Evening star., 1935-01-17
12O. 100000 VS.. 100000.

changes which appear in the printed
report of hearings on the District
Appropriation bill took place be-
tween Representative Blanton and
the Commissioners on the subject of
the Federal lump sum. Mr. Blanton,
in a characteristic role of cross-ex-
aminer, drew from Commissioner
Hazen the statement that the only
opposition to increasing the Federal
lump sum lay in Congress. 1T is
one thing" Commissioner Hazen had
said, ito which there seems to be no
opposition" as far as the community
is concerned.
Mr.. Blanton-Unless some repre-
sentatives of the people here in Con-
gress rise up in front of you, you
will have no obstacles, is that right?
Commissioner Hazen-Oh, T think
we will I think this committee will
probably oppose that.
Mr.. Blanton-Well, are they not
representatives of the people?
Commissioner HaZen-YeS, sir,
representatives of the whole people.
Commissioner Allen-Mr. Blanton,
We want to say also that We think
we are representatives of the people
We do not want to be left out of that
category
MIR. Blanton-Certainly but the
difference is, Mr.. Commissioner, that
you are representing 100000 people
of Washington and Chairman Cannon
and Mr.. Jacobson and I are repre-
senting l20000,000 people of the
United States.
Commissioner Allen-That is cor
rect.
" Mr. Blanton-You ere representing
part and We are representing the
whole. There is the difference. We
look at the matter from the national
viewpoint. a national scope, and you
are looking at it from a circum-
scribed viewpoint, within the scope
of the city.
Commissioner Allen-That Is cor
rect
Mr.. Blanton-And, of course, our
views are divergent.
Commissioner Allen-That Is cor
rect.
1t is one of the unfortunate circum-
stances in connection with relations
between the local community and some
of the members of Congress that Mr..
Blanton's conception of 120,OOO,OOO
people of the United States arrayed
in defensive formation against the
half million people of the District
seems to prevail. Such a conception
explains many Of the Districts diff
culties, in appropriations and in other
! matters. The conflict between 120,-
100000 people of the United States
who participate fully in its govern
ment and 100000 residents of the
District, whose citizenship status is
comparable to that of aliens and luna
tics, is, Of course, uneven, one sided.
The odds are all on the side of the
12o,ooo,o0o.
The fallacy in Mr.. Blanton's con-
ception is that the interests of the
people Of the United States and those
of the District are contradictory, one
opposed to the other. There is no
reason for them to clash. The people
of the District are not inordinate in
their requests, and those which are
made are usually confined to petitions
for reasonable, fair treatment at the
hands of the exclusively controlling
Congress in its government of the
National Capital.
When local and national interests
clash there is no doubt of the result.
The Nations triumph is overwhelming
When Congress, in its relations with
the District, recognizes always and
assumes consistently its appropri-
ate role Of Judge, concerned with
dispensing even-handed justice, and
drops the sword and shield of
the warrior on defense against
an assumed and supposedly power
ful invading alien, the unrep-
resented 100000 of Washington will
fare better at the hands of the fully
represented 10000 900 of the United
States. In that day the unrepresented
Districts petitions, when Its people
exercise the only American right in
this connection guaranteed to them,
will receive always thoughtful, SYM
pathetic consideration instead of oc-
,casionally hostile or contemptuously
neglectful treatment.