Evening star., 1909-05-10
The President and Washington.


President Taft is a land-owning Wash
ingtonian and Nationalist. He Is IN
terested and enthusiastic on both sides
of the capital-making partnership
All washingtonians are Nationalist
with a large n. In peculiar and ex-
elusive sentimental sense they are Ma
tionalists. since they owe no divided al
legiance to a state; and in a practical
sense they are Nationalists. advocating
the fullest national control of the capital.
because no one realizes more keenly than
they the disgraceful conditions which re-
suited when for three-fourths of a CEN
tury the nation shirked its responsibilities
to the Nations city.
Whether District representation can be
secured in Congress without disturbing
exclusive national control of the Ten
Miles Square and without rendering the
capitals government parochial; whether
the fathers indicated in the Federalist dis
cussion that the District was at some
time to be represented in Congress: or
whether. on the other hand. they intended
that the constitutional provision on this
point should be forever unamendable; all
these are interesting and important. but
not Immediately urgent. questions. And
the consideration in discussion given by
the President and Judge Stafford to these
issues should not distract attention from
the plea, voiced by Judge Stafford. for a
larger indirect representation and partici-
patton by the Washingtonian in his gov
ernment and affairs, and from the Presi-
dents cordial and sympathetic response
to the spirit OF that plea.
The President himself warned against
attaching undue Importance to the con-
stitutional discussion when he said:
Now. my dear friends. I want to say
to you that i have got into constitu-
tional discussion here that l did not an
ticipate. but / hope it has not clouded
my meaning, which / intended to make
as clear as possible. that l am deeply
interested in the welfare of the District.
j am deeply interested in securing good
government to every man, woman and
child in this District. and to secure ms
far as II possible, with the original
plan under the Constitution. such voice
as the people Of the District may re-
auire In their local matters"
On the question of immediate concern
to the Washingtonian the President has
not decided whether, even in theory. un-
der the peculiar conditions affecting the
local government single is preferable
20 a plural commissionership. He has
not made up his mind whether the legis-
lative ordinance-making functions. the
legislative advisory functions, the legis-
lative agent functions and the semi
judicial functions of the Commissioners
alter sufficiently the purely executive
character Of these officials to vindicate.
even in theory, the three-headed commits
sionership. He does not suggest that
even II he should conclude In favor Of a
single-headed commissionership in the alb
stract he would attach such Importance
10 the practical advantages of the change
as to force 1t upon the community against
its will, to the unsettlement Of many con-
ditions, court decisions and. supple
mentary legislation based upon and ad-
justed to the existing law. On the con-
trary. he indicates the strongest DISPOSE
tion to give heed to the voice of the peo-
pie Of the District in respect to their local
matters, though he believes that their
wishes should be expressed by petition
and not through the ballot box.
Last year the representatives OF citi-
zens associations who nominally ap-
proved the Reynolds one-man govern
ment proposition, IL there was to be
any change in the commissionership or
ganization. in fact sepudiated 1t by in
sisting that the one commissioner or
mayor should be elected by the people
of the District Such election would of
course defeat the carpet-bag governor
proposition. which is a vital feature of
the Reynolds plan and -1s abhorrent to
local public sentiment.
If the one-man commissioner is not to
be elected (and the President has in ef-
feet vetoed this proposition), and If he
; is by a change in the law to be by any
possibility imported as a carpet-bag
ruler the plan will be repudiated with
practical unanimity by the people of the
District Even those who are commit
ted to the abstract idea of the merits Of
a single executive will not urge this
change under present conditions, in view
Of the slight and dubious character of
the advantage to be gained, and the prac-
teal and serious character OF the dan
gers involved in opening up for tinker
ing in Congress the form Of the District
government. THE game is not worth
the candle"
Since the whole ultimate enacting and
controlling power in respect to the CAPT.
tai is in the nation. and since the Wash
ingtonians are relegated to representa-
tion by petition, the petitioning process
should be facilitated in every conceiva-
ble way: the Commissioners as agents
OF the petitioners should be thoroughly
local: the Washingtonian should be as
sured all the indirect representation
and participation in his own affairs that
Is possible under the Constitution, and
the Districts petitions d.e. its express
sions of opinion concerning its own gov
ernment and affairs) should be treated
by the nation president and Congress)
with peculiar consideration. In the past
its petitions" have too often been con-
temptuously disregarded. and for the ex-
ercise Of Its right Of petition it has been
branded as a mendicant.
President Taft is In the heartiest
sympathy with the people of Washing
ton as well as proud OF Washington,
the National capital. and assured in
imagination Of its glorious future.
With our President not merely recog-
nizing but almost jealously emphasiz-
ing the national powers. responsibilities
and obligations in respect to the capital;
and with Washingtonians. the local part
ner. harmoniously cooperating to per-
form their own full duty as capital
builders, Washington should develop on
all lines never before, and the Presi-
dents prophecies of the future capital
voicing the aspirations of every loyal
Washingtonian, should be realized sooner
than he or any of us dreams.
Mu1ai Haf0 SeekS Trouhle