The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-09
HOME RULE AT THE CAPITAL.


of Columbia. This bill is forty printed
pages long, and relates to all manner of ex-
penditures incident to the government OF
city OF $50, 000 the total population of the
district being about $4,000. After being
cut down some Sill, 900 by the secretary OF
the treasury, it appropriates 81, I26, $50.
Under the law, sanctioned by custom OF
great many years, the people of the United
States pay one-half the taxes of the district.
General HENDERSON, of Iowa, Repubi-
can member of the district committee,
spoke of the fact that Washington has no
direct representation whatever, no city
council, nor any power to pass any law
governing its people. Congress controls
all its legislation by two committees in
each House. None of the sub committees
on appropriations were directly interested
In or linked to the destinies of the city, ex-
cept as citizens of the general government.
They could not give satisfactory care to all
the district interests.
Mr.. DoCKERY, Democrat, spoke of the
extravaganza il the expenditure of the
public money, claiming that the appro-
priation for extension OF streets was
largely used last year in the interest OF
syndicates The last Congress reduced the
item considerably, and this year the COM
mittee determined that there was no press
ing need for Improvement. The same was
the case with number of other sppropria-
tons. Mr.. COMPTON, of Maryland, also re-
ferred to the looseness of expenditures
upon streets abutting on property owned
| by syndicates in the suburbs, and gave
notice that if the extravaganza of the past
was continued he would be in favor of in
creasing the proportion borne by the dis
trict people and decreasing the cost to the
national government Mr.. OTIs, of
/ Kansas, did not understand why,
though we own property in the dis
trict, we should pay the taxes, or that
the people living in the district should not
bear the same burdens borne by people in
every other section of Ehe country. Ac-
cording to this gentleman, it would be an
advantage to give TO The state of Maryland
everything in the district except the pub
lie buildings, and allow that state to exer-
/ else control as with respect to property in
general within her jurisdiction. Any state
in which the capital might be located would
gladly donate Gao acres of land with good
title and relieve the government from
ever paying dollar of taxes.
One might suppose from the foregoing
that the people of the District of Columbis
have an extraordinary good thing in theil
local government, being so highly favored
by Congress. But those people, benefited
as they are, are not at all satisfied. They
do not like the idea of being gov
erned by anybody but themselves
They want the ballot, that pc
tent weapon of the American free
man. They know that the system in vogu
is unsatisfactory all round. 1t makes
common council of the Senate and Hous
, of Representatives, or body like boar
, of county commissioners. 1t require
members to distract their attention iron
the affairs of their states, or their congres
S sional districts at home, for the purpose o
looking after local matters with whic
they are not familiar and upon which the.
are liable to act on information receive
second hand from interested parties. The
would gladly be relieved of this anomalou
and unrepublican duty.
\ The people of the District of Columbi
b are at this time making strong movemen
in the direction of Home Rule. A proieC
is on foot to secure the insertion of a plan
in the Republican and Democratic part
platforms at the coming conventions
advocating the restoration of suffrag
to the citizens, and to instruC
their Minneapolis and Chicago del,
gates in accordance herewith. On
gentleman interviewed by the Washingto
9 Post referred to the move TO elect Unite
States Senators by general ballot in u
event of the success of which heSfavore
o the representation of the district in tt
Senate. He doubted if a Delegate coul
have much weight "buL" SAID he, 'if W
had a member in the Senate we could do
u great deal for the district" And so the
could, of course. Another said they hs
fought against the principle of taxatic
&c without representation, and the district
Z Just in that condition now. Still anoth,
said: There are only three territori
now; they will soon be admitted as state
u and the district will be the only section
& America not represented in the nation
Congress" Mr.. A. a. LIPsCoMB, prom
nent citizen, remarked:
- 1 am in favor of local suffrage AS a Dem
crat l must always favor rule of an iutellige
majority. The reason we haven't local suffra
now is because the Republican Senators a
"A Representatives who own property here we
N opposed 10 negro rule, and the thing tn
wanted to force on the south they objected
here IN Washington. we certainly should
A. allowed 10 vote in the district, and should
- represented in Congress.
MIR. NJ. l. WELLER said
In principle l am a sufIragist and in favor
,e Home Rule. The present form of governme
ID is undemocratic, yet l have nothing to s
against the commissioners. Individually it
the best board we ever had. 1 believe il
government of the people. Taxation witho
d representation l oppose. We pay heavy tax,
w yet are not represented. The appropriate
in bill for the district was reported to-day vi
81, $4,000 cut out and The estimate of fun
necessary was made by the commissioners.
N we had our own form of government we wo,
- be able to spend our own money, and
:; wouldn't be in the position of mendicants.
THE HERALD presents the foregoing co
siderations as responsive to those adv
be Gates of perpetual territorial governme
so for Utah who have found so much sat
IS faction in pointing to tho unique politi,
condition of the district of Coiumb
They carry with them without furtt
q comment all the lesson THE HERALD cal
r. to draw at present.
ng =
THE LOGAN ELECTION