Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-13
HOME RULE IN TaE TERRrToRIEs.
President Harrison Adherine to the
Party Platform In Appointments.

Warrington Correspondence Baltimore Sun. March H.
The territorial nominations sent to the Senate
to-day by the President were significant Of his
adherence to the psrty's platform indorsing the
only wise and Just principle In reference TO un-
represented communities-th4t Of local men for
local places Other things being equal, what
stronger assurance can President have, If he
sincerely desires TO secure efficiency, than that
an appointee has An acquaintance with . COM
munity, knows faces, names, moral, social, and
financial standings, and II in sympathy
with the people a. . whole2 Every
local sppointee secures to the Pres
ident the gratitude of the entire COM
munlty, when that community either 10 in the
inchoat condition Of territory, with statehood
in prospective, or, like the people Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, without hope Of political in
dividuality or equality. The prompt and posi-
tive recognition of this principle, which was
recognised by all the Presidents up to the time
licences Of civil war to make departure, has
encouraged the people Of the District to hope
that they will be dealt with Justly. The Presi-
dent becomes a resident of the District for the
period Of four years. Its people are his people
and his neighbors. They are ready, prospect
i've OF party, to become his faithful friends,
and it is not only proper but polite to secure
the kindly feelings Of q community that num-
bers over two hundred and fifty thousand souls.
1t ia great mistake to underrate the infu-
ence OF the people Of the District. They are
brought in contact with all sorts and conditions
OF men, and their influence is as strong as it is
undemonstrative. Their opinions aid very
much in establishing the good bad or indiffer-
ent name which public men finally re-
ceive at the hands Of public opinion. As
Congress, do not vote for President or Vice.
President, the Chief Executive is the only friend
whom they can claim. II he ignores their
wishes and wants, then are they, indeed, q
hopeless community They are brought face
20 face with their powerless condition whenever
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 il considerable agita-
ton, not in the direction Of recommending
candidates &C place. but in that Of question:
ing to what extent the President will of his own
motive think of the people of the District and
act toward them in the matter of selecting for
Office the men with whom they are to have the
relations that are most jealousy guarded in the
states. Independent of the judges and the
Commissioners, there are but q few local Offices
in the gift OF the President. An argument ad
hominem might be forcibly addressed to him
and those who are demanding to be foisted
upon this helpless people. 1t is this: How
would the New Workers or Indianians or Ohio
if the laws permitted the outrage, a sheriff,
recorder of deeds or register Of wills from the
people Of the District, one who is a stranger, q
man having neither interests nor acquaintance
among the people?
1t is said that theory and example eliminates
the marshalship from the purely local offices,
because it has social duties connecting the in
cumbent closely with the Executive. This lie
not true. There is nothing in the Revised
Statutes to this effect, and the only ground for
the statement is the hope Of advancing some
excuse to overslough the District. The mar
shall under the presidency of Gen. William
Henry Harrison was q District man-Hunter,
of Alexandria, who occupied the position under
Jackson and Van Buren,. Wallach under Gen.
Taylor, Hoover under Gen. Pierce and Selden
under Buchanan, all were District men. But
when Mr.. Lincoln, owing to the abnormal con-
dition of affairs then existing appointed Ward
Lamon to the place he had no idea of estab-
fishing precedent, which his successors fol-
lowed, MIR. Hayes appointing Fred. Douglass,
whom MIR. Garfield very promptly transferred
to another Office in order to provide for Henry,
of Ohio, whom McMichael succeeded under
Arthur. On Mr.. McMichaers retirement Mr..
Cleveland returned to the old rule Of the old
Presidents and appointed local man. The
people of the District are unanimous on this
question, and all partisan feeling is swallowed
up in the sense of common right which in all
other communities is either respected or en-
fOrced