The Washington times., 1913-09-10
WHAT MAKES A WAsHlNGTONlAN?

The Washington Star IS profoundly exercised be-
cause Edward w. Oyster has been appointed a men,
Der of the board of assistant assessors of the Dis
trict 1T would be much more satisfactory" says
our contemporary, IF some statement were forth
coming from the Commissioners in explanation Of
the position taken that voting residence in Penn
syvana does not disqualify from District Office
despite the plain requirement of the law that the
incumbent of such office must have been a resident
of the District for five years. A trile muddy as to
literary form, but it seems to mean that the Star
doesn't think man with voting residence in Penn
syvania is eligible to hold office in this District.
And again, "* it assuredly shocks the COM
munity to be told thus plainly, that good men for
responsible places cannot be found here ."
Mr.. Oyster came to Washington in 1866, and
has lived here ever since. He married here; his
four children have been born here One is buried
here.
Mr.. Oysters sum of offending is that he voted
in Pennsylvania. Just how that hurt Washington
is not apparent. Pennsylvania law permits it,
specifically. 1t would seem that if there was ground
for protest in any quarter it would be in Pennsy-
vania but Pennsylvania does not object.
Why has Mr.. Oyster voted regularly in Penn
syvana? .
Nobody knows better than the Star why civil
service employees in Washington careful to main-
tain their oldhome political status They can have
no political standing here. They are in constant need
of political support and influence. The nature OF
their occupation makes it necessary. They must
keep in touch with the seats of power or their jobs
will be in danger The friend at court is an irsur-
ance policy despite merit systems, civil service re-
FORM and all the pretense that politics has nothing
TO do with jobs.
Nobody knows all this better than the Star.
Nc min
political insurance policy during the many years he
was in Government service, we assume that it SINH
arly objects to thousands of other civil service en-
ployes in Washington doing the same thing.
If Mr.. Oyster after forty-seyen years continuous
residence here, is not eligible hold District job
then the Star is reading out of Washington citizenship
the great majority of civil service employees
How do the civil service employees like that?
The one test of meritorious citizenship in WASH
ngton according to the Star, would be an absolute
and faithful adherence to the program of being a
citizen nowhere and performing none of the duties
of citizen!
Every election day sees many hundreds of Wash
ington people leave this District in order to vote
back home They do it, partly because they are
better citizens than the Star would have Them and
partly because they need to do it in order that their
political status in Washington may be strengthened.
The Star knows perfectly we'll that in Presi-
dental and Congressional years strenuous efforts are
made by the Congressional campaign committees of
both parties to get Federal ofceholders here to 60
back home" and vote. 1t knows that to do that is
looked upon by the politicians as worthy party
service. 1t knows that these same politicians are
potent in determining who shal. have the jobs 1t
knows that the civil service people are under heavy
and nsistent political pressure to force them to keep
Iof;on f0 do
something for the party" when voting time comes
round
Yet if, perchance, the civil service employe pro-
tects himself in this way the Star would denounce
him as renegade Washingtonian not en-
titled to the confidence of this community, unfit to
hold an office under the local administration!
How does that appeal to the civil service army
in Washington?
If civil service employe doesn't 60 home to
vote he takes the chance of losing the political stand
ing and support that he constantly needs.
If he does 60 home to vote, the Star reads him
out Of citizenship in Washington!
Nobody is stronger or prompter with lip-service
in behalf of the civil service employees than the Star
True, it never gets very specific about doing things
for them, but it would intensely dislike to have
them stop dropping their pennies in its SLOT No.
where is there thrftier appreciation that pennies
aggregate into dollars than about the Star establish
ment
So the civil service employe gets an amplitude
of joying; but when it to brass nails we fod
the Star putting forth the startling doctrine that
civil service employe who protects himself by voting
thereby forfeits his right to be considered citizen
of Washington!
That is the inevitable conclusion of the matter.
The issue of Edward w. Oyster looks pretty
small, in comparison to such doctrine that.
There are probably 5000 civil service employees