Evening star., 1939-01-01
Reciprocity in Fair Play

bear alone the Nations burden.
In the same spirit they endured
in the seventies the travail of the
birth Of the new Washington.
Tests Of Good Citizenship.
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 tax
payer in the American cities ap-
proximating Washington in size
and conditions of environment,
and owing to their peculiar dis
abilities their tax burden is dis
tinctly hard to bear. They have
riSked life and shed their blood
in every national war. AS bor-
der community Washington sent
many of her sons to the South in
the civil struggle while to pre-
serve the Union the first volun-
teers came from the Capital, and
Washingtonians supplied 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 ex-
ceedlng 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 in
Quoted into military service
the District exceeded forty-three
States. In 1919 the District con-
tributed 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
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 citys interest are required.
Our business and professional
men-the educational, scientific,
literary and artistic elements of
our pcpulation-our Workingmen
in public and private employ, our
department clerks and other Gov
ernment employees. our winter
residents in process of conversion
into Washingtonians, combine to
constitute one of the strongest,
most intelligent, most public
spirited and most American COM
munities in the whole Republic.
A Wholesome Community.
The census of 1890 and other
up-to-date statistics add to the
reasons for appreciative consid-
Grafton of their Capital constitu-
ency by the city's constitutional
legislators. The city's population
then exceeded that of eight of the
States. Its population of voting
age (over 2D exceeded that of ten
OF the States. 1t paid more in
national taxes in the fiscal year
1888 than each of "a States and
more than 8 States combined.
The Census Bureau estimate of
population for the District as of
July l, 1887, was $4,000.
The Capital is no longer merely
the camping place of transient
Americans, but has developed
into q homogeneous American
community-intelligent, resource
full, populous, public-spirited,
patriotic, with 4 marked civic
self-consciousness. with a strong
community get-together spirit
and with an inspiring community
pride.
Our Great Local Legislature.
Applying the doctrine of an
exacting and far-reaching ma
tional responsibility toward TIE
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 disregarding entirely the local
needs. conditions and prejudices
and using the Capital as a ma
tional experiment station, where
dubious legislative projects may
be tested as an example or a
warning to the Nation, with no
one injured but the District las
apothecary's cat), If the expert
ment is unsuccessful.
This basis of legislation once
popular is now little used or
feared.
1t forbids such legislation solely
or primarily from the point Of
view Of the legislators home con-
stituency. with the Congressman
posing as the grudging 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 representa-
tive under the Constitution of his
Capital constituents 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 reason
able their opinions and wishes
and to protect faithfully their in
terest and welfare.
Congress IS Local Legislature.
AS local legislator under the
Constitution the Congressman
represents not the Nation, not
the State. not the congressional
district, but the District ef Co.