The Washington times., 1909-05-09

postofIices, &a.S courts; we should need
streets and bridges, and a thousand
things besides by reason Of the fact
that We are a city. Institutions that
answer the needs of the community
merely as a community, without refer
ence 70 thc National Government
should not these be treated as local in
stitUtiOnSE ShOuld they not be admin
isteTed as a Ear. Of the municipal COW
ernment and Offlcered by men identified
with the District
Those courts of the District which
deal not exclusively with local cOntrO-
versies. E5t in large measure with dis
putes to which the nation IS a party,
may perhaps he fairly made up. one
half OF members drawn from the local.
ity and One-half from thC nation at
large. This seems the more appropri-
ate inasmuch as those who hold these
offices hold them during good behavior.
and when they come mere come hoping
to behave well enough 10 remain
through life
Bot many offices relate exclusively to
this community at least as much so as
the. ofhces OF any community can be
said 10 relate TO itself alone, and why
should not these be filled by local citi-
Zens2 Even II there should be no
statute thus restricting the seleCtiCs;,
ought not such a course 70 be pursued
as a permanent policy2 why should
the people Of 1his District have their
deeds recorded by a man from Cali
fornla2 Why should Washington be the
a pCstmaGte- appointed from among its
citiZens2 II we are 10 keep up the
form OF municipal government at all,
does not 4 fair consistency demand that
We should treat it as municipal--as eX-
istlng. among other purposes, 10 care
for all that is peculiar and local in the
interests and deeds OF the community?
VIII IL not be wisdom 10 treat II so .
Let us not forget that there are thou
sands upon thousands mere who have no
other abiding place. Their roots have
struck deep into the soil. They love the
city with all the national pride we share
with them. and with that tender senti-
ment which we call "the love OF home
besides. Is IL wise to treat them as
aliens in the house OF their fathers
Others have lived here till all ties with
other places are dissolved, and they ex-
rect that their children will live here
when they are gone. These people. so
completely and irreVOcably identified
with the place, constitute an element
not wisely TO be overlooked when one is
considering how local affairs NAV be
most prudently and Loyalty admins
tered.
Parting of the Ways.
Who knows? Perhaps we have come
already 10 the rarting Of the ways Lit
tie by little the local hold is lost Here
a hospital is d avn under the control
OF a department There the jail slips
out Of the hands Of the District into
the hands of the Attorney General. Now
IL is proposed that the schools be placed
under a bureau: and now, that the city
shall be OffCered on the principIe of
efficiency alone-by anyone who can be
found who rs most competent, though
he never saw Washington before. It
would be something 70 assume that
among $4,000 such as we find gathered
here not a single man could be found
capable OF conducting the business of
the city. But If II should be cOnjectured
that in some far-off place Commis-
sloner might he found somewhat more
efficient. would that difference I'm effci-
cacy make dp for the sacrifice of one
more bouo-sOmetimes II seems as II it
were the last-between the government
and the locality?
The problem Of city government is
not altogether. / venture 10 think. a
matter Of perff citing the machinery.
Men are not altogether machines, They
nave sentiments, they have hearts. And
II there had not been sentiment and
heart rs well as brain there would be
today no Thington. AS far as the