Evening star., 1932-03-13
Editorial Correspondence of The Star.
THEODORE w. MOVES.


items of necessary local legislation anc
appropriation and also upon unjus
legislative proposals which threater
injury to the Capital community.
In what spirit will the Congress
with It's large percentage of new mem
bers in both House and Senate, ap
proach this legislation? In what spirit
will the Capital community welcome it,
legislators, new and old, and cooperate
with them in sensible suggestion of wist
and just laws and in rejection of such
as are inequitable?
| The Washingtonian, powerless Il
participate effectively in his own taxa
tion and government and impotent tt
Withstand those individual legislators
who, he believes, have abused theil
power to tax and govern him, has II
particular instances exercised too free
ly and extensively the privilege of tht
hopelessly defeated litigant of "cussinl
the court And also in individual in.
stances the Districts legislators, with
all powers in their hands to wound anc
even to destroy, have taken too great
offense at the verbal sputterings of the
aggrieved and helpless and have toe
vigorously retaliated.
Too many of Washington's legislators
have come to view their constituents
as unappreciative, ungrateful, greedy
selfish and censoriouS, and too many
of these constituents. also generaliZing
too broadly, have come to view the
legislators, selected for them by the
Constitution, as carelessly ignorant OF
their needs, as contemptuously indiffer-
ent to and neglectful of their welfare OF
as actively hostile.
The crying need of the hour is q
change of thought, a change of heart
new policy under which each of the
capital building partners shall heed the
injunction Put yourself in his place!'
with the result of substituting mutual
appreciation for recrimination. FaiI
play and mutual regard are watchwords
Of the new policy
Fair Play for Congress.
| The washingtonian in accordance
with 1t will render deserved and belated
tribute of grateful appreciation to the
long line Of Senators and Represent
atives, who have faithfully performed
the unseIfish, difficult and almost thank
less task of dealing as CONSIDERABLY and
Justly with their Capital constituency al
with their home constituents. Wash
ingon knows and honors these men-its
loyal, helpful friends, public-spirited
workers In the task of capital building
though IL may not have put this appre.
citation and honor into words as prompt
Iy and adequately as it ought.
When Washington puts itself in th'
place of Congress and recognizes tn
difficulties and embarrassments undel
which congressman labor as Distrlc'
legislators it will be easier for the city
to substitute at times appreciation 10
fault finding. The Capital may tnel
even feel pride in having as It's loca
legislature the greatest legislative BODY
in the world: legislature which, thougi
neglectful and some times threatenlnt
in District legislation. has ever in TIT
great crises of the Capitals history actet
Justly and wisely and sympathetlcally
Though the Nation from the beginning
neglected its obligations toward the Ma
tions city, it frankly confessed its faul
and came to the citys relief in 1883
when Washington had bankrupted itsel
in trying to perform unaided the Ma
tion's task of capital making. So in tn
seventies of the last century, with {
recurrence of the conditions OF 1885
the Nation not only shouldered one-hal
and guaranteed the whole of the bank
rupting debt, but undertook, as matte
of equity. to share all the expenses
capital-making for the future.
So in 1915, when the organic act o
1878 was attacked and the people o
the CAPITAL were described as under
assessed and undert3xed Congress Of
the basis of weeks of Searching and in
telligent investigation by congressiona
Joint committee vindicated the locs
taxpayers, declaring them to be ade
quately taxed. and so handled the ques
, ton of future taxation that the 50-5
provision of the organic act remainet
] uIldlteTBu uIlIll III 15ZZ, "IlCl CliG bCl
centage ratio was changed from 50-5
to 6O-40, but the principle of defirit
proportionate contribution by the Natio
was preserved. And in spite of diverg
ence in appropriation practice this prin
| ciple has remained until this day tn
! substantive law.
If in the new Congress, as seem
likely, another crisis shall arise, Wash
ington might, it would seem. In tn
light Of the precedents, rely with con
fidence upon its legislatures ultimat
Justice and sympathetic consideration
Fair Play for Washington.
As Washington shoIld subject itsel
TO a rigid self-examination to ascertain
whether it has not been lacking 1
grateful appreciation, so should indi
viduaI members of Congress test tn
question whether they do not fall shor
in just appreciation of their Capita
constituency and deny it American fai
play, not merely in specific legislation
but in general attitude and theory o
action as legislators; not merely, for in
stance, in respect to the money exacte'
from year to year in taxation, but Il
respect to acts and words which traduc
j the good name and bruise the self
( respect of the most misunderstood an
most misrepresented of American com
. munities.
S What is there in the past record o.
! the present condition of the people O
Washington to prevent their constitu
1 tional legislators from viewing ther
with appreciation and esteem? Il
: : numbers they exceed the population O
/ eight of the States. They are draw
from and reflect the spirit of ever