Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-19
Wilson Receives Citizens
Backing Shoemaker and Cor
don for Commissionership.
LLOYD URGES EXECUTIVE
TO NAME DEMOCRATS
If Representatives. Advice Is Needed
Rudolph Will Not Get
Another Term.

commssionership fight was fired at the
White House today when President Will
son received the first of several delega
tions of District people which are eN-
pected to call and indorse various candi
dates.
The names of Louis P. Shoemaker and
j. Holdsworth Gordon were presented to
the President as types OF District men
democrats, too-who would best represent
tle people of the District of Columbia in
the District building. The sponsors for
these names We're Wilton j. Lambert, h.
Southland Parker, Rev. Donald Macleod
and 8. w. Woodward.
The President listened to the state
ments of his callers in advocacy of the
two men, but did not commit himself
or express any opinion as to his inten-
tions. He did not mention the names Of
other candidates or ask questions, nor
did he say when he would be ready to
make the appointments.
Gets Letters on Subject.
Many letters and statements on the Dis
trict commissonership problem have been
going to the White House for some time,
and have been filed for such use as the
President may want to make Of them.
The President also will have the benefit
of the immense bulk of material filed at
the White House while President Taft
was considering the names of candidates
for the commissionerships, a problem Mr.
Taft disposed of by naming Cuno H
Rudolph and Capt. James F. Oyster.
That both of these men are to have
splendid backing in denomination appears
from the number of communications IN
their behalf reaching the White House.
Representative Lloyd of Missouri.
chairman of the democratic congressional
committee. told the President today that
he thought two democrats should be
named for the vacant cOmmissiOnerShipS.
Mr. Lloyd intimated that so far as the
politics of any army officer go. MAJ.
Chester Harding is a republican, and for
this reason, to bring about a complete
change in the politics and general sur
roundings in the District building. two
democrats ought to be named. Mr.. Lloyd
did not suggest the names of candidates.
May Follow Suggestion.
The President is understood today to be
strongly inclined to follow the suggestion
of Mr.. Lloyd and other democrats and
pick two democrats. II he does this Com
missioner Rudolph would not get another
term Mr. Rudolph's s friends are offsetting
this by stating that Mr.. Rudolph. while
nominally a republican. has never taken
an active part i'm politics, and that his
great record In MS ONCE OusnI " DliuS
him another three years as Commissioner,
regardless of his politics.
Owen Urges New Plan.
The President today received sugges-
tions that the government Of the Dis
trict of Columbia should be reorganized
along new lines, and he is likely to be
the recipient of numerous plans to change
the whole form of government here. Sen
ator Owen of Oklahoma today told the
President that Washington should have a
model government" along the lines ad-
voca ted in a memorial to the Senate by
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon. VINO
thinks that commissioners. elected by TIE
people. should operate the government
The Oklahoma senator sugges.i;u ggS,o;, ,Inn J.,,,'
which the President said he Would 90
when he found time.
The memorial presented by senator
Chamberlain was written by MAJ. w: ~
owen. brother of Senator Owen. and sug-
gested five principal changes for the Dls-
frict government after making the pre-
mise that the existing form of government
in the District of Columbia ls nne eN-
annie of a lack of coordination.
Would Bar National Parties.
The memorial suggests that the Dis
trict ought to have a commission form
NOT bv a plurality, and that the commits
sion should combine all of the powers Of
government-legislative executive and ju-
d;cial. 1t also states that the initiative,
referendum and the recall are necessary
before the District government will be
perfect. National party organizations
would be prohibited in the District If
Nh owens suggestion is followed. and
special stress is placed upon the neces-
sity cf a publicity pamphlet containing
the rea asons for and against any measure
which is initiated or referred.