Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-04
NOT IN THEIR NAME
Citizens Not in Sympathy With
Lobby Against Judson Bill. ,
ACTION OF ASSOCIATION
Reputation of the Course Of Charles
C. Lancaster.
ACTED FOR HIMSELF ALONE
Declaration Made in Resolutions
Adopted Unanimously Last Night
by Northwest Suburbanites.
ACTION OF ASSOCIATION
ACTED FOR HIMSELF ALONE

burban Association, Of which he is pres
1dent. in his lobbying against the Judson
plan for funding the public dept and i'm
provement OF Washington. was handed out
at the meeting of the association last
night, in the new Masonic Hall in Ten
leytown. President Lancaster was told
and all whom ii concerns were advised
that he acted on his own responsibility.
and for himself alone, in effecting the
defeat of the proposed legislation, and
not as the spokesman of the association.
This was the sense of the resolution
finally passed, after an animated dis
| cussion of an original proposition to
severely rebuke him, on the ground that
he had misrepresented himself as the
| mouthpiece of the association, and car
rying an Endorsement Of the Judson
plan for the betterment of the National
Capital. The resolution passed was by
unanimous vote after harsh things
| modification of the extreme sentiment in
favor of censuring the president.
Mr.. Lancaster Makes Defense.
Mr.. Lancaster did not want to be CEN
sured. He said so. although he declared
his submission at all times to investiga-
| ton of his procedure. He defended his
| methods, declaring he appeared before
Congress. ont only as the president OF this
association. but as member Of the
Chamber of Commerce, the Board of
Trade, the Brightwood Citizens Associa-
ton and other citizen bodies.
In justification of his attitude toward
| the proposed legislation he asserted that
the bill. as it was about to be favorably
| received in the conference committee of
Congress, was not the original measure
as passed by the Senate. but a substi-
tute worked in by Representative Smith
without report of any kind to get its
merits before the committee OR the cti-
zens affected. differing essentially from
the original, making impossible his sup
port or that of any citizen who should
become appraised of it's import.
He denounced military rule over the
District of Columbia, and declared that
its affairs were administered by four
army officers, who had direction over the
most important departments of the local
government, and who expected citizens
to come, hat in hand and begging, for
favors when anything was to be asked
of their administration. He for one.
he said, would demand what he wanted
and would not crawl on his stomach, AS
some here would have you DO, pleaQinS
for your rights"
Mr.. TAFT Makes Charges.
James L. TAFT was the proposer of the
resolution of censure. He was after
Mr.. Lancaster in his official capacity.
he announced, although he said he meant
no personal offense against the president
Of the association. and. in fact. was an
admirer of much that he has done.
Then Mr.. TAFT proceeded to say that
Mr. Lancaster had made the association
appear foolish, and declared that MI.
Lancaster's course. involving the associa-
ton, had been actuated by private spite
against the Engineer Commissioner. &C
cording to Mr.. Lancaster's own state
ment. because his personal friend. James
NJ. Wood, had been fired" out of the
street cleaning department.
The virtues OF the Jrdson plan We're
clared that the association was in no
sense in sympathy with the efforts of
Mr.. Lancaster to defeat It. He said that
Mr.. Lancaster had put himself and the
against the District Commissioners.
The wisdom Of this he questioned, on
the ground that the citizens, If they eX-
pect to achieve any benefits, must neces-
sarily preserve harmonious relations with
the governing body.
Method of Procedure Rejected.
A motion was defeated to refer the
whole matter to a committee. with direc-
sidered in Congress. with view to pass
ing upon their merits, and the propriety
of censuring Mr.. Lancaster or applaud
ing his course.
Upon the close of the discussion of Mr..
Lancaster's alleged culpability. COM
mittee was appointed to consider merely
the merits of the proposed legislation, for
the guidance of the association in its
further attitude toward the Judson plan
or substitutes.
w. ]. Frizzell of the Northeast Wash
ngton Citizens Association, guest al
the meeting, gave a report to Mr.. Ian.
casters contention that the National Cap
ital is under military rule. He said that
the one civil commissioner in present
Office is confronted by a combination Of
two army officers and is in the same box
| as was Commissioner Ross in the White
and Black regime when a similar COM
bination made Mr.. Ross position almost
untenabie and provoked the tender OF
his resignation.
He suggested the possibility that "emi-
nent bankers. had formed lobby for the
downfall of Mr.. Lancaster He declared
his surprise to learn that these eminent
bankers had drafted the financial plan
contained in the Judson bill.
| The bill. substituted in conference for
| the measure passed by the Senate to
provide for the Judson plan, he criticised
! as giving increased power to the mill
| tary government Of the District of CO.
| 1umbia. and asserted that an attempt to
| force it through had been made by a
| lobby of the military commissioners.
! eff it is disgrace to be a lobbyist -
| he said. lit might be we'll to look al
home for the fault
Meeting Opens Late.
Last nights meeting began tamely
! enough, about an hour after the time
| set in the call. None of the chairmer
of committees had any report further
than progress" to make. and the min
utes of the preceding meeting were read
| without comment.
| Then the subject Of resolutions was
| reached. The first shot was fired when
Mr.. TAFT objected to resolution criti-
| cising the dismissal of James NJ. Wood
! from the SUPPLEMENTARY Of street clean
| ing and the selection of q nonresident
| for the vacancy.
This resolution was offered by Dr. John
| w. Chapel. Mr.. TAFT protested against
any exhibition of resentment against the
Commissioners for the dismissal of Mr..
Wood The resolution was changed to
express the general sentiments Of the
association in favor of the appointment
of residents to offices under the govern
| ment Of the District of Columbia, with
| out reference to any specific case.
When the chair appeared to assume