Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-07
might respond.
Recall of Commissioners.

might respond.
Recall of Commissioners.
1t is possible for the progressives OF
all parties in Congress to experiment
upon the District with the initiative,
referendum and recall in a manner
which will recognize some American
! attributes in the Americans at Wash
! ington. and which will promise benefit
| rather than injury to the local COM
munity. For Instance, all three Com
missioners might be required to be ap-
pointed from the District Gas is now
the requirement in respect to the two
civilians), and power of recall might
then be given to the District in re-
spect to these Commissioners. or any
of them. such recall being either oper--
alive in itself, or at least addressed
with powerful! persuasive force TO
the President, the appointing power,
who would fill the vacancy caused by
the recall. With the Commissioners
thus selected from the community and
indirectly responsible to it. the power
of Initiating local legislation and re-
quiring a vote by Congress on such
propositions, and of referendum to the
limited extent Of advising inhuent1atly
upon local bills compulsorily referred
to them, might be vested In the Com
have under the law power of initiative
in respect to the local appropriation
bill, and in practice other local bills
have been perfunctorily referred to
opinion; but the Commissioners are not
now responsible in any way to the
local community which they represent.
and the power of recall in respect to
them. even though exercised indirectly
through the President and subject to
his veto, could hardly fail to be bene-
fetal in it's effect. The President now
has practically absolute and unlimited
power of recall in respect to the Conn
missioners, which he would not lose II
the community had in addition the sug-
gested limited power of recall. which
might on occasion require him to name
a successor to some incumbent VINO
had incurred the communities strong
displeasure.
The use of the referendum and recall
in the District would not be equivalent
to an Endorsement of these devices for
use anywhere else. No precedent would
be established for communities whose
conditions in respect to representation
radically differed from those of Wash
ington. Devices which might only
work confusion and injury in their ap-
plication to voters enjoying genuine
American representation would be
helpful to non-voters enjoying no right
of representation. Those of us who
abhor the recall of judges or Of jul
dicial decisions could favor recall of
Commissioners in the District without
violating any principle.
If exclusive and unrestricted power
of appointment of the Commissioners
is in the President the local COM
munity has not fair play. If the Com
missioners are chosen solely by the
voters of the local community the ma
tional partner will feel that it is in
equitably treated. But if the primary
power of appointment is in the Presi-
dent and a veto power through recall
in the local community a fair division
of power and responsibility will be
effected, which should commend itself
to both parties.
With exclusive legislative power in
Congress the unrepresented and inn
potent District suffers injustice With
full legislative power in a local legis-
resented. the vast national interests
at the capital might be jeopardized.
If the local community had represen-
tation in Congress and through the
local legislation approved by Congress.
nobody's welfare would be menaced and
justice would be done to both parties.
In this year of our Lord 1914 genu-
inc American representation for the
District means representation on the
lines of state, and not on the lines
of territory. Until 1880 the District
was entitled by it's population only to
treatment as territory.
The demand by Washington for ter
ritorial representation in Jackson's
time, and the territorial representation
granted it in the seventies Of the last
century measured up fully to the re-
auirements Of equity No more could ,,
since 1880, or certainly since 1890. the
District has had the population which
entities it to voting representation in
Congress And its representation ~
io1 6aIn in
would be as much an anachronism as
full voting representation in Congress
under A. B. Woodward's constitutional
amendment would have been in 1901.
secure either territorial or state repre-
sentation. Winning a territorial dele
gate. the victory will be dubious and
may be converted into defeat by the
hostile action of any succeeding Con-
gress. Winning voting representatives
In Congress through a constitutional
amendment. the victory will be great
and permanent.
My specific suggestions Of legisla-
tive action are as follows:
1. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
ARTICLE
Section /. For the purpose Of repre-
sentation in Congress and among the
electors of President and Vice Presi-
dent and for the purpose of suing and
being sued in the courts of the United
oldtSS, the EcSlueIltS VI LILO seat VI SON-
eminent of the United States. in re-
spect to whom Congress has the power
to exercise exclusive legislation, shall
have the status of citizens of a state.
They shall be entitled to elect one SEN
ator, representatives in the House ac-
cording to their numbers as determined
by the decennial enumeration and
presidential electors equal in number
to their aggregate representation in
the House and Senate.
Section 2. Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
2 An act of Congress giving the peo-
pie of the District power of recall in
respect to any of the three District
Commissioners.
proposed District legislation affecting
the qualifications of voters, prohibition
or high license. methods of taxation,
the mourning Of municipal indebted
ness, and large projects of revenue ex-
penditure shall be submitted to the
referendum vote of the citizens Of the
District for their approval or, disap-
prevail, and without their approval
such legislation shall not become op-
erative.
This proposed legislation destroys
nothing, disturbs nothing, repeats
nothing. 1t is supplementary to exist
Ing law. adapting the latter better to
the conditions and needs of today. 1t
in the smallest particular destructive.
1t leaves undisturbed and confirms
the national control of the nations
city and the corresponding national
obligation of adequate financial par
ticipatiOn In the maintenance and up