Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1919 — Governing “D. C.” [ARTICLE]

Governing “D. C.”

By the‘Constitution of the United States, congress has the sole right to govern the District of Columbia. But congress, for convenience, delegates its powers to three commissioners. Two are appointed from civil life by the president, with the consent of the senate. One must be an engineer officer of the army, of the rank of captain, at least. He is detailed by the president for service as a commissioner, at the president’s pleasure. The other commissioners serve three years. The commissioners have practically supreme power to govern, subject to the laws as interpreted by the court at appeals of the District.