Evening star., 1897-03-29
Gen. Boynton's Name Suggested to
the President
FOR THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERSHIP
Opposition Made to Some of the
Candidates Named.
QUESTION OF HOME RULE

President Mckinley is still receiving sug-
gestions in regard to the appointment Of
successors to Commissioners Ross and
Truesdell.
Considerable effort is being made to have
the Preident ignore to some extent the
Eome-rue principle in filling the offices Of
Commissioner, marshal, recorder of deeds
and register Of wills. An argument has
lately been made to the President favoring
the appointment of one civilian Commis
sioner from the country at large. Those
who favor this plan have urged upon Mr.
Mckinley the fact that the general govern
ment pays one-half of the expenses of the
District of Columbia its share of the
municipal expenses, and they have endeay-
ored to impress upon the President the
idea that there should be one civilian Com
missioner. who should be appointed without
regard to the place of his residence, and be
distinctly the representative of the govern
ment in order to look after the disburse-
ment of the District revenues.
This proposition would be Impossible OF
adoption without change of the law,
which provides that the civilian Commits
sioners for the District of Columbia shall
have been for at least three years prior to
their appointment residents of the District,
but to overcome this objection 1t is pro-
posed to have a provision placed In either
the sundry civil or deficiency appropriation
bill, which failed in the last Congress and
which have passed the House of Repre-
sentatives and are now before the Senate
committee on appropriations
OF course this proposition, 1t is realized by
those who have made it, will be fought in
Congress. and those who are acquainted
with the feeling there do not believe it
could lie carried. The proposition to make
one of the commissionerships political
office is, of course, suggestion made by
politicians and receives no approval from
residents in the District of Columbia. Mr..
Mckinley has not given it his sanction.
but he is merely considering ii along with
every other suggestion that has been made
to him. 4ie-
new name has been placed before the
President for consideration when he shall
appoint the District Commissioners. The
name is that of Cen II. V. Boynton, now
of the Chickamauga Park commission. and
we'll known In the District of Columbia, as
he is Throughout the country at large. Cen
eral Boynton is In no sense ali applicant fer
the commissionership. and it is not known
whether he would accept it.
1t is stated as a fact that Gen. Boynton
was offered the commission nership by Gen.
Harrison but declined it. 1t may be that
reasons might be brought to bear upon
him TO induce him to accept it at the pres
ent time in case the President wished to
appoint him. 1t is argued by those who
favor Gen. Boyntons appointment that he
has an intimate acquaintance with mu-
dent OF the Cincinnati Gazette Cen Boyn-
ton treated local affairs in this city as of
national Importance. He wrote much con-
ccrninS the Lydecker tunnel sc candal and
frequently commented upon District gov
ernmental matters in manner that
showed the widest acquaintance with such
affairs.
There is little charge in the situation as
regards other applicants for the commits
sionership. The President is constantly
receiving suggestions in favor of or against
the candidates that have beer placed be-
fore him. No sooner is a new man sug-
gested than the President is waited upon
by people of the District, who proceed
either to indorse or oppose the candidate.
The Candidates.
The candidates for appointment as Com
missioners Of the District Of Columbia are:
Republicans, Commissioner Truesdell, Cha
pin Brown, DR.. A r Fardcn, NJ A. Bal
linger, w. c. Dodge, George C. HaZleton
and L. NJ. Saunders; democrats, John W.
Ross, Jesse b. Wilson, ]. D. Burke John
G. Slater and w. V. Cox, the last named
being the son-in-law of exMayor Emery
OF this city and nephew Of the late ex-
Representative Cox OF New York. In ad-
clifton to the above the attention of the
President has been called to the eligibility
or Henry l.. West, NJ. !. Weller, Lawrence
Gardner and Gen. H. V. Boynton none Of
whom have made any application for the
office
The candidates who have been urged for
appointment by the President upon the
ground that they represented a particular
section Of the city are receiving consid-
cradle opposition, through the argument
that the Commissioners should represent
the entire District and should not in any
in any particular section. This is the ar
gument that has been used against the an
pointment Of Mr.. Dodge, who had been
1ndorsed by all the citizens associations
east of the Capitol.
The Marshalship.
Persons who are we'll acquainted with
Mr. Mckinley say there is no reason to
beiieve that the President has changed
his opinion regarding the appointment of
William A. Hahn of Ohio to be marshal
for the District of Columbia
good deal Of opposition to Mr.. Hahn's
appointment has been developed here be-
cause of the home rule principle, which 1t
Is desired to enforce One prominent local
republican lately told Mr.. Mckinley that
while 1t was true that he would find many
precedents for the appointment of outside
people to District offices by republican
Presidents he would at the same time dis
cover that democratic Presidents had done
a great deal more in enforcing the home
rule principle than had any republican
President. and that that fact had operated
very advantageously among democrats i'm
Urging them TO active political work. He
told the President that the republicans of
the District Of Columbia had contributed
very large amount OF money to advance
republican interests in the last campaign.
and had not only sent voters home during
the election, but had sent out a large num-
ber Of speakers who had done good cam
paign work in the adjoining states.
He told Mr.. Mckinley that If he desired
to encourage the republicans in the Dis
trict Of Columbia to continue this kind of
work there would be no better way to do
1t than to give the local offices to local
men. Mr.. Mckinley paid careful attention
to these suggestions. and regarded them
as of Importance, especially in view of the
fact that 1t Is desired to promote repub-
fcanism In Maryland during the coming
campaign.
The President is making no haste in the
consideration Of the District offices. as
there are other matters that he considers
of greater Importance.