Evening star., 1939-06-20

or in part its financial obligation
and retain or exercise its despotic
and exclusive power to tax and te
govern.
The Nation should not repudiate
its obligation in respect to Capital
maintenance, for the logical Sc
quence of such action is surrender
of all power and exclusive jurisdic-
ton in respect to the District of Co.
lumbia and the destruction of the
ation-controlled Capital, conceived
and created by the forefathers.
The Nation should not diminish its
contributions to Capital upbuilding
for the logical sequence of such ac-
ton is surrender by the Nation OF
control of the Capital municipality
to the local majority stockholders
Power and obligation are INSOFAR
ably coupled, and if the latter is
destroyed or diminished the former
is in equity destroyed or diminished
in proportion.
The Nation, as represented by
Congress, retaining and exercising
supreme and complete control of
local government, including taxa
ton, should do full equity in meet
ing the obligation which this power
imposes.
This Obligation Recognized.
The Nation has recognized the
peculiar obligation coupled with and
prOportionate to supreme power and
control, imposed upon it in respect
to the Capital, even while it was
woefully failing to meet this obliga-
tiOn.
For example, the executive heads
of the Nation, in formal message to
Congress, have recognized and de-
fined this obligation and urged that
it be met.
Practically all of the Presidents,
either by word or by act or both,
declare that the fact that the Dis
trict is governed by a Legislature
in which it is not even fractionally
represented, imposes upon this Leg
islature peculiar obligation of
sympathetic consideration of the
Districts welfare, compelling, ac-
cording to some Of the Presidents.
the careful ascertainment and the
scrupulous carrying out of the rea-
sonable wishes concerning its own
local affairs of the unrepresented
community itself.
Obligation to Protect Nation From
Shame.
2. Obligation springing from de-
mands of patriotic pride in the Cap
ital. When the Nation shirked its
| obligation the Capital was a nationa,
shame. When the Nation met its
obligation the Capital became an
object of national pride.
From the report of the Joint Con-
gressional Committee of 1915 (Sen-
ate document No. 247, Sixty fourth
Congress, first session., composed of
Senators Chiffon, Salisbury and
Works and Representatives Rainey
'afterward Speaker, Gard and
Henry Allen Cooper:
The National City. the Nations
home, should be district where the
national authority is not only SUI
preme. but a district where the just
pride OF a great people should insist
upon its maintenance in asmanner
most fitting to the dignity of the
citizens whose manifestation of GEN.
trail government it is.
Nothing is clearer to us than it
never was the intent that this Dis
trict should bear all the extraor-
dinary burden of expense incident to
its plan and occupancy as ma
tional city, and any such proposed
burden would be most inequitable
and unjust now.
Our unanimous conclusion is that
the rate of taxation in the District
should be fixed and certain: that the
Congress should pursue a definite
policy Of regular and liberal appro-
pr1ation, having in view not only
the permanent moral and physical
advantages Of the city, but also its
pre-eminent beauty and grandeur as
the municipal expression of the Ma
tons 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 Washing
ton and the District 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 constitu-
tional power of exclusive legislation
conferred upon Congress imposes
special and peculiar obligation is
expressed in varying forms of words
by many Presidents, including Van
Buren, Polk. Fillmore, Buchanan,
Lincoln, Hayes and Benjamin Harri-
son, combined with their pleas for
recognition of the obligation based
on power, suggestions of another
obligation springing from the ma
tlonal sentiment and from national
pride. Monroe was especially pointed
in his appeal to national pride IN
behalf OF the Nations city. Follow
ing him in the same line were Tay-
lor, Fillmore, Buchanan, Grant and
Mckinley.
In a message to Congress, Presi-
dent Coolidge penned a 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 embarked
This program" he said, SHOULD
represent the best that exists in the
art and science of architecture.
Into these structures ought
to go the aspirations of the Nation,
its ideals expressed. in forms of
beauty" Concerning the WONDER
fully attractive Capital which will
result, President Coolidge exclaimed:
Let it represent the soul of Amer
ica."
washington is not only the Ma