Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-23
NO REPEAL SOLELY
OF OUR $3.50 LAW
CONTINUED from First Page.

privilege which some now seek to re-
| store to it. 1t taxed itself for tho
purpose very little. far too little.
Balanced Equities of Organic Act.
| By the organic act the nation %
| promised to pay definitely and regu-
! larly toward capital development I'M
| der a system which CD fixed n def
mite relation between national and To-
cal contributions for capital upbuiid-
ing and thus guaranteed tho unrep-
resented District ngainst excessive
taxation; and CD the nation took to
itself from the local community all
power of solicitation and municipal
self government. and also destroyed
the Districts territorial representa-
ton in its national government
through a voteless delegate in the
House.
Guaranty Against Oyertaxation.
Thus through the organic act the
nation proclaimed its intent to exer-
else supreme control of it's capital
and recognized it's corresponding SUI
preme obligation.
That it might exercise this supreme
control it took from the local COM
munity the privilege of Self-taXation
That its own taxation of the District
might not be unjust or excessive. but,
as far as practicable approximating
self-taxation, the nation. imposed
upon itself. as represented by Con-
gress, the halfand -half.safeguard of
the organic act, under which in tax
ing the unrepresented District the
nation, proportionately, taxed also
itself.
The half -and- half provision was
thus not only the definite expression
of affirmative beneficence by the ma
ton in meeting it's supreme financial
obiigation in resnect to the capital
but was also it's self-irnposcd guarnn-
~ I'm protection of "a community from
which II had Just taken self-taxatiOn
against excessive and unjust taxi
ton by body in which 1t was not
represented.
No Repeal Without Substitute.
If the half-and- half provision is to
be repealed or radically changed, ii
definite and carefully considered sub
stitute should be provided, not only
by engctments concerning the contrt-
buttons of nation and capital respec-
lively. but by the substftution of
other equally effective safeguards for
that which the hnlf-nnd-half provl-
sion supplies against excessive and
unjust taxation of the unrepresented.
If the new law merely repeats the
and-half provision. either direct
ly or covertly. as proposed by the bill
pending before the Mouse District
committee, the amendment of the or
ganic act is clearly lopsided and in
equitable.
A new law which repeats the half
nnd-half section of the organize act
should In fairness % substitute some
other equally definite guarantee of
the unrepresented District against ex-
cessive and unjust taxation. or (2)
should restore the aelf-taxntiOn and
seIf-gOvernment to the community Of
which the legislation of 1s74-s de-
prived 1t: md Cd should In either
alternative by constitutional amend
ment empower Congress to give to
Wnshin gtOnfnns the status of citizens
of state for the purpose of repre-
sentntfOn in Congress and the cleo
tcral college.
District National Representation.
National representation should in
equity be granted whether the half
and-half law stands or falls. The Dis
q ess whether Congress retains or
surrenders sole legislative power in
respect to the District. National rep
resentation and the half-and-half law
are not alternatives, contradictory,
hostile, repellant. On the contrary
they co-exist and cooperate harmo-
niously and benefcially. Political
equity and financial equity go natu-
rally hand in hand.
Washington II absolutely cure Of
full and fair hearings Of it's cOnten-
lions and the MOST thoughtful and
sympathetic consideration of it's
equities I'M the framing by Congress-
of it's new organic act. The nation
will never use its exclusive power of
District legislation solely in it's own
selfish interest. 1t will never strike
from the organic act of 1873 its own
primary obligation, pledge and guar
nnty of just treatment and leave
upon the people OF Washington the
burden of sacrifice of American rights
and privileges exacted from them in
1873 In connection with the hnlf-and-
half legislation.