Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-22
An Unconsidered American State.

committee has changed materially in the
course of years and the tendency has been
to reduce the participation of the people OF
Washington In this function and to turn 1t
over to national officials. In the earlier
days prominent local citizens, and more es-
pecially and conspicuously those who were
members of the victorious party. met ana
chose the chairman of the inaugural COM
mittee Then, rivalries and friction arising.
the national campaign committee became
sort of arbiter. Later for several admins
tratlons and as late as 1900 the chairman OF
the national committee of the winning, par
ty has held consultations with leading
Washington citizens of his own political
faith and has chosen from among them the
inaugural chairman. the latter imparting
to his committee a non-partisan or bi-par-
tisan aspect by giving minority representa-
tion upon 1t to citizens of the defeated po-
litical party Today the tendency noted
has so developed that the chairman Of the
national committee, without consultation
with District republicans and regardless of
the political reputation or status Of the
man selected. makes personal choice of
chairman acceptable to himself and to the
Presdent-elect. The process OF ignoring
and eliminating local political sentiment as
factor In the equation is apparently COM
absolute.
Along still another line conditions have
been shaping themselves which tend to
drive Washing tohians from responsibility
for control and management of the inau-
gural function. The inaugural celebration
Is now so elaborate and expensive, costing
over $4,000 outside of the expense to in
dividuals. that the so-called inaugural ball
has come to be a necessity for meeting
this cost. The pension building has been
used for a number of inaugural balls and
Is we'll adapted to the purpose A bond is
now required from the inaugural committee
to restore the building IL damaged as a re-
suit OF the inaugural proceedings, so that
It's destruction by fire during that period
would mean financial disaster for the COM
mittee. In 1902 Congress prohibited the use
of the pension building for inaugural pur-
poses except with It's consent Thus the
citizens cannot satisfactorily inaugurate
without the ball; for the ball the pension
building Is apparently essential, and Con-
sress has SO far as 1t can bind future Con-
crosses forbidden the use of that building
The bond requirement makes the financial
position Of the inaugural committeeman
dangerous; the prohibitive legislation revo-
lutionizes inaugural methods and makes his
financial position absolutely untenable
The effect of both the tendencies noted is
to point distinctly to the prospect that
future inaugurals will be in direct charge
of the national campaign committee of the
successful party. Under the prohibitiye
law citizens could not be certain of securing
from successive Congresses consent to the
use of the pension building or other public
structure, or the approaches to any such
building. They would be almost certain
not to get such consent. If Congress was
controlled by the political party opposed to
the incoming President. The national COM
mittee. If no public building could be OBJ
tanned from Congress for the ball, would
meet the expense from campaign funds.
This committee would not only manage the
election but the inauguration of the new
President.
These suggestions of trouble have no ap-
plcation to the present inauguration. Since
Theodore Roosevelt concededly nominated
himself. managed his. own campaign and
elected himself, the people almost unani-
mously consenting. why. 1t may reasonably
be asked, should he not also inaugurate
himself overturning all the precedents in
the selection OF a chairman, and securing
easily from an overwhelmingly Roose-
veltian Congress all the legislation which Is
necessary to provide a suitable building for
the ball-reception and to make the occa-
sion IN all respects a grand success?
With this radical change in the future in
stallations of President a unique and hon
orable District office would be abolished
that of inaugural chairman His duties
consist of three months of arduous, re-
sponsible work, accompanied by a super
abundance of disagreeabIe friction and
harsh criticism. His rewards have been
the approval OF hrs own conscience, set
aiI,. ,,Iat. frnr IA afac a
committee, and since he has heretofore in-
variably been selected as a representative
republican democrat of the District in
accordance with the result OF the political
battle he has gained from the appointment
local partisan prestige, he has basked In the
radiance of the incoming executive, he has
enjoyed at least the opportunity of securing
the ear and favor of the new President as
leading representative of District repubi-
canism or democracy.
The removal of the inaugural chairman
ship from the list of topics upon which 1t
IS necessary TO consult citizens Of Washing
ton and the future conversion OF this chair
manship from local into a national office
are i'm harmony with the general process
OF national and partisan absorption OF local
positions of which the District has had
painful experience. Years ago, and again
postmaster was Washingtonian, chosen
after consultation with Washingtonians
now The people OF the capital have nothing
TO say about the postmastership; the de-
clslvc word comes from the senator from
New York. or from some other senator II
he can wrest the patronage from its present
possessOr. Years ago the recorder of deeds.
n purely local official, was Washingto-
nian. selected after consultation with Wash
ingtonians: now the Office has been elmi
mated entirely from the list OF local con-
Germs and has been lowered into political
partisan reward for services rendered by
cOlurcd politicians in the states. And so
GU through the list, with this one assigned
to the Grand Army. and that one to
Maryland senator. and the other to Mas
sachusetts senator. the District by a pre-
various tenure retaining only the commits
sionerships. in respect to which the law
furnishes specific protection. But even dur
ing this process of absorbing the local
offices republican Presidents from Lincoln
To Mckinley have shown outward consider
alton for local sentiment. They have rec
ognized that through the power to recon-