Evening star., 1935-04-14

with appreciation and esteem? In
numbers they exceed the population
of eight of the States. They are drawn
form and reflect the spirit Of every
section Of the Union. Owing no divided
allegiance to State. they are
American in a peculiar sense, the
most American and national Of all
Americans.
They are now generally recognized
as by far the largest contributors to
the upbuilding of the Capital. They
gave of their own property that the
Nation might practically own and ex-
clusively control a national city. They
donated to the Nation five-sevenths of
the area of Washington. They gave
the land from the proceeds OF the
sale of which the original public
buildings were completed. Nearly all
the work of street improvement and
Capital-making which was done for
three-fourths Of century was done
by them. Through disregard by the
Nation of its financial obligations to
the Capital the Washingtonians were
in 1885 forced into bankruptcy in the
public spirited attempt to bear alone
the Nations burden. In the same
spirit they endured in the seventies
the travail of the birth of the new
Washington. They have paid their
proportion Of every national tax
direct and indirect. They pay as
much per capita in city taxation. the
census reports show, as the average
taxpayer in the American cities ap-
proximating Washington in size and
conditions OF environment, and owing
to their peculiar disabilities their tax
burden Is distinctly hard to bear.
They have risked life and shed their
blood in every national war. AS
border community Washington sent
many of her sons to the South in the
civil struggle; while to preserve the
Union the first volunteers came from
the Capital, and Washingtonians sup
piled more troops in excess of their
quota than any State except one. In
the War with Spain they sent to the
front a fine regiment, far exceeding
their quota in numbers. In the World
War they sent more Of their sons to
Army, Navy and Marine Corps than
eight of the States, and in ratio of
voluntary enlistmentS to total number
inducted into military service the Dis
trict exceeded forty-three States. In
1919 the District contributed more in
war taxes than fifteen States, more
than five States combined. In every
Liberty loan it far exceeded its quota.
The proportion of its population sub
scribing to these loans was greater
than anywhere else in the United
States, greater than any State Of the
Union. They have thus placed both
sacrifice of treasure and blood
sacrifice upon the Nations altar. In
modern times of peace the public
spirit of the Washingtonian is equally
in evidence whenever sacrifices of time
or of energy or Of money in the city's
interest are required. Our business
and professional men the educa-
tional, scientific. literary and artistic
elements of our population-our work
ingmen in public and private employ,
our department clerks and other Gov
ernment employees. our Winter resi-
dents in process of conversion into
WashingtonianS, combine to constitute
one of the strongest, most intelligent.
most public ic-spirited and most Amer
ican communities in the whole
republic.
The census Of 1880 and other up
to-date statistics add to the reasons
| for appreciative consideration Of their
Capital constituency by the city's con-
stitutional legislators. The city's pop
ulation exceeds that of eight of the
States. Its population of voting age
lover 2D exceeds that of ten of the
States. It paid more in national taxes
in the fiscal year 1884 than each Of
twenty-four States and more than
nine States combined.
The Capital is no longer merely the
camping place Of transient Americans,
but has developed into homogeneous
American community-intelligen re-
sourceful, populous. public spirited,
patriotic, with a marked civic self
consciousness, with q strong COM
munity get-together spirit and with an
inspiring community pride.
Our Great Local Legislature.
Applying the doctrine of an exacting
and far-reaching national response
bility toward the Capital, what is the
obligation resting upon Congress when
it acts as local legislature?
Clearly it denies the justice when
legislating for the District Of diSre-
garding entirely the local needs, condi-
tions and prejudices and using the
Capital as a national experiment sta
ton, where dubious legislative projects
may be tested as an example or a
warning to the Nation, with no one
injured but the District Gas apothe-
carys cat), If the experiment is un-
successful.
This basis of legislation once popu-
lar is now little used or feared.
It forbids such legislation solely or
primarily from the point Of view of
the legislators home constituency,
with the Congressman posing as the
grudging dispenser Of aims alleged to
be contributed by his district or State
to the greedy merchants OF the
Capital.
It makes of the Congressman as
local legislator a representative under
the Constitution of his Capital con-
stituents as distinctly as If elected by
them; under the same obligations, as
If thus elected, to consider patiently
and sympathetically their point of
view, to crystalline into legislation as
far as practicable and reasonable
their opinions and wishes and to pro-
tect faithfully their interest and vel
fare.
AS local legislator under the Con-
stitution the Congressman represents
not the Nation, not the State, not the
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