The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-21
NO DELEGATES NEED APPLY
District Commissioners Make It Plain
Why They Don't Want Any
Relations Between the Local Govern
Now Purely BuslnesslIke.

Congress has not been Oversloughed
with petitions from the citizens of the
District of Columbia in support OF the
Kline bin. which if passed. would give
US two Delegates on the floor of the House
Of representatives. with ali the dignities
and honOrs as we'll as the salary Of reg
ular constitutional members OF that body,
but wanting tn the right 20 vote.
The House District Committee has not
discussed the bill, but in the usual way
referred IL 70 the District Commissioners
for their views. The Commissioners are
opposed 20 the idea Of having delegates
10 represent the people Of the District in
Congress. Yesterday they forwarded TO
Representative Bdbcock, chairman Of the
House District Committee. their views of
the proposition. Their letter signed by
Commissioner Macfarlaud, is as follows.
The Commissioners Of the District u Columbia
have the honor % make tie following report upon
H. Z. BIZ 25-9, Of the present Congress. entitled:
A Bin providing for the election Of two Delegates
30 the House q Representatives from the District
Of Columbia. which was referred 20 them az your
instance with request Tor their views as to its
merits:
The Commissioners cannot favor the enactment q
the bill in question because they do not believe il
would be IN the interest Of the District u C0lum-
ha 70 have two Delegates elected hy universal man
hood suffrage 90 the House of Representatives.
Apart from other reasons. which might be dwelt
upon. the Introduction q partisan politics into the
municipal affairs Of the District # Columbia would
divide the public opinion on ARTIFICIAL lines lot
properly related 20 the business Of the municipality
TO the confusion # that public opinion and tae
serious embarrassment q It's operation; moreover,
Il would bring the relations between the people Of
the District and tne executive government Of the
District, and between the people and the Com
miSsiuners and Congress now happily free from the
baneful influence q partisan politics. into embaT
rassment and the result would be a decrease in
the efficiency q the executive government and prob
ably decrease In the consideration now shown tte
Affairs Of the District ia Congress. TlS affairs Of
the District are treated by the people, the
Commissioners, and Congress as a matter Of bust
ness, and not as ~ any way political But, Il the
people Of the District were divided into hostile
political CAMPS this state q affairs could not con
tiuue aud questions would inevitably be affected
by political considerations. instead Of being de
cided upon the merits Of each case.
The Commissioners now have every opportunity
% present their views and those Of the citizens q
Congress and the members Of the CongTessona
committees dealing with District affairs faith
ful IN their duty both in committee and upon the
floor; some ST them have given an amount Of time
and thought TO District affairs much greater than
Z cagld have been expected Cf them, and @Ith re
maTkablc effectiveness; the District gratefully rcog
nizes its debt 20 the who its interests 50
faithfully upon the committee dealing with It's
affairs. But even if that service was not 80 faith
ful and Efficient It would be better for the District
ia the long run, 20 depend upon it rather than q
bring in the ivisve and meBacing influence Of par
tsau politics 70 hinder and damage the progress d
the National Capital which has been 50 marked
since hy the compact Of 1873 between the District
taxrayers and Congress. suffrage was reiinquished
the national government assumed its obligations g
the National Capital. and the permanent form u
government was established, following upon the
abolition Of she territorial fom Of government. with
a Delegate IN Congress elected by the people.