Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-10
THE COMMIssIoNERsH1P QUESTION

RESIDENT OR NoN-REsIDENT-THE pEBArE IN
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES RULED OUT
THE AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT HONESTLY AND
EFFICIENTLY MANAGED BIZ THE PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS.
In the Senate Wednesday an interesting de-
bate arose on the amendment to the District
appropriation bill proposing to strike out it's
provision Of the law requiring that the two civil
Commissioners of the District shalt have been
actual residents of the District for three years.
Mr.. Beck said:
Under the law organizing the District govern
ment two Commissioners were required to be
residents OF the District Of Columbia This
proposes to change that law and allow one Of
them to be selected elsewhere than from the
District; and the idea Of the committee diff
Tered with the majority Of my own committee
on the subject-was that the President ought to
nave the right to select. q man outside Of the
District Of Columbia because the United States
nave to pay large portion Of the expenses.
me Congress OF the gnited States legislates
exclusively for the District Of Columbia. We
are all outside of the District. The District has
not representative 'on the floor of either
house; 1t has no city council mo legislative body.
1t has nothing but tho Commissioners and it
pays one-half Of allfhe taxes. We select an
engineer ohicer to act with the Commissioners.
~
one OF the three. Fdo not know of any city.
any town, any district, that would voluntarily
submit to have its governing officers brought
from elsewhere to preside over it.
nave thought there were surely two respec-
table men living III the District Of Columbia
known to the people, property holders here, men
VINO we're responsible for anything they might
90, VINO would be competent and certainly the
PRESIDENT Is competent to select them, and the
senate IS competent to reject his nominees If he
n 1nnf <,,I 49, 18th
justice was done to the whole District, and men
that are known, men that are property holders,
residents Of the District, who expect to live
here after their term of office expires. Such
men ought to be selected as the law now pro-
vides. f~
do not say that the present President would
90 anything improper; but il this proceeding is
to take effect, what Is to prevent him from form
ing combinations with persons in Virginia, North
Carolina Maryland or anywhere else and ap-
pointing man unknown to the people here,
with no interest in common with them, not ex-
pecting to stay here longer than the two years
he Is IN Office, who may be sent here for the very
purpose of demoralizing the lowest class Of the
community, and making them political emissa-
RES IN the states Of Virginia and Maryland, or
he accomplished the purpose for which he was
brought! Such man might be one that no.
body In the District knew anything about who
perhaps would not stay here, but 90 over to
baltimore or Alexandria or Lvnchburg every
night, and no resident Of the District would be
aDle TO ma him and lay complaints before him.
That was the general idea had and think
the present law as 1t stands is better than to al
low the risk to be run of bringing stranger to
city as large as this that has no voice in its
own government, that is governed exclusively
by Congress. One, at least, of the governors.
the engineer commissioner, selected BY us. is a
nonresident OF the District. All the laws are
framed by Us, the District having no representa-
tive to appear on the floor Of Congress to be
heard. Now, to take two of the three Commits
sioners from distant states, to bring a civilian
Commissioners here to be a political emissary, if
you please, for bad purposes, whom the people
90 not know, does not seem to me wise lepisla-
ton, and therefore, if the point of order will lie,
propose to insist upon it.
Mr.. Plumbing. President, this amendment
understand its action, on account of any distrust
OF the present Commissioners of the District. on
account OF any maladministration on their part
or OF any lack Of confidence in them in any way
whatever. may say for myself that, 30 far as
my investigation has gone in regard to this bill,
0elieVe the present Commissioners have dis
charged their duties wisely and faithfully. and
believe the administration Of the affairs of the
Dlstrlct OF Columbia has been honest, has been
economical, and, on the WHOLE fair But
nave been impressed with the feeling that the
commissioners named from the District were not
In d condition to be just, either to the District
OF TO the government, They are subjected, by
reason OF the anomalous position existing here.
TO enormous pressure. That pressure largely
grows out of the fact that we have adopted a
rule In regard to this District that prevails no.
where else. While elsewhere men appear before
the municipal bodies asking that the streets be
not improved till actual necessity REQUIRES il.
because of the taxation involved here they an
pear suggesting improvements because the i'm
provements are paid for by the general tax-pay-
Mr.. VanWyck.-Au6w me to ask, If this point
is good, would there not be the same objection
to allowing mayor to be elected in any city
from within the precincts of the city?
Mr: Beck.-Or the governor of state from
Mr.. Plumb.-The condition Of things is not
the same But was proceeding to say that the
pressure upon this board of Commissioners is
such that they feel in many ways shorn of that
proper independence which they should have
as administrators Of the local government. I
believe myself that to bring into the District
from without 1t man Of large experience in
pubic affairs, of broad views, Of thorough in
dependence. would result in giying.to this Dis
trict better and more liberal administration.
and result in cOmmendingit and it's affairs more
to the wisdom and judgment Of Congress than
can possibly be the case under the present con-
dition Of the organization. l believe. besides.
that it Is proper as fair representation to the
taxpayers of the United States, who pay not
oc!y one-lai out Hearly tWO-tl1r0S OF the taxes
of the District.
AS said, this involves In no sense a reflection
on the present administration. The expense of
the administration Of the District government
under the present Commissioners has steadily
gone down. In every way, 80 far as the COM
mittee could ascertain, they have had the
cordial cooperation OF the Commissioners in
every effort to reduce expenses, to in
duce responsibility in administration and to
conserve the interests Of the District and the
government alike. Nothing could have been
fairer and better than their action toward the
committee; nothing could have been
fairer and better than the counsels they have
given u.s. and want to emphasize what 1 said
before. that this is in no wise rejection on
these Commissioners at all. One of them is to
go out on the LIST of July, and is not candi-
date for reappointment. There will be
vacancy which can be filed by the President
from some one out of the District, il he is so
disposed.
Mr.. Van Wyck.-It seems to be strange that
this question should be thrown In at this time.
for the argument of the Senator is that there is
nothing calling for this change. He takes special
pains to say that under the present system
everything works admirably, the affairs of the
District OF Columbia have been effectively man.
aged, have been judiciously managed, have been
honestly managed Then no reason is alleged
for this change except-what2 Except that one
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