The Detroit times., 1909-01-08

galley slaves OF place are chained 10
departmental oars and must perforce
remain here the long year round, from
other. luckier Washingtonians. as con.
gressmen and cabinet men and such
movable gear, whose capital residence
Us but occasional and Intermittent.
For years there has been no govern
ment head to Washington. Or. IL lie
existed, then II was the president him.
self. The town is run by a board OF
commissioners. which the president
appoints. Congress stands 10 the dis
trict, which is Washington. in lieu OF
that violent body, the common coun-
ell" as known in other cities.
No One Votes.
In both senate and house there is a
District OF Columbia committee. which
more Immediately shepherds the con-
Germs OF the town, settling the price OF
gas. granting street railway franchises,
and attending Ia what other matters
belong closely but commonly with city
mIsmanagement-always. 10 be sure,
with the approval OF congress, which
Is never withheld.
No one votes.
The saloons are licensed. The board
OF commissioners can revoke the grog
shop licenses at willard do. This
condition OF license renders the Wash
ington rumseller a most AFFECT OF be-
ings. The proud brethren OF bung-
starters and spigot, ruling monarchs in
other towns where votes are cast and
pull" has not lost its being, would
scrace recognize him. Low indeed Is
his estate.
Taxes are light. The whole cost OF
running the town Is S11 100000 where
OF the general government pays one
half
The population is about 100000, and
one in every three a "colored person"
Now comes Mr. Roosevelt 10 disturb
this Arcadia--this no mans land, since
no man politically counts! He wants Il
TO vote and to have a council and TO
have n mayor--or eovernor-and pile
up its little' pyramid OF power some
what after the model OF that territorial
form OF control which obtains. say, In
Arizona. The mayor or governor is
per the Roosevelt plan-to be selected
by the president.
Wants II to Vote.
AS leading to these recommended
wonders in municipal government, Mr.
Roosevelt has had one Reynolds going
all through the philosophy OF the bust
ness with a lantern. II is upon the
Reynolds report that Mr.. Roosevelt
bases his suggestions OF changes Also
in case congress rushes to the White
House side In the affair and adopts
the Roosevelt plan-which II won't
1t Is understood that Mr. Roosevelt
will appoint the investigational rec
INT Reynolds) as Wash
ington's first governor.
There is small chance that the
Reynolds plan, which President Roose-
Welt urges, will And congressional
adoption. In its present temper
angry over those secret service mes
sages and 40 other. things besides-it
is to be feared that both house and
senate would table" the ten com
mandments were they to make their
congressional appearance hampered,
rot TO say hamstrung. by Roosevelt
Letting house and senate go. how
ever, and coming to the merits, con-
gress would be foolish to make the
changes proposed. The whole bust
ness, when understood in detail. helps
one understand what was meant by
Frederick the Great, when he said:
IF I wanted to punish a province
would have II governed by philoso-
piers"
The great bug under the chip OF
local opposition to the new scheme
is curious and at first glance hard to
The resident Washing
tonian is against It because he doesn't
desire the ballot box to become a
quantity in the equation Of district
government. He doesn't want the res
ident Negroes to vote, and he Is will
ing TO scrap heap the ballot box as
an entirety in order to prevent their
doing so.