Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13
THE PRESIDENTS
AND WASHINGTON

"VO VT1UI
The first President to discuss formally
the political status of Washington was
Monroe, who. in his message of 1918, said
1.-The situation of this District. it is
thought, requires the attention of Con-
gress. BY the Constitution the power
of legislation is exclusively vested in
the Congress of the United States. In
the exercise of this power in which the
people have no participation. Congress
legisateS in all cases directly on the
local concerns OF the District. AS this is
departure for special purpose from
the general principles of our system
it may merit consideration whether an ar
rangement better adapted to the prin-
cples of our government and to the par
ticular interests of the people may not
be devised which will neither infringe the
Constitution nor affect the object which
the provision in question was intended TO
secure. The growing population, already
considerable. and the increase in bust
ness of the District, which, it is believed.
already interferes with the deliberations
of Congress on great national concerns.
furnish additional motives for recon-
mending this subject to your considera-
ton"
Andrew jackson was the first President
to urge specifically the election by the
District of a territorial delegate In Con-
gress. He made this recommendation in
1880 and repeated and enlarged it in 1881
and 1885:
1890. 1T is respectfully submitted
whether a provision authorizing the cleo
ton of a delegate to represent the wants
of the citizens of this District on the
floor Of Congress is not due to them and
to the character of our government No
portion of our citizens should be without
practical enjoyment of the principles of
freedom, and there Is none more i'm
portant than that which cultivates a
proper relation between the governors and
the governed. Imperfect as this must
be in this case, yet it is believed that it
would be greatly improved by a represent
tation in Congress with the same privi-
leges that are allowed to the other ter
ritory of the United States"
1881. Il deem it my duty again to call
trict of Columbia 1t was doubtless wise
in the trainers Of our Constitution to
place the people of this District under
the jurisdiction of the general govern
ment. But to accomplish the objects they
had in view 1t is not necessary that this
people should be deprived Of all the privt-
leges of disagreement. Independently
of the difficulty of inducing the repre-
sentatives of distant states to turn their
attention to projects of laws which are
not of the highest interest to their con-
stituents. they are not individually nor
in Congress collectively well qualified to
legislate over the local concerns of this
District. Consequently its interests are
much neglected and the people are al
most afraid to present their grievances
lest body in which they are not repre-
sented. and which feels little sympathy in
their local relations, should in its at
tempt to make laws for them do more
harm than good. Is It not just
to allow them at least delegate to
Congress if not 4 local legislature to
make laws for the District subject to
the approval or rejection of Congress?
l earnestly recommend the extension to
them of every political right which their
interests require and which may be COM
patible with the Constitution
1888. TT is my duty to call the particu-
lar attention of Congress to the present
condition of the District Of Columbia.
/ earnestly recommend the eX-
tension of every political right to the
citizens of this District, which their true
interests require and which does not con-
fiict with the provisions OF the Constitu-
ton"
President Van Buren,. in his message
of 1897. said
Your attention has heretofore been
frequently called to the affairs of the
District of Columbia and l should not
again ask it did not their entire de-
slant claim upon it's notice. Separated
by the Constitution from the rest of
the Union. limited in extent and aided
by no legislature of its own, it would
seem to be a spot where wise and
system of local government
might have been easily adopted. This
District has. however. unfortunately
been left to linger behind the rest of
the Union. Although it was
selected as the seat of the general gov
the depository of it's archives and the
residence Of officers intrusted with the
large amounts of public property and
the management of public business. yet
it has never been subjected to or re-
ceived that special and complimentary
legislation which these circumstances
peculiarly demand. 1 am well aware
of the various subjects Of greater mag
nitude and immediate interest that
press themselves on the consideration
of Congress. but I believe that there is
not one that appeals more directly to
it's justice than a liberal and even
generous attention to the interests of
the District of Columbia and a thor
ough and careful revision of its local gov
Harrison's Famous Comment.
took up the question of the political
status OF the Washingtonian referred
to by Monroe and Van Buren,. and spe-
treated by Jackson. and dis
cussed 1t sympathetically and earnestly.
lS41-"Amongst the other duties of
delicate character which the President
is called upon to perform is the super
vision of the government of the terri
tories of the United States. Those of
them which are destined to become
members of our great political family
are compensated by their rapid prog
ress from infancy to manhood for the
partial and temporary deprivation of
their political rights. 1t is in this Dis
trict only where American citizens are
to be found who, under a settled policy.
are deprived of many important politi-
cal privileges without any inspiring
hope as to the future. Their only con-
ISOLATION under circumstances of such
is that of the devoted ex-
terror guards of a camp-that their suf
fering secure tranquility and safety
within. Are there amy of their cOun-
trymen who would subject them to
greater sacrifices, to any other humfii-
atiOn than those essentially necessary
to the security of the object for which
they were thus separated from their
Are their rights alone
l., 81.