The Washington herald., 1909-05-15
Justice Stafford and the District

When Mr.. Justice Wendell Phillips
Stafford, OF our District Supreme Court,
in his able and eloquent address az the
dinner to the President, advocated the
right Of national suffrage for the people
OF this national city he raised a real
issus-an issue involving principle near
and dear TO the American heart and one
that cannot be lightly brushed aside.
Unhappily. the point he made. and made
50 well was not quickly grasped. In
deed. generally speaking. Il was not
grasped at all Differentiation as between
national suffrage and local suffrage, ap-
piled 10 the anomalous conditions existent
here. Is dihcul;- To the washiugtonian
OF long memory, ever ready 70 bark back
to feather duster" days, the very sug-
gestion OF suffrage. in whatever form.
is afrighting He sees in such a consum-
nation only trouble-a reversal from the
placid and prosperous and honest times
now ours to the abhorrent and deeadeat
times that were He wants none OF e.
Better q proud population mute IS 10 the
franchise than a helpless populace de-
spoiled by ringsters and carpet-bag rule
such as once We had for a period ante
dating the splendid regime OF the last
thirty years Small wonder, then. with
such a memory, that misiaterpretatlon and
misunderstanding followed the Justices
foreeful and patriotic argument against
the perpetual disfranchisement OF the
/ people OF the District
He did not urge local suffrage. now OF
hereafter; on the contrary, he disavoEed
al sympathy with any agitation OF move
ment toward that end. He protested
howeyer-and protested rIghteously and
with unanswerable logio-that the com
plete suppression Of citizenship IN the
District was un-American and wholly out
Of keeping with the spirit Of our instItu-
lions. In emphasizing his argument he
drew a picture OF the future, and herein
he was again. Unhappily misinterpreted
and misunderstood. He did not speak OF
District people Of to-day as slaves or
caitihs-no one better than Justice Stat
ford appreciates the privileges and bless
ings OF residence here-but he did forecast
q situation that he believed would surely
come frcm permanently denying a voice
in the election OF the President and Con
gress to large and growing body Of
I people at tire nations seat.
It IS not necessary To agree with all
that Justice Stafford said. or to silence
the wish that he had left some things IN
said. 10 find in his utterance as g
whole. a mastery presentation Il nav
not be our point Of view; his remedy
may not be ne one We should elect: bat
/ his address, obviously, vas that OF the
I thoughtful citizen, who weighed things as
ne found them and who feared rot for
the present but for the years 20 come
The fact that his views were not attuned
20 those that came after does not warrant
! summary dismissal OF them. Il vas an sd-
dress prompted by love Of city and love Of
/ country, animated by a broad and patri-
otic spirit and one that will stand analy-
sis now and bear closer reading as the
I years roll on.
/ Justice Stafford's address served the es-
pecially good purpose to the District OF
bringing forth the Presidents talk out
in meeting" and the District is thankful
for It. M0re than this. il takes pride n
the possession OF a citizen who has con-
victions and the courage OF thenn-a gen
tleman' scholar. and a patriot through
and through.