Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-27
THE GREAT QUESTION OF DISTRICT INTEREST.
Views Of Hon. Thomas II. Bryan.

dressed to me concerning our District affairs
remaining unanswered because of nv recent
Illness, would seem to Justify This genera r"-
ply, especially IN View of my adVucacF nt Lia-
lfeeSl and frankeSt interchange oE views u"-
tween the people aud thfir HIb.I' servants.
The present Congress maniteStS a lively and
friendly interest in behalf of the District and
ytt tongreSSmen complain, and Justly COM
plain, Of the conflicting and confusing repre-:
SenlatlOnS OF citizens respecting the wants of
Ihe District. The original purpose of your
large committee was to convince Congress, by
the proper presentation of statistics, of the
necessity OF permanently determining the
mOneyed relation of the District to the General
government and certainly you have labored
diligently and, it is believed, effectively for its
accomplishment. To convince Congress of
mat necessity was, as stated when proposing
the organization OF your committee, "the one
gre0t end to De attained, al other matters to
be, settled afterward." Chief among those
other matters now demanding consideration
is the proposed
NEW. FORM OF DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
1he diversity Of opinion upon this subject is
! remarkab bic, and most confusing to Congress,
as shown in the striking fact that the bill.
elaborated with great care by the House com
mittee composed as it is. of intelligent, earn
est and honest legislators, and Who have
evinced an anxiety to promote the best inter
ests OF the District, failstO meet acceptance in
any quarter, being more or less objected to by
nearly or quite all OF the people. and press Of
the District, to say nothing of the outside
press, equally emphatic in unfavorabe criti-
cism: Perhaps light may be thrown upon this
OBJECTIONS TO THE HOUSE BILL.
Inc manner OF the appointment of the Com
nlSsloners m s. by yCongress;-the question is asked
Commissioners derive their authority from
the. United States-are responsible to the
United States only-and disburse annually mil
United States-constitute them United States
officers? If so, can they be appointed in any
other manner than that prescribed by the Con-
sstituion for such appointments, But without
n innt thl,,
its simple mention, it is asked what would the
recurring election of these officers by
ase fne two nyo,Hs HOUSES wno OF Congfess one by
nifty Of Senators and Members for months
before every electiOn-what Obligations would
be ineuTed-what party complications-what
consequent cost to the country" The bill pro
videS that one of the three Commissioners shall
be eappointed by the President, and he shall be
an officer of the Engineer Corps of the Army
whose lineal rank shal, be above that of ca6 ,li,
tam Ii IS further provided that AL con-
tracts for the construction. improvement,
alteration, or repairs OF streets, &c, and all
work Of like nature shall be made and entered
nty only by and with the official consent of a
majority of the Commissioners of the District
WUhict mGioritUthe Commissioner aPp0inted
rom the Engineer corps o. the army ShGL be
one Consequently, if the two civilians OH
the Board, however practical, thorough, ard
honest business men they may be, should
select the most economical and the best style
OF pavement or of sewer system the engineer
commissioner could overrue them. so that
practically. in the vast outlayS for the i'm
provemcnt Of the District. he would control the
Board. The Army itself deprccateS the assign
ment OF the members of the Engineer Corps to
such civil duty, claiming that the education
and training OF Army officers do not specially
qualify them for making great contracts in
the civil service, and that such engagements
are too apt to reflect unfayOrabIy upon their
Judgment or integrity.
THERE SHALL BE A COUNCIL OF TWENTY
FOUR MEMBERS
This feature OF the bill involves the question
OF suffrage an the District. but not the ques-
tlon OF suffrage elsewhere. The Constitution
plrposely, and expressly provides that Con-
greSs shall have exclusive legislative control
over this District. Other locations in voting
regions had been tried for the capital, and
this District was finally chosen, with the un-
derstandng that Congress was to be forever
Tree from the disturbing influence of elections
in its immediate neighbOrhOOd. The Constitu-
tlon says, ~ effect, TO every man who settles
here: Elections are held in all parts of this
vast nat ion, except in this little spot reserved
expressly from such noisy demonstrations,
and for promoting quiet and impartial legisla-
tIon for the entire country. Everywhere else
through the length and breadth of the land,
the right of suffrage may be freely exercised,
but he who pitches his tent on this little Con
gressonal territory of a few miles square, is
appriSed in advance that he must renOunce
! that right of suffrage, under the explicit terms
ton in connection with this matter which
should address itself with peculiar force to us
citizens of the District And that is the fact
that whilst many aged persons retired from
business and wearied with political excite
ments, seek the District because of its quiet
in that respect, other cities especially in the
mOval OF the Capitol from Washington be-
cause in part of unwillngneSs to submit to de-
priyation OF the right of suffrage: 1t is true
proposed council, shOrn as it is OF much of the
power ordinarily possessed by such bodies
But at best it is a mere apology for the right
the control over this District exercised by
Congress. the less will be the burden upon this
people, provided our united efforts are di-
rec1ed toprocuringi just legislation inC Congress,
the real fountain head. rather than in vain
attempts to establish little rival legislatures
nondescript or negative bOdies-Whch are
likely to result in increasing the expense Of
the District government GOr the Council must
be paid in some fOrm). and in increasing the
already ,perpleNing intricacy OF our District
laws, which SO sadly need simplifying and
suffrage generally-nor even 10 its exercise in
the District, if confined here to purely local
matters and local offices. such as school trus-
tees and the like. Nor would it. perhaps, be
| unreasonable for Congress to accord us the
right to elect a delegate to Congress, who
might acqualnt that body with the wants and
a more extended or general suffrage here is
the angry political eXcitements it would occa-
sion, and the warm party feeling that would
prejudice of the District. The government
here, as at present constituted, is really non
partisan, and both the great parties are freely
represented in offices under control of the
Commissioners thus diSarming party preiu-
dice in Congress against the District 1t is no
use to disguise the truth that respect IS paid
to this consideration in the best interest Of the
District, for our greatest need is, of course,
that OF Congressional appropriations Take
the past eight months, for Instance, the Com
misSioners being. constantly reminded of the
deplOrable condition of streets, roads, sewers,
and the like, requiring millions, and yet feel
ing keenly the necessity of improvement aud
repair. but in the presence of the very proper
law forbidding, under heavy penalties, the
incurring of a dollars debt, and in the
absence of all available means, we have
been absolutely -pOwerlesS to do what
would otherwise have been gladly done.
We are eager, God knows how eager, to set at
work our poor, unemployed, and suffering
people. II voting could accomplish il. we
would all vote at once, and early and late, if
permitted. But let ME tell those unemployed
that it Is mere deception to make them believe
that THEY can gain work hereafter here by
gaining the right to yOte-fOr suffrage will not
femOvethe obstruction of that law of Congress,
which is to continue under the new govern
ment, absolutely forbiddiug the Commission
eTS, or other District officers, increasing the
District debt. under penalty of ten years i'm
pliSOnment and $4,000 fine. improvements
can only be made when Congress votes the
money for them, and it surrounds its apprO-
priatiOnS with safeguards for their honest dis.
bursement. 1t is directly in the interest of
the wOrkingmen to join with us all in inducing