Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-26
The Districts Government.


Much has been heard recently concern
ing the disadvantages, theoretical or
practical Of our present form Of muhlci-
pal government. Its severest critics Will
however, in fairness concede substantial
counterbalancing advantages.
The proof If the pudding is in the eat
ing: and under the relations between the
nation and the capital which this peculiar
form Of government typifies the city has
made wonderful progress in every branch
of municipal development. 1t has been
made more attractive and more healfhful
II has marvelously prospered materially
as well as advanced intellectually and
morally From being the object of ma
tional derision il has deservedly won its
way into the pride and affection of the
American people.
The reason that the theoretical argu-
r,ents against t'lree-headed executive
do not apply practically and in full force
to the District Commissioners Is that
their functions are not exclusively eX-
ecutive Under the law and custom the
Commissioners quasi-legislative
body, they are also the official repre-
SentativeS or delegates of the community
before the congressional committees deal
ing with District affairs. They have the
power under the law to enact municipal
regulations on specified subjects. Their
recommendations concerning local legis-
iation in general are forwarded formally
10 Congress BY courtesy of Congress
their opinions are sought concerning every
suggestion of proposed legislation for the
District all local bills being referred to
them by the District committees for their
consideration and report. In the COM
mittee hearings at which the vitality i'm
portant question of the Districts annual
budget is practically determined the
Commissioners are recognized as the
Districts authorized legislative agents.
and on some occasions no one else is
heard
In all functions of the Commissioners
except those which are purely executive
three headedness is not even in theory
drawback In a quasi-legislative body.
in a legislative advisory council, in CO.
operative legislative agents before Con-
gress. three. both in theory and in fact.
are better than one. AS the intermedia-
ries between the community and Con-
gress. with its power of exclusive legis-
lation. three men have more points of
sympathetic touch with the community
than one, and the people can present
their arguments and petitions effectively
to a wider range of legislators through
three cooperating agents than through
one. If citizen is not on terms with
one Commissioner he can get a considerable
hearing of his views through another. II
a congressman is prejudiced against one
Commissioner the Districts needs can be
effectively impressed upon him through
another.
Since all our legislation is enacted by
a body not chosen by us and over which
we have no control and which may be
republican at one time and democratic
another it is essential that the District 8
governmental agents should be non-par-
tisan. Under the present practice one
Commissioner is of republican affiliations.
one of democratic and the third. an army
officer. is supposed to be neutral polit-
ically. If the District were municipality
under the one-rnan power, whether the
one man was appointed from outside the
District by a national President or
elected by popular suffrage In the Dis
trict, he would almost inevitably be par
tisan. and the nations ward would be
alienated from some of it's guardians.
The Districts government has not only
been non-partisan but it has been honest
clean. selfrespectins. public-sprited We
have been spared the one-man power of
the corrupt and irresponsible political
boss, in whose grip the single-headed ex-
ecutive Of so many of our large cities
has been a mere puppet
Our present form of government has
its strong points as well as its weak
points: and they should be remembered
at time when every who suffers
irritating delay from red tape or short
handedness in the building inspector s
office. every one who suffers inconven-
fence or injury from the failure to make
some Improvement for which Congress
has failed 10 appropriate. and every one
who painfully stubs his toe on a pro-
jecting brick of an uneven city sidewalk
is persuaded to attribute his grievance to
that alleged municipal monstrosity, the
three-headed Commissionership.
The District is divided upon the ques-
ton whether the present form of local
government should be overthrown; and
the people are split into many irrecon-
cilabie factions by the question of what,
II the present government is overthrown,
shall be substituted in its place.
Bp The Star does not believe that any
Washinatonian. whatever he may wish
done or left undone in respect TO the mu-
nicipal government, is opposed to national
representation as a full-hedged American
in Congress and the Electoral College
Why should We not all cooperate to push
vigorously for that which is vital for
emancipation from the political status
OF defective Americans?