The daily critic., 1890-10-23

Cau.tfc Review of Horatio kings Let
tcr to VouCres. Protecting against
Home EuIe-what Com
rrcss intended

In Senate Misc. Doc NO. '.I. I-l
Scs. 5lst Cong. page 6a I f1l letter
of Horatio King ESQ in which he
says that che earnestly hopes that an
| amendment t1 confer upon the people
| Of the District of Columbia the COM
mon rights Of American citizenship in
/ other words general suffrage, will never
! be granted lie adds "OT and on,
| during the past fifteen or twenty years.
I have, through the press and other.
wise, discussed the subject very fully
aud I am unaltcrably averse To- any
change that would upset our present
excellent system Of government Could
/ have my way, there would be Law
/ to prohibit the formation of even q p1-
litiCal club OF any party In this Dis.
/ trict And he also declares that "thc
| trainers of the Constitution wisely eX-
| cluded the right Of suffrage here
Mr. King Is said 20 be a man OF about
common intelligence with aspirations Of
leadership among his clan or coterie Of
the lUiCrdN. who frequently assemble
on his invitation for The rehearsal Of
gossip and an ustentatiOus display Of
erudition
He seems TO be much like his name
sake the King Of ID ihomey. except in
power to enforce his policy. It our
King could have his way there would
be a law 10 prohibit the formation of a
political club in this District law to
forbid our young men to associate to
| consider measures 10 promote the public
welfare OF 10 discuss questions of poliu.
cal economy, or the policy aud princi.
pies of q free government or the all
ministratiou of the affairs Of a muni.
cipality, or a Slate. or the nation. or
even to petition for q redress Of griev.
ances, although he saws hC has discussed
the subject very fully.
II does not yet appear what he would
do in relation 20 religious and literary
societies, or even his own little sociables.
But he would have none of 'the com.
mon rights Of American citizenship
here, and would not change the auto.
cratic system Of government IN this
District, now administered IN the in.
ttresis Of wealthy corporations aud
spectators, independently of the
rights Of the people and with legis.
laiive powers conferred on the executive
oillcers-concorning which the late Jus
tice Miller recently sqil "a great prln.
ciplc lying at the foundation Of all free
governments Is that the legislative and
executive departments shall be kept
separate, and OF which Justice Story
declared that by a union of the cNpci.
tive and legislative authority iu The Sane
persons, there would be au cul q
liberty
But when Mr. King states that tho
trainers Of the Constitution wisely eV.
cludtd the Tight nf suffrage h.re. h.
commits q grave OitCusc, unworthy oven
of the King Of Dlhomey. for ullhing
OF The kind ever occurred The men
who have cOnsplrgd 10 dululc oar
people into that belief are impos'lrs.
No member at that convention ever
even proposed such O measure. SunrIy1
existed az hat time In Georgetown AMI
IN Alexandria, aud continued 10 exist
under the Constitution. Suffrage was
also accorded 10 the city of Washington
In 1902 and continued under the Con.
stiiution Two thirds OF a century.
Ia bis commentaries on the C0nsiitu.
ton Justice Story says: In point OF
fact The corporations Of the three cities
lWushingtou, Georgetown and AleXln.
drial within its limits possess and cXer.
else delegated power of legislation uu.
der their charters granted by Congress.
10 the full extent OF tneir municipal
wants. without any constitutional
scruple, or surmise, or doubt %
10 framing the Constitution soma
powers were conferred on the National
Government and some were reserved 10
the States. Among the former as
enumerated in the Constitution, were
The following 10 wit;
The Congress shall have power
To coin mOuey, etc.
To declare war, etc
To exercise exclusive legislation over
such District etc
Aud 10 make an laws necessary for ear
Ying into execution the foregoing
powers, etc.
II does not say that Congress shIH
coin money, and it never has coined
dollar but II has made the necessary
laws for the purpose.
IL does not say that Congress stlH
declare war, or that it stIH exercise
legislation IN AL cases whatsoever over
| such District; but that the power is
vesied 10 Congress as heretofore exist
ing in the State Ceding such jurisdiction.
Pending the consideration of that
proposition. James Madison said: "A
municipal legislature for local purposes
derived from their own suflrages will,
Of course, be allowed them.' aud not a
single member of the convention dis
senied from that proposition
For greater caution, effectually d
guard and protect the rights Of the
people IN the acts of cession 70 The
United States, both Of the States OF
Maryland and Virginia. expressly stipu.
lated and Provided that nothing hereiu
contained shall be 50 construed 10 vest
in The United States any rights Of prnD,
eItY iu the soil as 20 affect the rights
of individuals, Otherwise than the same
shall or may be transferred by such i'm
dividuals 10 the United States,
The State Of Maryland aud other
States continuously exercise the power
of granting 20 cities within their iuris-
digtiou municipal Governments with
legislative authority, aud Congress has
The power % iegislale for the DistrioI Of
Columbia precisely as Maryland there
t3iGrg had heright. and thea allptiOnof
The Constitution did not in any mluuer
impair the right of municipal legis-
lltion 10 This DisTict
The right was exercised under the
Constitution seventy years practically
uuquesti0ned aud without a dissenting
Judicial decision 10 this day. Congress
has precisely the same right 10 exercise
legislation over The District Of Columbia
as the LEGISLATURE Of every State in the
Union has over its own state. and no
more.
If Alr. King and Dir McComas think
differently Iet us hear from them Very
respectfully S e. CLtEEE
Washington. ID. c., Oct - 1890
Equity Court Notes
AdiadIcariOus IN The Equity COuHl to-
day Voc rs fuIlnWs EnLinsan Es. How