Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-01-06

down at all why do We not make Ii
plain and spell 1t s-h-o-f-e-r?"
Now it is worth while remembering
tnat that was running debate be-
tween representatives. in Congress,
each one Of whom has high standing
mere in Washington and in his own
district. But it is even more worth
while remembering that they were dis
cusslng the trivial matter Of the IL
censlng Of cabmen in the Capital City.
California did not send Mr.. Julius
hdhn acre to determine how the cabs
OF Washington should be run. Illinois,
which sent Mr.. Mann back again, in
the face Of Democratic landslide
which almost drove him out Of public
lie, did not suppose that he was going
10 spend his time in the house trying
to determine what should be the fees
or men holding market booths in the
central market Of this city, or whether
or not the government should erect
bridge across what is known as Rock
creek. Nor does it seem probable
mat the constituents Of Mr.. Samuel
Smith Of Michigan can be violently
Keen over the purchase of four and
half acres of land which few Of them
Will ever see, but which will doubtless
add to the Identification Of Washing
ton
System Wrong and WastefuI.
The argument l would make in this
matter Is that it Is wrong, impolitic
and extravagant to use men Of this
type In the service of single city as
Ii they were merely petty city poll
tcians. Nobody questions the SINGER
ity with which they undertake this
task, and even here in Washington,
which Is the home Of suspicion and
scandal, there is no general talk about
anything done by the District Of Co.
lumhia committee Of the house or
senate which was not for the develop
ment Of the Capital City. But among
the members Of congress-both
houses-there Is general feeling
that they ought not to be asked to act
as board Of aldermen to manage q
city of which they are only temporary
residents. In all probability in the
next session there will be some legis-
latton offered to correct this evil
City Wants self-Government.
Nobody who knows anything about
Washington would think for a mo-
ment Of denying that in the past
good deal Of money has come to GER
tain members Of the house who are on
the District committee from their con-
troll Of such mere matters of detail as
determining where city electric road
may be laid or what the next con-
tract with the gas company may be.
This condition doesn't exist SO much
today, as it did in the olden days, but
nevertheless the people Of Washing
ton do feel that at least they should
be given the same powers of self
government as have been given to
Oklahoma within this immediate po-
litical generation and as the people of
Alaska are demanding and will get.
Negro Vote in the Way.
The only reason why they haven't
thus far had that right is because of
the almost predominant negro vote in
the District. That vote in bygone
years has been invariably Republican
if it could have been cast, and the
Republican party will not allow the
District Of Columbia to adopt those
methods Of regulation which in the
southern states have enabled the peO-
pie Of property and standing to mini
mize or to destroy the danger of black
supremacy. With the incoming Of the
Democratic Congress and the promise
Of a Democrat in the White House it
is possible that this situation may be
corrected and the Capital City Of the
United States be given it's right to
self-government and thereby made
more creditable to the nation than it
is today.
Long Holiday Foolish.
When congress reassembles after
the holidays the representatives
Of both parties are going to
face some very hard fights with
in their own party lines. II con-
gress was less le1sure1y it would not
take ten days recess in the middle
Of short session, but would accept
as one of the unfortunate duties i'm
posed upon its members the necessity
of working straight along for three
months without deducting ten days
for the Christmas holidays. The curl
Gus part Of this is that in CONVEX
satton with perhaps 20 congressman
found none who did not agree to the
proposition that this prolonged recess
IN the middle of a session which at
best amounts to only a little over
70 working days, Is entirely unjusti-
fable. But even those who agreed
with my theory cheerfully voted for
the recess.
Furthermore, the recess really
means more than 1t appears. For at
least three days prior to the adjourn
ment for the holidays there was not
majority of the whole house in
Washington, and certain measures
which required action by a majority
OF the house instead of majority
OF those present, had necessarily to
be laid over.