Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-20
Writer Traces History
Of COmmissiOnerships

| TO the Editor of The Star:
In q recent issue, under the heading
! Naming a Democrat to District Berth
| Stirs Senate Talk" you say The &C
! ton of President Coolidge in nominal
| ing a Democrat Sidney f. Taliaferro'
] to be a District Commissioner was
made the subject of a passing remark
] by Senator Norris of Nebraska during
a bit of political by-play in the Senate
yesterday afternoon" If the Senator
F., will investigate as to the facts, he
will find that the President in the
naming of a Democrat as one OF the
| commissioners of the District OF Co
| lumbia has only followed the custom
| that has prevailed since the act Gre
| ating a permanent form of govern
| ment for the District was ehacteu'
| now close on so years. When the Ter
/ ritorial form of government was abol'
| ished and the temporary form or com.
mission established, which provided
| for three Commissioners, President
Grants final appointments for these
offices were Henry T. Blow OF MIS-
| souri,, William Dennison OF ONO ana
John H. Ketcham of New YORK, all
| ex-members of Congress, and none
| citizens of the District, one, II not
more, of them having been landed q
lame duck in the Democratic tldai
| wave of the 1874 elections. Ihen d
| few years later Congress enacted me
act that is in force at this Tune IL
provided for the appointment Oh TWO
| civilian commissioners and an enSl-
| neer Commissioner, the latter TO De
an officer of the United States Army,
| to constitute the Board of COmfnlS-
| sioners. the civilian members to be
! legal and bona fide citizens and resi-
| dents of the District for three years
at least prior to their appointment
thus protecting the DISTINGUISHED DIS
trict from again becoming the rooStlhS
pIace of the lame ducks from the
| other sections of the country. Whlle
nothing in the act provides as 10 the
civilian members politics. 1t was theli
! understood that the board Would con
sist of a Republican and Democrat
and this was carried out from that
time by all the Presidents down to the
time of President Wilson, under whose
administration two Democrats were
| anDointed one of whom the courts OIL
the District of Columbia said was not
legally qualified, and the supreme
| Court of the United States, when the
case was heard by that tribunal. dlo
not decide on the facts of the case IN
their opinion, but decided that the tax
payer who brought the proceedings
was not QuanIlcu unueT tire law ~
| bring the action. Later during Presl-
dent Wilson's administration. when q
vacancy occurred, he appointed Miss
Mabel T. Boardman Commissioner
and the old rule again prevailed.
! When President Harding came in, he
appointed Cuno H. Rudolph, Re
| publican, and James F. Oyster. a
| Democrat, and at the expiration OF
! their terms President Coolidge reap.
pointed them, and the board continued
a Republican and a Democrat unit
| the death Of Mr.. Oyster, when Presl'
dent Coolidge appointed Frederick A.
Fenning, a Republican, making the
board entirely Republican. On the
resignation of Mr.. Fenning, President
| Coolidge appointed Proctor l.. Dough
erty, Republican, thus continuing a
board of one party until the resigna-
ton of Mr.. Rudolph and the appoint
ment Of Sidney F. Talaferro, Demo-
! crat. The board now as to politics is
simply what has been the condition.
with the few exceptions referred to-
since the permanent commission form
of government for the District of CO.
lumbia was enacted.
| J. FRED KELLEY.