Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08
A Square Deal for Washington.

When in case of some unpopular and un-
fit local appointment protest has been made
against the contemptuous lack of consid-
Grafton with which the Americans who con-
stitute the people Of Washington are treat
ed some one is sure to remark: "Oh, the
people of Washington are simpl'- greedy for
Office and government support; they think
that nobody, unless he Is born in the Dis
trlct. or lives there and claims legal resi-
deuce nowhere else, is entitled to any OF
the national-local Offices" In the light of
the facts this slur piles insult upon injury.
The protest of the District is not against
loss of prospective salaries to a few indi-
viduals but against the humiliation and
hurt inflicted by the appointments upon the
whole community.
The Americans of Washington sacrifice
In the national interest under the consti-
tutional provision their right to decide di-
rectIy for themselves questions vitality af-
fecting their government. their persona!
rights and their material interests. The ma
tior decides these questions for them. The
basic principle of the square deal demands
that these national decisions be made In
a manner which Will cause the results TO
approximate as closely as possible to those
which would be reached if the nation could
permit IIt AIntIICdNS VI NStShihb toii ~
handle the affairs of the national capital
after the fashion of other Americans In
their home cities
The President of the United States APP
points national-local officials for the Dis
trct who in the states are in part elected
by the local community and in part APP
pointed by the national executive, after
consultation with and generally the sug
Eestiou of the representatives of these
states Washington contends that the prin-
ciple of the square deal demands that in
making these local appointments the Pres
ideut should sound public sentiment and
should consult the wishes of the commu-
nifty in respect to local federal appointments
"a ne consults the representatives of the
states in the case of such appointments
elsewhere; and that when he is appoint
ing TO offices which are purely local in
their functions and in their support. and
which filed in the states by local cleo
tious he should be scrupulously careful to
appoint no one but bona fide Washing
touian. with sufficient public Endorsement to
suggest that he might have been elected to
the position II the people OF Washington
had voted on his candidacy.
IL the President consulted Washington
and gave consideration to the sentiment of
Washington in respect 10 these appoint
mtrrs. there would never be any subse-
quent controversy on the technical point
OF what constitutes a Washingtonian. a
man of long residence here, interested in
and identified with the local community. if
personally IL for public Office. would have
saea support from SO many Washingtonians
that local assent 70 his appointment could
reasonably be assumed, and the technical
objection in his case of a legal residence
for voting purposes elsewhere might read
ily be- d.sregarded.
But it is not such appointments as these
against which the District has protested
ana now protests. Instead OF selecting men
who were practically, if not technically,
WashiHgtonians. and VINO were approved
by local public sentiment the Presidents
have more and more ignored the local COIN
muuity and it's wishes. The only Ameri-
cans who were not considered In or con
suite I about Washington Offices were Wash
hgtouilns. Purely local offices have been
shtmelessIy prostituted to the base purposes
Of political partisanshlp. Partisan strikers.
representatives Of race or an organIza-
ton. have been imported from the states
ana rewarded for political or personal serv-
fees at the expense and to the humiliation
o. The people Of Washington Favorites
OF The executive. obnoxious to the local
community have been forced upon it In
these positions. The satisfaction OF some
personal or political obligation, accom-
panied by cynical disregard of the shame
inflicted on this community. has in too
many nj these cases obviously been the
dominant motive.
Us it not time TO consider reform in this
matter and a square deal for the three
hundred thousand Americans of the Dis
Jr..t of Columbia?