Evening star., 1926-02-07

Half a century ago the question OF
the fiscal relations between the DIS
trict and the
Federal Liability Federal Govern
for the District. ,nsnI disc ,saion s.sI u1u in
Congress, the specific topic being the
payment Of the interest on the 3.65
bonds issued during the period of the
territorial government to finance the
large public works then undertaken.
In It's issue of February l, 1876, The
Star says:
The debate in the Senate yester-
day was noticeable as bringing out
the opinions of Senators of legal abil-
ity to the effect that the General Gov
ernment is both by law and equity
responsible for the Indebtedness of
the District incurred under direct
Government control of District af-
fairs. Mr.. Frelinghuysen stated this
view very forcibly, saying: I under
stand three things are admitted,
namely, that this work has been done,
that 1t was necessary 10 do 1t, and
that the Government of the United
States is liable to pay for 1t, and 1t
seems to me the conclusion is quite
direct that we had better pay for it
at once And again: L have never
met an American citizen coming to
this Capital. no matter of what party
or from what section of our country,
who did not rejoice in seeing the i'm
proyements which have been made in
these avenues and parks and public
buildings. No one makes a greater
mistake than he who thinks that
Americans are a mean people. They
are proud and generous. They do
not wish that the 100000 people of
this District, 40 per cent of whom
Oh hn az hn nf
maintaining q capital for them"
In further reference to the same
debate, The Star in it's issue of Feb
ruary 2. 1875. said:
Mr.. Morton, in the Senate debate
Monday, expressed his opinion quite
as positively as other prominent
Senators have done in regard to the
degree of responsibility falling upon
the Government in respect to the
District rule and the financial condi-
ton of the District. He said in this
connection:
when Congress assumed the gov
ernment of this District it assumed
all liability; II became the moral and
the legal duty of Congress to pro-
vide for all those streets, not only
to build them where they We're neces-
sary, but to keep them in repair
When we took the entire govern
ment we took the entire obligation,
and we must carry it out. If these
streets get out of repair, these
wooden pavements rot out, these
concrete pavements break up, we,
having deprived the people here of
all control over them, must see to
it ourselves that they are repaired.
1t is not question now whether the
Board Of Public Works exceeded it's
authority or not. We took the city
as we found it, and we are now bound
to take care of these streets and the
property here. We cannot throw II
off on the people: you have rendered
them powerless; they have no more
political rights than the people of
Russia. This day they cannot gov
ern themselves In the slightest de-
gree, and when you have placed them
In that position you have taken on
yourselves the duty of providing for
them as they ought to be provided
for"
A still further comment on this
subject is contained in the issue of
February 3, 1876, as follows:
THE matter of the District in
debtedness is still before the Senate
and the press of the country has also
taken up the subject. The general
expression Of opinion, even from pa
pers most hostile to the administra-
ton and to the District government,
Is that the load of Indebtedness for
the improvement of the National
Capital cannot by law or justice be
saddled upon the people of the Dis
trict. Thus the Baltimore Gazette, a
stanch Democratic paper, says:
The District of Columbia again
occupied the attention of the Senate
yesterday. drawing forth the fire of
the opponents and defenders Of the
present government and the late ring
In that city. The point in contro-
versy is who shall Immediately pay
the principal of the immense debt
saddled upon Washington by a Board
of Public Works and by the present
Commissioners. Qui facit per alum
facit per sc is a maxim as old as the
Law itself. and US the two governments