Evening star., 1925-05-27
The Residence Qualification.

IlOl'C 10 StlOilSiN hNlh li'usS
Washington that President Coolidge
will not urge upon Congress change
of the law which prescribes the quail
fications of the civilian Commissioners
of the District. That law specifics
that the person appointed to the office
must have been bona-fide resident of
the District for three years prior to
appointment, claiming residence no.
where else within that period. 1t was
so framed to insure the selection OF
men as Commissioners who were iden-
titled with the community, whose In
terests lay with the District, who rep
resented the local population, deprived
of all voice in it's own administra-
ton. 1t was designed to prevent the
selection of mere sojourners in Wash
ington, perhaps political lame ducks
or partisan favoriteS.
This statute was a feature of the
"organic act" which reorganized the
District government, substituting the
appointive Commissionership form of
administration for the old territorial
form, which in time had replaced the
elective municipal government form.
1t was recognized by Congress that
there was danger of using these posi-
tions as political patronage. To avoid
that danger it was provided, wisely,
that the civilian Commissioners should
not be voters in the States; should be
genuinely Washingtonians by legal
residence here for at least three years.
Under the operation of that law, for
nearly AZ years, Washington has been
administered capably, honestly and
progressively by executives named
from the local population, with the aid
of Engineer Commissioners detailed
from the Army. In the selection of
these civilian Commissioners there has
been no evidence of lack of compe-
tence on the part of the legally quail
fed Washingtonians. No President
has ever been embarrassed by dearth
of good material from which to make
selection. And just so today in the
emergency caused by the death Of
Commissioner oyster there is no
shortage of the supply of competent
District citizens of sufficient residence
for qualification.
Any proposal to change the organic
act in respect to the legal residence
requirement of civilian appointees to
this office is to be resisted. There is,
in the first place, no necessity for
change in the law. There is, in the
second place, a very great danger in
safeguard against the using of these
District offices for patronage.
This residential qualification for
civilian Commissioners, which is a
vital feature of the organic act of
1878, is the last vestige of self govern
ment left to the people of Washington.
They have no voice in Congress in the
making of their laws. They have only
now the privilege of nomination
through the President of their own
fellow citizens for the Office of Com.
missioner. Removal Of the three-year
residence requirement would virtually
deprive them of even that privilege.
To propose the repeal of the resi-
dence requirement for Commissioner
ship is tantamount to the suggestion
that it is impossible to find in the Dis
trict men, OF at least three years resi-
dence here, who are capable of local
municipal administration. 1t is not to
be believed, however, that the Presi-
dent means to intimate that he is suf-
fering from any embarrassment on
this score in the present instance He
has before him the names of many
Washingtonians of ability. experience
and high character who are willing to
serve if chosen, and in whose compe-
.tence and integrity the community
has confidence. A selection from that
list will fully meet requirements.
If a man is of capacity adequate
to warrant his selection as Commits
sioner Of the District he should be
sufficiently interested in its welfare to
make it his legal home. No man who
divides his allegiance, retaining a vot.
ing residence elsewhere while sojourn-
ing here, can give to such an Office
the undivided attention which it re-
quires.