Evening star., 1928-05-27
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The bill to provide permanent form
of government for the District OF Co
Senate Debates finished business" Of
District Bill. ago, acc being debated
from time to tins and gradually put
into shape for final enactment, when
occurred a month later. In The star
of May %. 1873, Is the following sum-
mary OF the Ssnate'S discussion or the
subject the day before:
THE Senate did not get through
with the District bill yesterday, but
made some progress. The principal de-
bate was on the amendment proposed
by Mr.. Bayard reducing the time OF
residence required of the civilian Com
miSsioners from three years To one.
Mr. Bayard held that any man who
is qualified 10 vote for another for any
office should by law be qualified to be
voted for. and this District would DC
the exceptional case that would require
O longer residence in the official than
in the persons creating him by their
votes. Mr.. ingalls, said that one great
cause of complaint that the citizens or
the District have urged is that Strang-
ers have been sent among them TO
rule over them and to eat their SUBJ
stance. and 1t was thought best. IN or.
der 20 comply with the sentiments OF
the people upon this subject and 10
carry out the general ideas OF local
self-government that prevail 70 so great
an extent among the American people.
that a period of residence and ctti1en-
ship should Sc provided which would
prevent this cause Of complaint here
after, The period of three years Is one
that will enable a person residing here
to familiariEe himself with the wants
of the people and with the necessities or
administration here.
Mr.. Merrimon also held that three
years residence was only q reasonable
time 10 become acquainted with the
people and their respective wants, MY.
Edmunds thought that under the con-
dltlon of the District and the relations
Of the United States To II there ought
not 20 be any residence restrictions
whatever, that he would not oppose
provision OF one year. This bill. he
said, provides for the United states
paying one-half of the expense OF
carrying on the government OF the Dis
trict. The United states therefore
ought to have. through its executive
and Senate, the right, inasmuch as It
pays half the expense, 60 select for
part Of the governors Of the District,
and more than ono as this bill pro-
videS any eitiaen OF the United states
whom the Chief Magistrate and the
representatives of all the states and Of
all the taxpayers think Is nc man,
even II he has not been permanent
resident In this District for three years,
HALF the money comes from the whole
people of the United States, and then
the Constitution itself provides that this
District, III which nobody Is u resident
except those In jail~~wlthcut his free
and voluntary consent, shall be a dis
trict III which Congress Is to exercise
exclusive legislation, Congress Is the
legislative power of the District and
that Congress is the Congress Of tho
whole people, This is a place for the
whole people OF the United states TO
have am interest in and 90 take care
Of and TO pay the expense of, AS tt does
not with this proposition, To the extent
Of one~halt, and indirectly 60 u mucA
larger degree.
AFTER further debate the one-year
amendment was adopted by vote Of
IN to 10, but MIR, Hear gave notice ef
an amendment that one OF the two
civilian Commissioners shall have re-
sided here three wears and enc ot them
one year, lie did not see the feree NJ
these arguments IN dealing with the
proper form OF government OF the peo-
pie Of the District ot Columbia Witch
are based on the principle spoken ef
by the chairman Of the committee as
local self government, The conSsAs
tuition intended and required that the
whole legislative authority over this
District all the making ef its awS
should be exercised hy the Nation At
large and II Is a Solielsm in governs
nent to separate from the power witch
makes the laws the power that admins
listers them. " seemed to him thai II