The Washington herald., 1915-10-06
Time for Washington to Fight.

In little more than two months the SlNty-
fourth Congress will meet and organize for the
work OF long session. New committees will be
chosen in Senate and House. including the COM
mitees whose duty it is to initiate and recommend
Legislation for the government Of the District of
Columbia. Most Of the members of the last House
of Representatives will be found in their old
seats next December, but will take up the
work OF lawmakng for the first timc while a
number who served faithfully and we'll in former
Congresses have been returned. In the natural
order OF things with the same political party in
control, changes in the personnel of committees.
they constituted in the last Congress, will
not be many, and SO far as the Senate Committee
on the District OF Columbia is concerned the
people OF Washington have to regard this
as fortunate circumstance. That committee did
its duty toward the nation and its seat OF gov
trnmcnt fairly and fcarlessly.
But in the last House of Representatives the
Committee on the District OF Columbia presented
sadly contrasting spectacle That committee in
all the sessions OF the Sixtythird Congress was
controlled by elcment-led by its chairman,
Representative Ben Johnson, of kentucky-in-
tenscly hostile to the people of Washington and
their interests. Some OF these men, influenced by
cnmity growing out of fancicd personal griev-
ances constantly stood in the way OF and i'm
perilcd the growth and progress OF the Capital.
When at last they went beyond the bounds O,
nationality, the citizens of Washington organized
for their own protection, and, cnsting the sup
port OF the intelligent and fair minded majority
OF both Houses by convincing them of the true
situation, succeeded in defeating the program of
the despoilcrs. But valuable time wasted and
the necessity of compromise to escape something
worse led to the enactment OF some -adviscd
l .1z..-
made OF the important work of making laws for
the Nations Capital.
Right and reason dictate that these mcn-and
especially Representative Ben Johnson. OF Ken
tucky-should not be given places on the House
District Committee of the Sixty-fourth Congress,
with the power to injure the District OF Columbia
and halt its progress by intimidation the crca-
ton OF apprehension OF evil to come The people
OF Washington have voice in the selection Of
these committees of Congress which WELD a far
greater power in the government OF the District
than the Board of Commissioners appointed by
the President, but the right OF petition has not
been taken from them and they have the right
and it is their duty to exert all the influence at
their command in the protection OF their own
interests.
The Herald firmly believes that it is we'll with
in their power to keep Ben Johnson and certain
of his colleagues off the District Committee of
the next House. The people of Washington, with
their various business and civic associations, are
we'll organized and it is inconcevable that Con-
gress would be deaf to their united protest
against the placing of these again in posi-
tions for which they have time and time again
proved themselves untitled through prejudice and
animosity. To place them the District COM
mittee would be unjust to the taxpayers of the
city and a blow to the welfare of the Capital
Such calamity may be averted by concerted
action, for which plans should be laid without
delay.
Let every business organization and every
association of citizens express its views and
petition the House of Representatives, and let
every individual member tell thc story of the Dis
tricts fight against oppression to old and new
members OF Congress and there be scarcely
doubt that they will be rewarded by the selection
OF a fair District Committee.
In the past the citizens of Washington have
been repeatedly deluded by the advice of those
who have advocated policy of seeking to make
friends OF their enemies the District Committee.
But the experiment OF conciliation and turning
the other check has failed in every trial. and no.
body has a shadow of reason to doubt that it
would fail again; and since nothing is to be gained
by this method, Washington must accept the
alternative and fight. Ii the fight is made and
won before the District Committee is chosen
many battle later will be avoided and We
may look for the Sixty-iourth Congress to set a
record for the enactment OF we'll considered, con-
structive legislation in the interest OF the Capital