The Washington herald., 1914-07-20
THE OPEN FORUM
commends The Herald's Stand on the
Commissionership Fight.

To the Editor: Your several editorials
on the Newman Revolution have had
my warmest appreciation and admiration,
for moderation, forcible logic and sound
conclusions. They need no word Of any
one to add to the weight that they must
have carried wherever and by whom read.
They were impartial and patriotic to the
best interests Of Washington.
/ 1t Is with reluctance 1 criticiss the Pres
ident, but L have placed myself on record
as in strong protest against the prOhibi-
ton bar that the President laid down at
the beginning OF the agitation for sp-
pointing the District Commissioners. and
am egotistIcal enough to say now that
the danger I then pointed out, IS de-
veloping exactly Municipal TeformI nd
experiments are In the dumpheap Of folly
universally. The great Henry George and
Tom johnson may be exceptions. because
! they laid down great principles ahead Of
their time and fought and / believe died
Tor them- but they are exceptions
Any man who has served IN municipal
office and got even an B c lesson in
managing a municipality in It's various
departments must scoff at young. verdant
reformers assuming office with their
ideals ripe in their head, believing they
can whirl around like top 350.O)9 people
to their way Of thinking To upset at
stroke Of their pen the established SIS
TENS OF taxation. utilities control police
affairs. public health, etc, is indeed a
child's dream. That the two Commits
sioners appointed by the President were
selected with these great ideals and am
bItions, and that they were qualified by
not being interested in real estate or
owners OF II Is a most unwarrantable and
extraordinary qualification. What have
they accomplished or can any one guess
what they will accomplish with what
can with substantial reasons say are two
thirds OF the real substantial people Of
the District antagonistic TO them?
The rule of the people is a catching
delusion; a monstrous humbug. All men
deserve consideration by government. no
one denies, but the backbone Of the coun-
try will deny that government and busl-
ness shall be managed by failures OF man
kind. because they are failures; the fitteSt
has survived them.
Putting all other considerations aside,
one thing is self-evident, and that Is the
District is the sufferer. by all this quar-
reling- We are in a fog Of dismay
through the stupid opposition Of men on
the Hill: no one would ever know
they were there except they play mad
dog trying to bite the District. Now on
top OF this We have the head OF our mu-
nicipal government usurping the office.
and the people irrespective Of party hav-
ing TO confidenceIn him. because placed
their TO carry out dreams that are ut
terIy impossible and impractical. l; Mr..
Newman was man measuring up to the
full qualification Of the Office he holds.
he would Immediately relinquish the Of
flee and not stay TO simply draw salary
from a people that from the first have
not wanted a theOrist and experiment. 7
am for the President In the big things for
the nation he is so quietly working out.
but absolutely against him IN his at
tempt 10 force upon the people Of this
city. who have in years past and are to-
day substantially working for its best in
terests and growth. notwithstanding some
OF these men have the criminal stain upon
them OF having been successful
ELIJAH E. KNOTT.