The Sunday globe., 1901-05-05
HOME RULE.
The Crying Necessity and Undeniable
Right of the District.
THE NORRIS-JONES SITUATION.
The District National Committeeman legltl-
mate Leadership and The Untenahe
Position Of The Opposition.
A Call foriHarmony and
Municipal Gov
eminent,

If the Americans visiting Europe this
summer were to state i'm Paris, London,
or Berlin that there is a portion of the
United States where men are born and
die who are not citizens of the United
Safes, such statements would be received
with incredulity, as foreigners are
aware that it is only the convicts i'm our
state penitentiares who are disfran-
chised. If informed, however, that over
three hundred thousand people residing
at the seat Of the National Government
were not only disfranchised but abso-
lutely ruled over by i'm ported politi-
clans, commissioners, judges, and ad-
ministrators from other states, the Euro
peans would shrug their shoulders and
perhaps remark mot capable of self
government or ;hey would revolt" This
is precisely what any other people
would do but Americans born and resi-
dent of the District Of Columbia,
Warsaw, the capital of ancient Poland;
| Dublin, the capital of the Emerald I>le,
have home rule government, and the
citizens of those cities name their local
rulers, despite the fact that Ireland and
Poland are subjucated countries, under
the heels of foreign tyrants. The Irish
man and the Pole can sneer at the Wash
ingtonian and ridicule his serf- like con
dition in the free land of bis birth.
Why is it thus, and viii it continue
until
| Motives that would move an ague's frost
.FsNs. ID
If the gang Of revolutionary leaders
who eXpend their vitality in vain,
senseless, and ridiculous fight against
that peerless Democrat, Mr.. James L..
Norris, member of the National Demo-
cratic Committee, would direct their et.
forts i'm a movement to establish home
rule government for the city of Wash.
ington yhey would earn the commenda-
! tion of the rank and file, instead of being
: ostracised or outlawed, as they are at
present, by not only the local but the
National Democracy.
Mr. Norris has national standing as a
. Democrat sans peur ct sans reprOche,
and if aided instead of misrepresented
and abused by wOuld-be leaders, would
be the ideal chief to lead a united fight
for home rule and municipal govern
, ment for Washington.
While the desire for local independ-
ence is not confined, The Globe is happy
; To state, to any one party, and many
prominent Republicans are as eager as
Democrats to secure the blessing, never
/ theless, an influential, trained, and eN-
perienced leader like Mr.. Norris, whose
/ services, standing, and social position in
this city commands universal respect,
should not be embarrassed or handi-
capped 10y the insurgent and frivolous
opposition of repudiated or pretentiOus
leaders, minus all the qualifications, in
/, Guiding the suifrages of the Democrats
of the District for the positions they as
sume to occupy. Chairman Jones, Of
the National Committee, is unwittingly
encouraging, aiding, and continuing
this distressing state of affairs by his
unaccountable position i'm an unjustitia-
ble eprOcrastinatiOn of definitely and Otii-
cially settling the status Of Mr.. NOrris as
the acknowledged leader of the .egti
mate Democracy Of the District. There
is no question as TO Mr., Norris being a
member of the Democratic National
Committee, as such he has officially
acted and the delegates regularly elected
have also acted on the different commit
tees appointed by the National Conven-
ton, but the absurd and unfounded
claims of insuTgent leaders are being
legitimatized by Chairman Jones every
day he neglects and has neglected sub
uniting the cOncOcted and baSeless
trumped up allegations of repudiated
individuals for final and permanent set
tlement.
Mr.. Jones is or must be aware of The
following situation Of affairs in this city:
In October, lS9S, the Democratic Cen
tral Committee of Washington selected
Mr.. James l.. Norris as candidate tor the
National Committee from the District Of
Columbia to succeed Lawrence Gardner,
deceased; as against the combined forces
of Mr.. William Holmead and Mr.. Edwin
Newman, who originally entered the
field as rival candidates, but ultimately
combined their forces against Mr. Norris.
Beaten here, the gentlemen named car
ried the fight to the National Committee,
| where, after Investigation, Mr., Norris
was indorsed as legitmately selected,
and he was thereupon elected member
, Of the National Committee To confirm
the action Of the National Committee,
I theCentral Committee Of the District met,
and Notwithstanding that il was COM
posed Of friends of MeSsrs. HOlmead aud
. Newman, ii unanimously endorsed the
action OF the National Committee. Har-
mony now reigned, and everybody sup
/ posed, and, indeed, were as ,ured, that
no such controversy would arise again.
/ But at the expiration Of the few remain
ing months of Mr.. GaTdner's term it be-
came necessary to elect a National Com
mitteeman for the iull term Of four
years, and the primary elections were
held to select delegates to the city con-
vention. out of twenty-five legislative
. districts, Mr.. Norris carried twenty, and
had ten out of fourteen thousand votes.
/ In any other portion Of the country such
an overwhelming endorsement would be
tnal settlement, but the opposition To
/ Mr.. Norris refused TO abide by this de-
cislNe reputation Of their fellow Demo-
Gratis, audactually again carried the con-
trOvorsy to the National Convention
where, for lack Of time to investigate
their outrageous claims, il was referred
. to the National Committee for final con-
sderation and settlement.
Chairman Jones has played " fast aud
looseh with this reference of the Ma
tional Convention, and despite the
wishes of the District Democracy and
the best interests Of the party, he has
managed by methods which reflect no
credit on man holding his exalted po-
sltion in suspending the matter and pre-
venting the National Committee from
promulgating an official declaration,
though individually they recognize Mr..
Norris as their colleague on the commit
tee and are ready to so declare him
when ever they meet.
Therefore, Jones or no Jones, Mr.. Nor
ris is bona Tide member Of the National
Committee; but Mr.. Jones' part in the
49,