The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-05-30
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.

There are three commissioners appointed for the
District by the president and confirmed by the senate
One of the commissioners is a democrat one a re-
publican and the third an army officer; the design
being to keep the government out of politics. These
commissioners by authority of congress- appoint the
policemen, the hremen, health officers and other
subordinates.
The franchise is absolutely denied the citizens of
Washington They are not allowed to vote any
proposition of any kind There used to be terrtor
al government for the District the for Ar1-
and New Mexico; the president appointing
the territorial governor and secretary and the people
electing the legislature The negroes being the great
balance of power united with the worst elements of
the whites and they had the corrupt and
bearabe form of government in the District they
had in the south during the reconstruction days.
The anomaly was then presented of a republican
gress and administration taking away the franchise
from all the people in order to relieve the white
people of negro supremacy. The object lesson being
brought under their very eyes, the republicans by
legislation admitted that the negros unfit to
govern
Nearly every state in the Union has child labor
laws of some kind or description. No other argu-
is needed to demonstrate that the people of al
most all the states think child labor laws neces-
sary Yet effort has been successfully made for
years to prevent child labor laws for the city of
Washington One would think naturally, that the
representatives of all these states which have child
labor laws would have passed long ago an ideal
law for the District of Columbia embodying the wis
dom and combining the best practical results of all
the best state laws the subject 1t has been i'm
possible, however, secure this legislation for the
District, and it is doubtful if the house passes
the bill which has just gone through the senate.
President Roosevelt has taken personal interest in
hoe cd
the present congress- in special messages the
actment of this legislation for the District; and per-
haps his influence may be able to secure it. Had it
not been for his nsistence, however, it is altogether
probable that congress would have refused now it
has persisteny refused in the past, to enact proper
laws.
1t is interesting query whether these representa-
tives are opposed to child labor laws in their own
states but acquiesce in them account of public
sentiment and express their feelings on the sub
ject by refusing this legislation to the District.
great many states also have local option; some
have prohibitions and nearly all have some sort of
restrictive legislation the liquor traffic. Congress-
rather the commissioners of the District closed the
saloons at midnight and on Sundays but beyond that
serious attempt has been made by the national
legislature to restrict the traffic.
The question naturally arises again. whether or not
legislators at Washington approve of liquor restrc-
tons in their states whether they acquiesce
for political and express their real sentiments
on the subject by refusing to enact legislation for the
District the lines adopted by their own people,
The natural supposition would be that inasmuch as
the congress is the board of aldermen and has COM
pete control of the municipal affairs of the capital
of the nation, that would pass ideal reform egs1a
ton considerably in advance of the legislation in the
respective states; that Washington would be a
model of morally and intelligently governed city
[nasmuch the citizens of Washington have abso-