Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-14
FOR CONFIRMATION
District Committee Favors
Nominees for Commissioners.
WILL REPORT MONDAY
Protests Of Local Democrats Are
Considered.
HOURS HEARING IS GIVEN
w. NICK. Clayton and r. E. Mating
ly Present Objections to the
Method of Selection.
HOURS HEARING IS GIVEN

Cuno II Rudolph and John A. John
ston. nominated by President Taft for
District Commissioners. will be favorably
reported TO the Senate Monday from the
for confirmation.
The Senate District committee met this
morning. heard the representatives of the
democratic central committee of the Dis
trict in protest against the appointment
of other than a democrat as successor
to Commissioner West, discussed the
matter and then. it is understood, decided
i'll favor of confirmation of both of the
nominations.
The representatives of the District
democrats were given a hearing before
the full committee for an hour William
Nick. Clayton. secretary of the demo-
cratic central committee. was the spokes-
man, and the others in the delegation
were j. Fred Kelley. chairman of the CEN
trail committee: Robert E Mattingly, B.
G. Brown, 7. j. Moore, A. ]. Sanford,
w. H. Wills, John s. Miller.
Aoll1ty NOT questioned.
Upon being introduced by Mr.. Mattingly
Mr.. Clayton informed the committee that
the District democrats raised no question
as to the ability or high character Of
either of the men selected by the Pres
ident to be District Commissioners, but
that they did protest against the appoint
ment of two men of the same political
party to the District hoard
DO you object to both nominations?'
Mr.. Clayton was asked.
NO" he replied I'VE object only to the
man appointed as successor to Commits
sioner West"
Mr.. Clayton then launched into his
tory of the District board of Commission
ers and OF the legislation that led to the
present form of government. 1t was as
serted that, as first drafted, the bill pro-
vided for the appointment Of one of the
Commissioners by the House. one by the
Senate and one by the President. Tho
two houses were controlled by opposite
political parties. and 1t was thought, Mr..
non-partisan board. But the Senate
changed the bill to provide for the ap-
pointment of the Commissioners by the
President and to provide for men Of op-
posite political parties.
The Bill as Passed.
Although there are no records to show,
the speaker continued. the conference
committee left out Of the law. as finally
passed. reference to the political parties
of the Commissioners at the request of
President Hayes. Such a provision, it
was asserted the President felt was an
intimation that Congress had not the con-
fidence to trust the President to appoint
q bipartisan board to head the govern
ment of a people which had had suffrage
taken away from them.
For the thirty-two years that the pres
ent form of the District government had
been in existence, Mr.. Clayton asserted
further, it has been the unvarying prac-
tice Of the Presidents to appoint one re-
publican and one democrat to the Dis
trict board: and in support of the con-
tention he submitted a list of the Com
missioners from the beginning He as
serted that President Cleveland had been
urged to set aside that precedent, but
considered it one he should follow.
Names of Democrats Submitted.
AT that point one Of the members Of
the committee asked if the names of any
democrats had been submitted to the
President in connection with the COM
missionership, and the reply was that SOW
eral had been placed before him. any one
of whom would have proved satisfactory
to the Senate, so far as ability and high
character are concerned.
1t was further asserted by Mr. CLAYTON
that Congress has recognized the value
Of non-partisan boards in recent legisla-
ton. He cited the acts creating the civil
service commission and the interstate
commerce commission, pointing out that
they had prescribed that only specified
number in each case should be of the
same political party.
What particular difference will it make
il both Commissioners of the District are
from the same political party?" a mem
ber OF the Senate committee asked Mr..
Clayton.
Establishing a Precedent.
In reply, the spokesman of the demo-
Gratis, pointed out that the civil service
was extended very little to the District
government, and that the action of the
President in this case established a prec-
edent. which might enable a future
President to appoint strong partisans to
the District board, and thus make ap-
pointments under the local government
political. Pandora's box OF politics will
be opened in the District, Mr.. Clayton
said, and once opened. it will be found
pra cticaliy impossible to close.
Asked as to whom the democrats before
the Senate committee represented. Mr..
tidS TON SAID tndI ueHOCTdtlC central
committee was an elected body i'll the
District, authorized to speak for larger
number of District citizens than any
other elected body.
We represent thousands Of District
Taxpayers he said. ''and we think We
are I'm thorough touch with public senti-
ment.''
Would YOU have us slap the President
III the face by refusing to confirm this
nomination., solely on the ground that
he is not democrat?" asked member
of the Senate committee
Mr. Clayton explained that such a
course was not necessary. Ii the Presi-
dent could be seen by member of the
Senate. he declared, the President would
see that he had made a mistake of the
head and not of the heart and that he
would favor a non-partisan board and
withdraw one of the republicans nominat-
ed.
Mr.. Mattingly's Argument.
At the close of Mr.. Clayton's remarks
MIR. Mattingly spoke briefly along similar
lines He asserted that the Presidenr no n