Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-31
About the "Feather Busters,

n
enquire the meaning of the term feather
busters" used in The STAR. This phrase
originated in THE STAR of June 81, 1874, in
describing certain notable proceedings of
members of the House of Delegates on their
being rotated out of Office by the act of Son
greSS abOliShing that remarkable product of
universal suffrage. The territorial legislature
was composed of two branches, the Council
(appOinted by the President and confirmed by
the Senate) and the House of Delegates, the
members of which were elected. The latter
body died hard, and some weeks before their
dissolution they prepared an elaborate ad-
dress to Congress protesting warmly against a
COmmiSSiOnShip government here. or any
form of government that would do
away with the elective feature. They
used the same arguments in behalf of
suffrage that are now being raised. A denial
OF suffrage here would be most impOlitic, the
Delegates urged. especially as showing, in the
opinion of Congress, that the new voting pop
ulatiOn OF the District are unfit to be entrusted
with suffrage, here or anywhere else. They
went on To say that the present form of gov
ernment is good, so far as it is controlled and
cOntrOllabIe by the people, and bad where it
is controlled by officials not of their choice
and not responsible to them. For this class
We speak, and for them alone" Then the Del
egateS, in their zeal in behalf of representa-
tive government, were at the pains to draft
bill of District government for the guidance
OF Congress, which provided for a House of
Delegates (Of cOurSe), and also for making
the Council elective, as well as the COllec-
tor, Register, Controller and other officials
1t was noted in THE STAR of June o, 1874. as
afOrding rather a sad commentary upon this
eloquent appeal i'll behalf of representative
government sent up to Congress by this body
(the only elective body under the late form of
gOyernment,) that in adjOurning sine die the
day previous some of the members had car
ried away almost everything portable about
the chamber-deSkS, chairs, clocks, water
coolers, mirrors, ink-StandS, waSh-StandS tow
els, scissors. combs brushes, soap, and even
the second hand tooth brushes. One member,
in his SOlicitude to preserve some mementO of
this last representative body and bulwark of
the people of the District, took away a large
feather USter. and not to be Ostentatious
about it, lie concealed the same upon his per
son with considerable ingenuity by passing the
handle down a trOuSer-leg and buttOnIng the
feather-end Snugly under his vest. Through
the pressing solicitations of the pOlce-whO
showed sad want of appreciation of the
rights of representative legislators-the Dele
gates were induced to return most of the alb
stracted articles. but no traces of that feather
buster were ever found. No doubt it adOrnS
the private collection of some ardent advocate
Of the restoration of unlimited suffrage. The
brilliancy of the feat in carrying off this large
feather duSter undetected, and in battling all
efforts for its recovery, caused it to take pre-
cedence over the clumsier exploits in the same
line on that occasion, and explains why the
name of feather busters has been applied
generally to the members concerned.
IL was noted at that time too that the non
elective Council on adjourning sine die did
not carry OFF any furniture, but that. on the
other hand, they took the precautiOn to have
the effects of the chamber put into proper Gus
tOdy.
Since the taxpayers got rid Of the elective
representative" branch of go eminent they
haven't hankered much for the restoration of
suffrage. but very likely some Of the feather
busters will be found about the halls of Con-
gress arguing stOutly or the elective fran
ehiSe a. the greatest of bOOnS