Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Relations of Nation and Carital.

ing Virginia, whose friendly intent
toward the Capital community has
been many times demonstrated, dis
cussed Wednesday night at the Cham
her of Commerce dinner. in serious
and thoughtful vein, both the fiscal
and political relations of the people
of the National Capital and the Ma.
tional Government.
Commenting upon the political re-
lation he referred to the discreditaole
conditions connected with the So
called territ orial form Of government
of the District in the early seventies
OF the last century and suggested OPP
position to a revival in 1926 OF the
humiliating conditions of half cen
fury ago. He indicated opposition to
any legislation which would diminish
national control through Congress Of
the National Capital, but suggested
assent to voting participation by the
District in the National Government
which is sought through the consti-
tutional amendment now pending.
Voting representation In both
houses of Congress and the Electoral
College is the only franchise pro-
posal for which the representative
citizens organizations, with approx
mate unanimity, petition. Their pro-
posed constitutional amendment does
not even go so far as to give them
directly this representation. 1t pro-
poses only TO give the power to- grant
this representation to Congress In Its
discretion. By this wording of the
amendment every reasonable objection
to it is swept away.
Only through misunderstanding re-
sulting in misconstruing the terms.
the purpose and the effect of the pro-
posed amendment can vote against
1t be justified.
Mr.. Moore differentiates correctly
between the wrestling OF control OF the
National Capital from Congress, rep
resenting the Nation, and the grant
of fractional voting representation IN
that Government on American princl-
Dlos to the people of the Capital.
O1 course, the HUI Ally lti5 SoiioA>AoiAS
that developed from the feather-duster
Legislature that died in 1874 have no
relevancy whatever in discussion OF
national representation for the Dis
frict in 1926, and very little in consid-
ering the question today OF greater
participation of the community In
matters of municipal concern and IN
the local government.
Local self-government in the DIS
trict was not on trial in the so-called
Territorial government of half a CEN
fury ago. The community elected only
rhe lower house Of the Legislature
and a voteless delegate, both impotent.
The real power was in the Board OF
Public Works, appointed, like the gov
ernor and the upper house Of the Leg
islature, by the President Of the
United States.
Appointive agents of the United
States and not elected representatives
OF the people of the community made
the real record of the Territorial gov
eminent" and that record noted sue
cess, and not failure, in the primary
vital purpose of it's creation, which was
10 Arouse or shock Uncle Sam into full
appreciation of his obligation In the
yIpbuildng OF the National Capital,
which he had for 20 years shamefully
neglected. The direct result Of the
Territorial government" of over so
years ago was the wise beneficial con.
structive legislation of 1874 and 1878.
under which the Capital City has been
transformed from source Of national
shame into the cause Of national pride.
Mr.. Moore suggests that on the as.
sumption that the lump-sum payment
plan of national contribution toward
Capital upbuilding will be continued
the people of the District should urge
fiexibi.ity and equitable liberality In
the amount of that lump-sum pay.
ment. This advice is sound. The
amount of lump-sum payment,
whether tentative and temporary, as
at present, or permanent, through
amendment of the substantive law,
should be flexible upward as well as
oo"h"hlu' ilo III t>etiSdi SlSNI 40 CIR
forced today is to place a maximum
limit on the contribution of the United
States and to remove the limit entirely
from the contribution of the local tax
payers.
Everybody recognizes but nobody
corrects the gross injustice of fixing
a lump-sum payment in equitable re-
teton to the current contribution OF
local taxpayers, and then Of treating
that lump-sum payment as permitting
che Nation to escape participation In
meeting the expense of extraordinary
nationallocal projects. even when the
substantive law comma nds such par
ticipation. The law authorizing ex
penditures by the National Capital
Park Commission directs that the Ma
ton shall thus participate, but, In fact
no appropriation has yet been made
which renders available for this pur
pose any money except that collected
from the local taxpayers; though the
commission can in its discretion spend
any part of the money in adjacent
Maryland or Virginia
The quick, easy way to remedy thii
plain violation both Of equity and
substantive law is to increase TIT
basio iump-sum payment for the yea
by an arbitrary amount, approxtmat