The Washington times., 1920-12-06
Trying 1t on the Dog
Start Somewhere Else, and Let Us Have Rest From
Regulation"


The Rev Harry L. Bowby bless his soul, is secretary
of the Lords Day Alliance
The Rev Harry L. Bowlby, worse luck. does not live
In Washington but in New York.
The Rev Bowlby, having decided perhaps that New
York pretty well whtened to soul has decided that
he and his cohorts will have to down and scour up
the smoky morals of Washington
Now, If the Rev. Rowlby lived in Washington, 1t is
probable that he would and clean up Philadelphia or Bal
tmore maybe he would get new viewpoint on New
York At least quite certain the reverend gentle
would be starting Washington. Charity may
begin at home, but dyedn-the-woo reormer" always
starts far from home he can conveniently get
Speaking at Scranton Pa last night the
REV Mr. Bowlby told his auditors that Of the main
features of the legislative program of the Lords Day Al
lance is "to and maintain a Sunday observance
law for the District of Columbia where there is such
measure"
It is the same old story in the old way. We
decide somebody be reformed Obviously to get
reform under way, tackle something easy first
Where shall start? Easy. There's the District
of Columbia whose people have no vote for municipa!
officers for Representatives in Congress- for President OF
the United States, or for anything else.
The people of Washington pay taxes on property,
tangible and intangible and on their incomes they bought
Liberty Bonds heavily oversubscrbed all wartime drives
These people have submitted with easy grace to all
the experiments which have been tried out them by Con-
gress and by reformers IN and out Of the National Gov
ernment
Therefore the people of the District of Columbia it
may be readily deduced form supine collection of feeble
minded weakwilled Individuals who will stand for any
thing.
That makes it simple All we have to do now is to
drop in on Washington start the ball rolling, and we
will have trouble in putting over anything that we
want the way of legislation affecting the life and liberty
of these people. O. E. D.
Scientists in their search for knowledge to aid the
human race experiment dogs and other lower animals
Reformers, in their search for the dog, try it on
Washington.
When the gentlemen of the Congress decided that
longer sdesep the issue of prohibition they
oT in
District of Columbia Bills and amendments without mum
ber thrashed out the floor of Congress- The Dis
trct of Columbia having voice in the Government was
the verbal football for these gentlemen
Since the passage of the act making the District dry
Congress has been beseged with refomers proposing games
with the District the football.
The argument of the reformer to the member OF Con-
gress is this:
''These people do not vote They can have no weight
i'm reeectng you defeating you for reelection You
needn't be afraid to help because they can't hurt you
even if they don't like what we do to them
Now Rev. DR.. Bowlby and associated gentlemen,
we do doubt your sincerity We do not question the
height and purity your ideals It is undoubtedly true
that many of your aims and ambitions highly audabe
But
Please start in somewhere else.
The people of Washington thoroughly sick and
tired of being regulated
Our business has been regulated Earnest regulators
busy bees have passed sufficient restrictive legislation
to thoroughly curtail our building program.
And we must have morals regulated. We
perhaps need moral restriction But, Rev. DR.. Bowlby
and gentlemen believe that not thoroughly
stepped in sin preclude regulation for ourselves
The Government statistics to iteracy would indi
cate we are considerably above normal in intelligence
Our institutions in so far have been permitted to
conduct them plane high as II not higher than
those of other cities of equal population.
We believe that thoroughly capable of running
our own business and of censoring own morals.
Incidentally, we attend strictly to business
and to morals We respectfully and humbly sug
pest that others the