Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09
A "RIPPER" GOVERNMENT IN WASH
INGTON.
The Capital a SOIace 10 Certain
Pennsylvania Cities,

Pennsylvania Cities.
From the Chester pa Republican.
The passage Of the bill that takes from
Pittsburg the government that was insti-
tuted under the rules by which pop liar
government is made, seems a fearsorne
thing to some good people. As to that, We
are able to say that there are two sides to
| the matter, as there is to everything. A
government by the people is what republi-
can institutions call for, and the modus op-
erandi brings with it, in our large cities,
much that is not exactly what is pleasant.
New York, Chicago. Philadelphia, almost
any large city, has furnished object lessons
in this regard. and the reader is able to de-
| termine for himself what sort OF govern
ment he prefers-one that is made by the
votes Of the citizens OF city, citizens good
and citizens not so good or whether he
would prefer the somewhat un-American
mode OF having that government exist 10y
favor Of Governor Stone or President Nc
kinley.
There is a government of large city now
existing that may serve to show the adam
tages and otherwise of that mode of govern
ment 1t has been in existence twenty-Sey-
en- years, We believe, and therefore has lad
time enough to show for itself. We refer
to the government. by three Commission
appointed by the President of the city of
Washington. The people Of the capital city
m.
1897 President Mckinley. We are assured
never opened the papers of a candidate who
had $500 taxpayers on record as asking HIS
appointment. The President appoints whom
he desires. the Senate never fails to confirm
and the three gentlemen intrusted with The
duties and the power of the position rule
for their allotted time without any SUPER
visory authority to call them to account
What has been the result? This: In all
these years the President has appointed
men against not one OF whom there has
been even breath OF scandal. The city
has been we'll governed, the laws have been
fairly and vigilantly enforced, the man or
woman who has business at the public
building is treated with a never failing cour-
tesy that Is demanded by those highest in
authority, and the wishes and sometimes
the whims of the taxpayers are endeayored
to be met, by the Commissioners, to the fun
limit of their ability. There seems TO be
no favoritism- There is nothing that savors
or arrogance. And were IL not that the
principle of this sort of government is con-
trary to the spirit of free Institutions, this
would be an ideal government
The present commissioner is a good TYNE
of the creation. The president, H B. r.
mcfarland, Tor long years a correspondent
at the capital city for the PHILADELPHIA
Record. is the type OF what a newspaper
getic, he is gentleman The democratic
Commissioner, John W. Ross, is a man for
whom those who have known him any
Length OF time, have a positive affection.
He Is serving his fourth term as Commits
sioner, and his friends (of whom the writer
is one), hope he will continue In the office
many years, and IL he were given to that
fearful malady known as "swelled head"
that sometimes aff1icts chiefs of sections
and other weak mortals charged with
wetghty things, he would have shown the
symptoms long ago. Suffice II to say that
he never did. There is not a man in office
more noted than Ross for kindness OF heart
for devotion to the interests OF the people
for manners that stamp one the type OF a
perfect gentleman. The third Commissioner
(termed Engineer Commissioner is Captain
Lansing H. Beach, United States army.
And IL one looks for the arrogance of an
army officer, the brusque manner of one
who has commanded men for many years,
he must interview some one other than
Captain Beach. He is man Of quiet man.
ner, of moderate speech, of decisive action.
He is IAN officer and a gentleman" And
he fills out nicely what has struck us ever
since its institution about the best
Board of Commissioners that Washington
has ever had. Should the Ripper" bill
go in effect, we advise Pittsburgers to four
ney to Washington and take a look a. these
governors of a great city. governors who
are there without the expressed viii of the
governed. They will probably then return
to their town with the conviction that life
without Finn. existence without a Maxee
may still be worth enduring.