Evening star., 1936-03-15

Washington and Congress makes
timely the reprintino, Dith slight
omissions, OF the accompanying
article by the Editor OF The Star.
In its original form the article
appeared in The Star OF March
-, 1882.
to total number inducted into military
service the District exceeded forty
| three States In 1919 the District
contributed more in war taxes than Is
States, more than five States combined
In every Liberty loan it far exceeded
its quota. The proportion Of its popu-
lation subscribing 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 consti-
tute one of the strongest, most intelli-
gent, most public-spirited and most
American communities in the whole
Republic.
The census Of 1880 and other up-to-
date statistics add to the reasons fol-
appreciative consideration of their
Capital constituency by the city's con-
stitutional legislators. The city's popu-
lation exceeds that Of eight of the
States. Its population Of voting age
lover 2D exceeds that of ten of the
States. 1t paid more in national taxes
in the fiscal year 1881 than each of q
States and more than II States COM
bined.
The Capital is no longer merely
the camping place Of transient Ameri-
cans, but has developed into a homo
geneous American community-intelli-
gent, resourceful, 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 exact
ing and far-reaching national re-
sponsibility toward the Capital. what
is the obligation resting upon Congress
when 1t 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 las apothe-
cary's caD if the experiment is un-
successful.
This basis of legislation once popu-
lar is now little used or feared.
1t forbids such legislation solely or
primarily from the point Of view of the
legislators home constituency, with
the Congressman posing as the grudg-
ing dispenser Of aims alleged to be
contributed by his district or State
to the greedy mendicants of the
Capital.
1t 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
opinions and wishes and to protect
faithfully their interest and welfare.
As local legislator under the Con-
stitution the Congressman represents
not the Nation. not the State. not the
congressional district, but the District
of Columbia and its 486, 1863 Americans.
The extensive powers in respect to
the Capital conferred upon Congress
involve equally far-reaching response
bilities and obligations, and sacrifices
in the Nations interest are required
on both sides Of the partnership. A
great power is to be greatly, nobly
exercised, controlled by no motive or
impulse that is small or mean or base.
The greatest legislative body in the
world, representing the worlds fore
most Nation, is to build up, typifying
that Nation, the worlds greatest Capt.
tai. The Nations city which the fore
fathers nobly planned is by us to be
perfected on lines no less noble.
The Capital which wisdom and patri-
otism are to make truly great includes
not only the physical city, but the peo-
pie who live in 1t, the men and the
women who make the sacrifices in the
Nations interest which call for sac
rifices Of time and thought and patient
consideration by the Nation through
Congress in return. The obligation is
to build not merely a beautiful city,
but q healthful, wholesome, well gov
erned, contented and self f-respecting
city.
What, then, will the Nation do with
Its city to make 1t more attractive,
more healthful, more creditabIe in
every way as the National Capital.
What will 1t do with the Americans
who constitute the people Of its city to
promote their physical, political, in
tellectual and moral welfare?
Americanize the Washingtonian.
The Nation could easily remove by
constitutional amendment one cause
of the District residents reasonable
discomfort. This cause of offense and
injury, thus readily to be effaced, is
found in the Washingtonian's irri-
tating, humiliating and hurtful con-
dition of political and litigating i'm
potency, which degrades him to the
level of the alien politically, and de-
bases him below the level of the alien,
the United States Supreme Court
says, in access under the Constitu-