The Washington critic., 1888-04-04
wAsHINGToN, ApRIL !. lsss.
MIR. BLAIR no THE RESCUE.


That sounds pretty good, don't it ?
There's music in that. Behold the
sunburst at last-the District of Col
umbia With a full-blown Senator at
one end Of the Capitol and Il pair or
more of Representatives at the other
end.
In the Senate Yesterday Mr.. Blair
presented the following proposed
amendment to the Constitution,
which was read twice referred to the
Committee OF the judiciary and
ordered to be printed
Whereas the people Of the District Of Col
umbia are subject to taxation without rep
resentation contrary TO fundamental prlnui-
pies OF all free government; therefore be 10
ResoiCod by ne Senate, etc., QiO0-fhirds Of
10Th Hoases coHcbylHG), That the following
article be proposed 70 the legislatures 81 the
several States as an amendment to the Con-
stitution which, when ratified by three
fourths of said legislatures, shall be valid, as
part Of the Constitution namely:
Article 16, Section /. The District Of Co
lumbla shall be entitled 10 representation in
the Congress OF the United States by one
senator and by one or more Representatives.
according TO the rule Of apportionment cstab-
lished by article II of the Constitution. Said
District shall also be entitled to as many
electors for President and Vice-President of
the United States as II has members of Con.
sress
Section .. Congress shall provide by law
the time and manner OF choosing the Senator,
The Representative or Representatives, and
the electors authorized by this article.
Verify may the people of the Dis
trict of Columbia rise up and call Mr.
Blair of New Hampshire blessed.
IL is not by compulsion that they
inhabit this Government reservation,
made so by express Constitutional
provision, nor is there any law to pre-
vent their moving over the boundary
line into Maryland or Virginia, but
are they not sorely oppressed all the
same and have they not been long
slisfranchised
Welcome Welcome, then, the
boon of relief to their pent-up patriot
ism and the heavy burdens of des-
potism they bear, which Senator
Blair's amendment to the Constitu-
ton presents
The joint resolution has not passed
yet, nor is ii likely to for some days,
but we can assure the Senator that if
he will do his part in this great work
of emancipation, the District poiti-
rians, of all shades, classes, colors and
previous conditions, will do theirs.
Let him once get his amendment
passed and ratified, and there will be
no danger of its becoming dead let
ter for lack of bummers TO run the
primaries or candidates to fill the Of
fees.
We know of several rising states
men who would like nothing better
than to be Senators and Representa-
lives, even if the mileage did not
amount to much, and we have an
abundance of excellent material.
We would suggest as an amend
ment TO the resolution, however, that
as the District has representation OF
nine men ON the Senate District
Committee it should be allowed not
thirteen men on the House District
Committee, not less than thirteen
Representatives will fill the bill and
hold things even. There is no use
in adopting an amendment of this
kind unless il creates offices enough
10 go at least quarter of the way
round.
III SENATOR BLAIR's bill providing a
few Senators and Representatives fol
the District of Columbia becomes a
law, we can name several distin,
guished citizens who wouldn't have
TO be coaxed to hold the new Offices.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND will appoint
as Chief Justice some man not Older
than himself, and n Democrat. The
Chief Justice, unlike the President
holds Office for life, and though the
position is not political, il is not bad
politics to have sure thing on Dem
ocrat being at the head of one depart
ment of the Government, whatever
abNclSlNS may NohiS W wv I"iNJ 9"
large.
To SENATOR RIDDLEBERGER: II al
first you don't succeed, try,'tr again
IT SEEMS ALMOST waste of time Il
take up the public hall question again
so often and withal 80 fruitlessly has
il been agitated. 1t is one Of those
things for which there is no account
ing that a movement in this direction
was not made and consummated Ions
ago as a business venture. IT would
have paid the builders, if not in ac
tual cash returns on the investment
at least in largely augmenting the
transient population of the city
Were proper accommodations pro
vided Washington would shortly be
come the convention centre of the
country. Great popular assemblagei
would naturally converge here
National conventions of the great
political parties would also find
their way 10 the Capital. Associations
ard Congresses Of all sorts would
choose Washington in preference tc
any other city because Of its aceessi'