The Washington herald., 1912-08-26

could accomplish the task Of keeping
his colleagues informed Of the District:
affairs is an assertion from whicf
there is no dissent of apparent reason
ableness. There Is little doubt that Con
gress will readily agree to the assertion
and 1t is quite possible that the mem
bers of the District committees VIII Dc
among the first to agree,
People Not Satisfied.
The District committees - especially
that of the House-have not satisfied
the people of the District this year
and there Is no reason that most OF tnt
residents Of the District can see for ex'
Meeting that they will more nearly sat
isfy the people next year.
The result is, as ever in the past, thai
the Congressmen on the District com
rnittees. who have endeavored TO hell
the District, feel that they have worked
in vain and for nothing. even gratitude
being denied them: that those Congress
men on the District committees who
have done nothing on behaif OF the
District feel that they have had use
less committee assignment which de.
prived them of some assignment ina
could have made them notably usefu
to their constituencies; and the people
receiving no response to their appeals
are more and more desperate OF rehei
from present burdens or succor Tor future
advancement
The sentiment in favor Of securing
delerate to represent the District Is al
ready very strong. One citizen deciaret
last night he thought was Amos
unanimous. Certainly, the resolutions
and speeches heard in the past yea
- ,sti aQSnCiatt0ng ant
other civic organizations may be re
garded. said this citizen, as proof tina
nothing could be less satisfactory thai
the present means OF the conduct o
the Districts affairs by Congress.
Many Good Renons.
Row c. Clafiin, a leader In the fight fo
representation of the District In Con
sress, cited his reasons. as follows:
because It Is right and Just as an
American principle for community OF
citizens to have voice In its local
government
Congress should deprive the District of
representation as a legitimate portion OF
the nation. whose citizens pay taxes into
the public Golfers.
1.-THE. general trend Of decision has
been that the District OF Columbia Is
nondescript-it Is more than a territory
distinguished by the trainers Of the Con-
stitution by q dignity peculiar to itself.
It is therefore entitled to even more con-
sideration than a territory or a posses
sion. As II 10, It does not have as much
In the matter Of representation.
Every thinking man in the District as
well as every thinking man In Congress
realizes that the District does not receive
fair treatment from Congress under the
present arrangement.
mo ether city Of 100000 population
could make progress with its city coun-
Gil meeting but one or two daysia year
and then not producing results. Any city
this size requires a very busy council
working almost constantly to keep
abreast Of the times.
Conservatism ceases to be virtue
when our acting city council turns a
deaf ear to our earnest appeals for the
necessities of community ftfe-when we
find that body immovable by appeals to
their IoGic or to their sense Of Justice
or even to their sympathy for voteless
people. though living in the realm Of
American liberty.
, when IN 1873 the predecessors Of the
present members of Congress assumed
the responsibility Of performing the du-
ties of . city council for 10, dsprivtns