National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-21
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION

OLD VIEWS OF AN OLD LEGISLATOR.
The following letter from 5Ir. A. X. Browne
reeiting the views expressed by him as member
Of the ty-eighth Council Of the city o! Wash
ingtOn, and also at later date as member OF
the Legislative Council are now Of peculiar in
terest, and 20 to show that on this subject a.
least he has been right and consistent:
To tie Editor og the National RsDEIiicTI:
SIR: / do not know that can better express
my views in relation to the future form Of gov
expressed by me January Il, 1879, 10 the OIL cay
Council and June -, 1872, in the Legislative
Council of this District. quote from reInlFE5
made on those occasions On measures tneh anu
there pending with the suggestion that my views
on these points have undergone no change since.
THAT the good Of the whole nation requires
that the Federal Government Should be under
the exclusive Jurisdiction Of that Government is
a proposition the truth Of which Will hardly be
doubted; but u is proposition not less true that
both justice and expediency require that the man
agement Of affairs merely municipal and local
directly interested, under such restrictions the
supreme legislative authority may deem neceS-
sary. II is too late in the history OF legislation
to question the truth Of general propositions that
there should be no taxation without representa-
tion. In cur system these rules have been de-
parted from only IN the District OF Columbia and
in the Territories, where small population is so
scattered over large extent OF territory 20 be
exercised only by the strong power Of the Central
Government AID paid for out OF the common
Treasury Of the whole country. Both in the ease
of the District and Territ6ries CGnEresS mas
hitherto exercised but little more than negative
authority over local affairs, leaving them TO be
managed by Territorial councils or Legislatures
elected by the people, and the attempt 10 deprive
the people this District of any voice in the man
agement Of its local affairs must originate In the
seIhsh arstoeratie and bitter sPirit 81 nose who
gain, or who can see nothing good, or polite, or
beautiful in the liberty Of all men. The PROPOSE
uon 20 put the management Of the affairs Of the
District into the hands Of three commissioners TO
be appointed by any One-man power, which mayor
may not be foreign 10 lis people or into the hands Of
hOrtfv NJ =
by the people Of the District, with power oil taxa
ton and expenditure, is SO entirely antagonistie
TO all the theory Of republican government that
cannot believe that Congress will seriously en-
terrain il. That all the rights, privileges and
immunities Of citizenship should be denied TO that
portion Of the people who Immediately surround
the capital Of this great republic is simply mon
str0us and absurd, too absurd to be entertained.
1t may, indeed, be true that the nOn-prOgress
given TO the nation by the abolition OF slavery and
BY the enfranehisement OF all men in the nation
that the new impulse given to affairs in this local
ity by the recognition Of the rights and dignity
Of labor may require Encouragement or nodi-
hcation Of the present government for the Dis
triet possibly the establishment Of Legislature,
elected by the people Of the District, that may
relieve Congress Of q portion Of the burden Of
legslating in the detail Of the affairs Of the Dis
triet. Perhaps this new order Of things may
guiTe for US the same representation in Congress
that is conceded to the Territories; the eOusOda-
tion Of three political corporations OF the Dis
trict, or some representation in the Electoral Col
lege:
Of our own affairs would be a retrOgrade move
ment, which, following on the great progress Of
the last ten years, would strike the whole world
with establishment, and would be denial of the
right Of self government that this people cannot
afford TO make. II there is justice or good policy
in republican government, land believe there is
bOth,) there can be no better government for the
people Of the District Of Columbia than such
government by themselves as is consistent with
the idea OF the supreme jurisdiction Of the nation.
The act OF the first session Of this Legislature
giving the appointment Of the officers Of this Gov
eminent to the Governor, was the result OF
compromise. 1t was temporary eXpedient re-
sorted to in the first months Of new Government,
and had no idea OF permanence. The time has
now come, IN my Judgment, when there should be
established more republican mode OF hlling
these Offices. II was wrong in principle and anti
republican in practice. An executive officer, him
self elected, should, indeed, be permitted to Sp-
point those subOrdinates who hold confidential
relations with him, or whose control by one mind
isneeessary to secure prompt execution Of the
law; but to include all officers in this list is radi-
cally wrong. 1t is not the part Of wise men to
permit this condition Of things longer to continue.
1t is our duty to act on this subject, and to act
nOw-tO put the selection Of the officers named in
this bill where il properly belongs, viz: In the
hands Of that people whose servants they are.
THE election Of officers by the people is the
essential distinguishing characteristic OF Repub-
Hean government. In the multitude there is
safety more So in my opinion i'm the selection of
their officers than in the puTesC appointing
power, especially If that power is responsible
only to some other officer whose tenure Of office
election they have no voice. 1t was an unusual
spectacle when this Legislative Assembly DELHI
erately voted to give away as far as it could, all
the rights Of the people Of the District Of COlum-
bia to any participation in the selection Of the
officers of the District. 1t would have been given
TO no other man than to Gov. Cooke, and prOba-
bly, not even to him, but with the express under
standing that it was o temporary eXpedient, and
that as soon as the new government was more
fully organized the right would be recovered and
repOsited where II Justly belongs. That time has
now arrived. The House eff Delegates, the direct
pressed BY Legislation their views in favor Of this
measure, and by their first act this session in
sending US this bill for the election Of officers,
have done their whole duty. Now let US do ours.
i vote ave-