation and
municipal seIf-government, and also
destroyed the Districts territorial
representation in it's national govern
ment through a voteless delegate in
the House.
If now the equities are to be re.
adjusted in respect to the financial
provisions of the net Of 1878. there
should be similar and simultaneous
read juntment of the political pro.
| visions. 4 new law which repeats the
! haIf-and-half section OF the organic
| act should in fairness (D restore the
| scif-taxntiOn and self-gOvernment t.
! the local community of which the leg.
! fslatiOn OF 1S54-S deprived it; or CT
! should substitute for the half-and.
| half provision some other equally
definite guarantee of the unrepresent.
| cd District against excessive and un.
| lust taxation; and CD should by con.
| stftutiOnal amendment give or EN-.
power Congress to give to Washing.
| tonians the status of citizens of 8
| state for the purpose of representa-.
tion In Congress and the electoral col.
! lege.
| Representation of the District il
| Congress and the electoral college
| should in equity be granted, whether
the half-and- half law stands or falls
The District should be represented In
Congress whether Congress retains OF
surrcnderS sole Legislative power IL
respect to the District. National rep