Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-25
Approximate Self-Rule.

Approximate Self-Rule.
In appointing a postmaster for Wash
ngton President Taft will give the first
practical demonstration of his policy in
respect to the District offices. He has
indicated clearly his intention of sound
ing local public opinion in respect 10
these appointments. and of giving due
consideration to this opinion, when as
certained While he is opposed to sui-
frage i'm the District. he has declared
himself as deeply interested in securing
TO the people of Washington such voice
in their local matters as is consistent
with the original plan OF the Constitu-
ton in respect to the Ten Miles Square,
Washington's desire to be heard in re-
spect to these appointments and its claim
that only bona fide residents of the Dis
trict should be appointed are based upon
the broad American principle of self-rule.
as we'll as upon the foundations of JUS
tice and common sense
In it's application this principle requires
that i'm the government of groups OF
Americans they shall have a direct or.
where that is impossible, at least an in
direct or constructive voice in the selec-
ton of their administrative. judicial and
legislative officials. The citizens either
vote these public servants into office or
delegate that power TO smaller groups
chosen by ballot Failing this method,
as in the case of the appointment OF
federal officials, the principle requires
that the appointive power select those
who by assumption might have been
chosen by the citizens affected. In all
federal appointments in the states as a
matter of course these selections are
made from the community itself and the
natural effort is to choose those who
may be assured in advance of the COM
munity's approval and support
In the territories the officials appointed
by the federal government include many
who in the states are elected directly by
the people. In choosing these officials 1t
is sometimes hand for the federal gov
eminent, located as 1t is at distance
from all the territories. to find the right
local persons to consult and the right
local men to appoint. This is especially
true in regard to the territorial judges
Consequently mistakes are occasionally
made In this connection. But the feeling
In favor of approximate self government
for even the federal territories is so
strong that the political parties have
from time to time in their platforms dis
tinctly pledged themselves to maintain
it. In one more of these pledges OF
local appointments to local men the Dis
trict Of Columbia has been specifically
mentioned. In all Of them it is assumed
TO be included under the word terri
tories"
In the enactment of laws providing for
the government of the District, Congress
has expressly declared for this applica-
ton of the principle OF approximate home
rule and of common fairness. Accord
ing to statute no civilian Commissioner
of the District may be appointed unless
he has been for at least three years a
bona fde resident of the community.
claiming citizenship nowhere else. This
period may be regarded as the legally
established minimum of exclusive resi-
dence necessary for rating as a citizen
OF the District.
The District has always contended that
it should be treated as state in the ap-
pointment of all the local federal Off
Gals who serve here. The reasoning for
such a treatment is plain. In some re-
spects 1t is stronger than in the case Of
the states. In the states the federal
judges. appointed by the President. are
In this District the locaI-national judges
are paid one-haIf by the government and
one-hah by the District. The District
has uniformly asked that at least one
half of the local judiciary be appointed
strictly on the home-rule basis. There
10 an even stronger argument in favor
of local selections in this case than in
the case of the territories. There is here
which to draw for competent members
of the judiciary. Thus We have the men
for the places. the broad reasoning in
our favor and onehalf Of the actual SAL
aries of the judges are paid by US.
The register of wills and the recorder
OF deeds correspond to purely local elected
officials in other communities. The OBJ
vious duty of the appointing power. act
ing on American principles. is to appoint
10 them only men who could, IL voting
prevailed here, be elected The local COM
munity pays all the fees that sustain
these offices and has every reason to ex-
pect representation in filing them There
Is no possible excuse for the federal gov
ernment to regard these positions as po-
Iitica1 perduisites, yet for years the justice
OF the Districts demand for local men
for these places has been ignored.
The marshal OF the District, while serv-
ing in a federal capacity, corresponds
also TO the sheriff OF the county in the
states. There Is as much reason why the
sheriff Of Washington should be Wash
fngtonian as that a local man should be
sheriff in any other American community.
All Of this reasoning applies to the po-
sition OF the local postmastership. The
people OF the District do not, it is true
pay the postmaster's salary direct, save
so far as their contributions in federal
taxes and I'm stamp purchases flow into
the general federal fund But neither do
the people of any other American city.
And 1t so happens that in the District the
heaviest user of the Office pays nothing
in stamp purchase and cancellation for
its maintenance. owing to the exercise OF
the ranking privilege. The Washington
post Office Is more than self-supporting,
and the District supports it. The ma
tional government thus using the local
ONCE for nothing exercises full control
while the other partner paying all. has
no voice i'm the selection of the post