Evening star., 1923-02-11
Financial and Political Equity.

Representative Dill WHICH
proposes to smash the new definite
proportionate contribution ratio of
60-40 and to increase by millions the
local taxpayers burden on the pre-
tense of giving American representa-
tion and elf-goverument TO the people
Of the District, is ingeniously worded
TO alienato the sympathy and to in
rite the bitter opposition Of every
Washingtonian.
1t is based upon the theory that
Uncle Sam cannot simultaneously do
political equity and financial equity:
that if he grants anything to the Dis
trict in the name OF political equity he
must. as an offset, violate financial
equity by withdrawing in a small and
mean way some financial benefit al
ready equitably granted. The bill even
places Uncle Sam in the contemplate
position Of suppressinS District petit
tons for national representation. or
even bogus self-government, by threat
ening petitioners with pecunary dam
age if they venture to petition.
\ fraction of our people prefer. the
election OF Il beard Of education to ap-
pointment by Commissioners or Presi-
dent or the District Supreme Court
judges. This bill says, in effect: You
may elect your hoard of education pro-
vided you will pay solely from District
revenue the millions Of school appro-
priations, more than one-fourth of the
total current appropriations
1t adds: You may elect Commits
sioners and a voteless delegate, pro-
vided you will pay for them solely
from the local revenue
If real voting representation in Con-
gress and the electoral college, to bc
obtained through our pending consti-
tutional amendment, were proposed by
the bill, consistency would compel IL
coupling of this grant with the de-
mand as adequate compensation that
the District from its own revenues
meet the whole of District expendi-
lures and pay handsome bonus to
Uncle Sam besides.
Of course, the political concessions
OF the bill are delusivc and worthless
so far as they pretend to give national
representation or local self-govern-
ment. Nutelcss Washington is still
voteless if it votes only for Il voteless
delegate. There can he no local self
government unless the community
participates in making it's laws and in
imposing and in spending the taxes
that are collected. 1t is a mockery to
say that we are getting local self
government when we get no participa-
ton in our local legislature and are
offered merely the privilege of elect
ing some minor executive officials. The
municipal legislature would still re-
main Congress. The real municipal
executive would still remain the Presi
dent of the United States.
But even if genuine national repre-
sentation Though not local selfgovern-
menO were proposed for us through
cur constitutional amendment, en-
powering Congress to grant us Ameri-
can voting representation in Congress
and the electoral college, no good
reason would result for violating finan-
cial equity by repudiating the nations
fiscal obligation in respect to the capi-
tai.
II we proposed to destroy national
control Of the capital through Con-
gress, and to transfer that control to
new sovereign state (of Columbia),
there might be force to the suggestion
that, as obligation goes with power,
the national obligation would cease il
the national power over the capital
ceased. But District national repre-
sentation by our constitutional amend
ment does not in the slightest lessen
national power and control in the Dis
trict, and consequently does not re-
duce in the slightest the national OBJ
legation. When the District secures
voting representation in Congress by
legislation following approval of this
constitutional amendment it will sim
ply become a small fractional part
politically Of the nation which that
Congress represents, and its half mil
lion people will be placed on equal
terms, in national representation at
least, with any other half million Of
Americans among the millions in the
rest Of the continental and contiguous
United States.
We shall become through our repre-
sentatives part of Congress, but we
shall take no power from that Con-
gress. Since national power and con-
troll in respect to the capital are unim-
paired. the national obligation to par
ticipate in maintenance and develop
ment of the National Capital is unim-
paired also.
Instead of being antagOnistic the
60-4O plan and national representation
for the District arc sympathetic and
supplemental. Both are manifestations
Of the spirit of 'fair play for Washing
ton" Both are rooted in the principle
of a Square deal for the capital"
EQUITY for the nations city involves
both financial equity and political
equity, and the two equities 60 hand
In hand.