The Washington times., 1911-03-30
JOHNSON NOT THE MAN FOR
DISTRICT CHAIRMAN.

tertained over the wisdom of making
Representative Ben johnson of Ken
lucky chairman of the new House
Committee on District of Columbia
should be eliminated from the mind of
all important persons who read his
record, published elsewhere in The
Times today.
Mr.. johnson is not the man for the
job.
He has demonstrated, emphatically
and conclusively, that he is untitled,
by temperament, mental vision, con-
viction, or prejudice. to hold this re-
sponsible position. He is not in sym
pathy with the modern thought as re-
CARDS municipal government, and he
seems to have no conception of the
magnitude of the public interests of
this city or of the Nations share in the
welfare of its Capital.
Mr.. Johnson's whole course in the
session of Congress just closed was an
tagonistic to the District of Columbia.
He played the part of an obstructionist.
He prevented the erection Of needed
school buildings; he blocked the effort
of the District Commissioners to break
the grip of the asphalt paving COM
bination by installing a municipal
asphalt plant; he condemned the policy
of furnishing books, supplies, and
equipment for the use of public school
children; he tried to stop the move
ment for eradication of alley slums;
he prevented the enactment of legisla,
tion providing pensions for teachers.
policemen, and fremen; he attempted
to prevent the appropriation for public
Fairgrounds.
That was the way Mr.. johnson spent
the winter. Every time a District bill
came up he hit it. Sometimes he was
able to kill it. Sometimes he could
only retard its passage. He wasn't
FOR anything. And his plea, usually,
was that he didn't know what it was
all about.
Yet this is the man who is said to
be slated for chairman Of the District
Committee. This is the man that the
Committee on Committees, in its wis
dom, as one of the first evidences of
the advantage of curbing the commit
tee appointing power of the Speaker,
proposes to put at the head of the
body which, for the next two years,
will practically make the laws for the
people of Washington.
The District of Columbia is entitled
to greater consideration at the hands
of the Committee on Committees. 1t
is entitled to a chairman of broad
vision, deep understanding, and pro-
gressive ideas. It is entitled to have
thirteen other men just like him on
that committee, too.
We most earnestly urge you, the
members of the Committee on Com
mittees, to study this record of Mr..
johnson, which We publish today. Read
it carefully, line by line. Theh~look
out over this magnificent city. Think
of the big things that must be done
here in the next few years. Remem-
Der that 33l 900 people look to you for
guarantee of fair treatment. Ask
yourselves whether the city of Wash
ington should have public Fairgrounds,
modern school buildings, freedom from
oppression in obtaining such improve
ments as paving, opportunity to rid
itself of its crime-breeding and disease
breeding alley slums.
And when you have asked these ques-
tions, turn back and read what Mr..
johnson had to say about them in the
session of Congress just closed.
In the face of his record, what ex-
cuse can you offer if you deliberately,
consciously. put him where he can con-
tinue to block progress in the Capital
of the Nation?