The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-03-13
Homo Rule In the District.

WARRINGTON, March lathe Territorial
nominations sent to the Senate to-day by the
President were significant Of his adherence
to the party's platform indorsing the only
wise and Just principle In reference to un-
represented communities, that OF local men
for local places. Other things being equal,
what stronger assurance can President
have II he sincerely desires to secure eff
cheney than that an appointee has an &C.
quaintance with community, knows faces,
names, moral, social and financial standings,
and is In sympathy with the people as q
wholeP Every local appointee secures to the
President the gratitude Of the entire com
muhity, when that community either is In
the inchoate condition of Territory, with
Statehood in prospective, or, like the peo-
pie Of the District Of Columbia, without
hope Of individuality or equality. The
prompt and positive recognition Of this
principle, which was recognized by all the
Presidents up to the time when Mr.. Lin
coin felt compelled by the exigencies of
civil war to make a departure, has encour-
aged the people Of the District to hope that
they will be dealt with justly. The Presi-
dent becomes a resident of the District for
period of four years. Its people are his
people and his neighbors. They are ready,
irrespective OF party, to become his faith
ful friends, and 1t is not only proper but
polite to secure The kindly feelings of a
community that numbers over two hundred
and fifty thousand souls.
1t is great mistake to underrate the
influence of thepeople of the District. They
are brought in contact with all sorts and
conditions OF men, and their influence is as
strong as 1t is undemonstrative. Their
opinions aid very much in establishing the
good, bad or Indifferent name which public
men finally receive at the hands of public
opinion. AS they are not represented in
either, branch Of Congress, do not vote for
President or Vice-President, the Chief Ex-
ecutive is the only friend whom they can
claim. II he ignores their wishes and
wants, then are they, indeed, a hopeless
community. They are brought face to face
with their powerless condition whenever
there is an occasion to select public
servant, who, as Judge, Marshal, Recorder
of Deeds Register of Wills or Postmaster,
is to deal with those questions
which come home TO every man.
There is considerable agitation, not
in the direction Of recommending
candidates to place, but in that Of question
ing to what extent the President will OF his
own motive think of the people of the Dis
trct and act toward them In the matter of
selecting for Office the men with whom they
are to have the relations that are most jeal-
ously guarded in the States. Independent
of the Judges and the Commissioners, there
are but few local offices in the gift OF the
President IN argument ad hOmiaem might
be forcibly addressed to him and those who
are demanding TO be foisted upon this help
less people, II is this How would the New
Workers or Indianians or ohioans, or the
people OF any other State, receive, II their
laws permitted the outrage, a sheriff, a re-
corder Of deeds or register Of wills from the
people of the District, one who is a stranger,
a man having. neither interests nor ac-
quaintance among the peopleY--[Cor
spondence Baltimore Sun.