Evening star., 1934-12-29
Some Reasons Why the Nation
Should Contribute to Capitals
Maintenance and Upbuilding
Financial Obligation Accompanies Power of
Exclusive Control-Another Obligation
Based on American Patriotic Pride.
THEODORE w. MOVES.

power OF exclusive legislation confer
red upon Congress imposes q special
and peculiar obligation Is expressed
in varying forms of words by many
Presidents, including Van Buren, Polk
Fillmore, Buchanan, Lincoln. Hayes
and Benjamin Harrison.
Obligation to Protect Nation From
Shame.
3. Obligation springing from de.
mands Of patriotic pride In the Cap.
ital. When the Nation shirked III
obligation Capital was national shame
When Nation met its obligation Cap.
ital became object Of national pride
From the report Of the Joint Con-
gressional Committee Of 1915 (Senate
Document No. 247, Sixty-fourth Con-
gress, first session. composed Of Sena-
tors Chiffon, Salisbury and Works
and Representatives Rainey (after-
wards Speaker, Gard and Henry
Allen Cooper:
THE National City, the Nations
home, should be a district where the
national authority is not only su-
preme, but a district where the just
pride of q great people should insist
upon its maintenance in a manner
most fitting to the dignity Of the citi-
zens whose manifestation Of central
government 1t is.
Nothing b clearer to NJ than II
never was the intent that this District
should bear all the extraordinary bur-
den Of expense incident to Its plan
and occupancy a. = national city. and
any such proposed burden would be
most inequitablc and unjust now.
+ y
"Our unanimous conclusion is that
the rate of taxation in the District
should be fixed and certain; that the
Congress should pursue a definite pol
icy Of regular and liberal approprla-
ton, having in view not only the per-
manent moral and physical advan-
tages Of the city, but also its pre-emi-
nent beauty and grandeur as the mu-
nicipal expression Of the Nations
home and its peoples PRIDE"
I'VE urge upon Congress that its
appropriation for the expenses of the
District Of Columbia should always be
in such sum as will not only continue
the city Of Washington and the Dis
trict of Columbia in every respect as
the splendid and beautiful central
residence of this great Nation, but also
cause it to become and be forever
maintained as model for all the
cities in the world"
The thought that the constitutional
power of exclusive legislation confer
red upon Congress imposes a special
and peculiar obligation is expressed in
varying forms of words by many Presi-
dents, including Van Buren, Polk
Fillmore. Buchanan, Lincoln, Hayes
and Benjamin Harrison. Hayes and
Benjamin Harrison combined with
their pleas for recognition of the OBJ
legation based on power, suggestions
of another obligation springing from
the national sentiment and from ma.
tional pride. Monroe was especially
pointed in his appeal to national pride
in behalf Of the Nations city. Fol-
lowing him In the same line were
Taylor. Fillmore, Buchanan, Grant
and Mckinley.
In a message to Congress, President
Coolidge penned thrilling paragraph
concerning the future Capital as the
City Beautiful of our dreams. to be
made real under the ambitious building
program on which the Nation had en-
barked. This program" he said
should represent the best that exists
in the art and science of architecture
Into these structures - d" ought to ga
the aspirations Of the Nation, its ideals
expressed in forms of beauty" Con-
corning the wonderfully attractive
Capital which will result. President
Coolidge exclaimed: LET it represent
the soul Of America"
washington Is not only the Ma
tion's Capital: 1t Is the symbol OF
America. BY Its dignity and architec-
tural inspiration we stimulate pride In
our country. We encourage that ele-
vation Of thought and character which
comes from great architecture."-Her-
bert Hoover.
The Capital was built on broad ma
tional lines, of which we are now be-
ginning to see the wisdom. During the
period when the national obligation
tardily recognized by the organic act
Of 1878, was neglected, the Capital was
national shame, byword and re-
proach. Since the Nation has returned
even part way to its original obligation
the Capital has become an object OF
national affection, in whose attractive
ness and in whose welfare the whole
American people take pride. In place
OF the discreditable, struggling, neg
lected village Of the period of national
indifference there has risen the Capt.
tai OF today, wherein the eye is pleased
by all that both Nature and art have
done to adorn the most beautiful city
on the continent. In its honest, eco
nomical and efficient municipal gov
ernment, in its asphalt pavements, in
It's system Of shade trees, in its under
ground trolley system of rapid transit,
IN its broad streets and avenues, COM
paratively free from overhead wires
in its fine public buildings and in its
numerous and diversified parks. it is
becoming a model among the munich
palities OF the world. Those defects
in the ideal city, represented by in
adequate service by essential munich
pal functions. result from failure to
continue consistently the application
of the fine principles which were fol-
lowed in the development Of WASH
ington.
The Nations equitable obligation of
proportionate contribution toward the
maintenance and development Of the
seat Of government is as just and as
binding today as it was at the begin
ming of the century, and should not
be repudiated, either outright or by
piecemeal.
Ton,orroD's article will discuss
the national obligation based upon
payments from local tares, solely
because Washington is the Capital,
in excess of iDhat ,pould be paid il
Washington Dere the ordinary
american city; and also the na-
ttondl obligation based upon the
hedpy internal revenue taIes paid
by taxpayers OF the Capital.
QUAKE FREES CONVICTS