Evening star., 1915-03-29

the President tho appointing power.
who would NIL the vacancy caused by
tho recall. With the commisstonsr9
thus selected from the community ana
indirectly responsible to It, the power
OF initiating local Legislation and res
curing a vote by Congress on sucb
propositions. and of referendum to the
limited extent OF advising infiuentiallY
upon local bills compulsorily referred
to them. might be vested In the Come
missioners. The Commissioners now
have under the law power OF Initiative
In respect to the local appropriation
: have been perfunctorily referred to
4 them by District committees for their
opinion: but the Commissioners are mos
now responsible in any way to the
| and tho power OF recall in respect ID
them. even though exercised indiroSkly
through the President and subject 70
his veto. could hardly fail to oe oenss
| has practically absolute and unlimited
power OF recall in respect to the Com.
| missioners. which he would not lose -
| the community had In addition the sug.
| gested limited power of recall. which
| might on occasion require him to name
q successor to some incumbent who
had incurred tho communtty's strong
displeasure.
The use Of the referendum and recall
in the District would not be equivalenc
use anywhere else. No precedent would
be established for communities whose
conditions In respect to representation
radically differed from those of Wash
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 1u-
dicial decisions could favor recall OF
i commissioners in the District without
violating any principle.
| II exclusive and unrestricted power
of appointment of the Commissioners
is in the President the local COM
munity has not fair play. II the Com
| missioners are chosen solely py the
voters of the local community the ma
| tional partner will feel that II 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 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-
lature, in which the nation is not rep
resented. the vast national interests
at the capital might be jeopardized.
II the local community had represen-
| referendum a veto power upon vital
local legislation approved by Congress.
nobody's welfare would be menaced ana
justice would be done to both parties
In this year of our Lord 1914 genu-
inc American representation for tho
District means representation on the
| lines of state. and not on the lines
| of territory. Until 1850 the District
was entitled by it's population only to
treatment as a territory.
| The demand by Washington for ter
ritorial representation in Jacksons
| time, and the territorial representation
century measured up fully to the re.
quirements of equity. No more could
then be fairly asked or given: But
since 1850, or certainly since 1891, the
entities it to voting representation in
Congress. And its representation ~
| a voteless territorial delegate In 1919
would be as much an anachronlsm as
| full voting representation In Congress
under A. B. Woodward's constitutional
amendment would have been in 1901.
The same dangers must be run to
secure either territorial or state repre-
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 ana
being sued in the courts OF the united
States, the residents of the seat OF gov
ernment of the United States. in re-
spect to whom Congress has the power
to exercise exclusive legislation, shall
have the status of citizens OF 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.
pie of the District power of recall in
respect to any of the three District
Commissioners.
8. An act of Congress providing that
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 eN-
referendum vote of the citizens OF tn"
District for their approval or disap-
proval, and without their approval
such legislation shall not become ol'-
erative.
This proposed Legislation destroys
nothing. disturbs nothing. repeats
nothing. 1t Is supplementary 4" EXIST
ing law. adapting the latter better T."
the conditions and needs of today. IL
ts thoroughly constructive. Ii T. NOT
In the smallest particular destructive.
1t leaves undisturbcd and confirms
the national control of the nations
city and the corresponding national
obIig alton of adequate financial par.
ticipatiOn In the maintenance and up
building of the National Capital. The
..orxnnlc" net Of 1873 and the c1ciu-
xive Legislation clause of the COnstftu-
tiOn are alike untouched.
1t makes American citixens of the
people of this community. giving them
effective representation in COnRress.
their local and national Legislature.
" hich may deprive them of their prop
erty by taxation and of life or limb
by sending them to war. Such repre-
sentation is not inconsi.tent with the
exclusive power Of leEtslatfOn concern
ing the District possessed by Con-
Rress. On the contrary such repre-
sentatiOn is the more essenttal sfnce
Congress is not only WashtnEton's
national legislature. but it's municipal
and state legislature.
1t gives the citizens of the District
an American status before the courts
Of the United States and removes from
them the reprOach pointed out by the
Supreme Court TINT they stand i'm .
more unfavOrab1e attitude toward the
national Judiciary than aliens.
by the recall provision. coupled with