National Republican., 1876-11-16
DISTRICT soyERHMKHr.
The Jtint Commission Yesterdsy-Difsrsnt
Interests Represented.

interests Represented
Tie joint Congressional commission having
in charge the work of framing new govern,
ment for the District of Columbia continued
its session yesterday; present, seoators
Spencer and Whyte and Representatives
Hunton and Hendee.
Judge T. ], Durant made an argument in
favor of municipal government, and cited
precedents TO show that Congress had the
right to create such municipality. he was
in favor of forming municipality based on
universal suffrage. he held that the reason
the territorial form of government failed was
because 1t was not popular government, but
an aristocracy. He said II the Board of Public
Works had created an extravagant debt It was
not done through the popular will, but Con-
gress was clearly responsible for 1t, because it
bad deprived the people of the power to select
the board and had vested 1t with the Execu-
tive.
Judge Hunton. When you speak Of uni
verssl suffrage do you mean to include
women!
Judge Durant. am here to ask for re-
publican form of government, and not to dis
cuss social questions; but if you want my in
dividual opinion, 1 take the broadest possible
ground on that question. / believe women
ought to vote.
He said the rate of tax was too high. He
favored the support of the municipality by
an income tax; denounced as one of the great
est evils the contract system of cities for
public works, and advocated that cities should
do their own work by days labor. He hoped
that, if municipality was created, Congress
would prohibit the council from going into
debt: that is, not allow bonds to be issued for
posterity to pay.
Professor 8. L. Loomis, of the county,
addressed the commission and asked that
there be but one form Of government for the
District.
Mr.. Simon Wolf, recorder of deeds, recon-
mended fire-proof and spacious building for
the records of the District; also, that the
and that the expenses of the Office be borne by
the District, instead of by the recorder. He
advocated legislation empowering some one to
act in the absence of the recorder.
In reply to q question, Mr.. Wolf said the
fees of the office iuctuated, but that they had
reached S12, 900 per year. He said the lowest
annual fees in his experience were 5000.
DELEGATION OF LADIES,
representing various benevolent organizations,
and also the national and local woman suffrage
associations, appeared before the commission,
to ask for consideration of the interests of
women citizens, who constitute large ma
jority of the entire population. Among the
ladies present were Mrs. Ellen G. Sargent, of
California, treasurer of the National Woman
Suffrage Association; Mrs. Sara j. Spencer,
DR.. Caroline B. .Winslow, Mrs. Ellen O'Connor,
Mrs. Parnell and other ladies of Washington,
DC.
The commission courteously granted the
ladies hearing through one of their number,
and Mrs. Sara j. Spencer was requested to
present their wishes. She said: The very
existence of a commission to frame q govern
ment for the District of Columbia is a double
confession that the Congress of the United
States and the men of this District have
hitherto totally failed in the management of
the affairs of this small section of our national
domain.
The reason why there is not a larger num-
Der of men present to demand in the name of
Justice republican form of government for
the capital of republic is because they are
keenly conscious OF past failures. We never
had republican form of government in this
District. Congress did grant to male citizens
the right TO vote for few officers, but at that
time one third of the voting population of
Washington consisted Of the newly-emanci-
pated freedmen, who held the balance OF
power while trying their first experiment at
selfgovernment, and who could not In the
very nature of the case either understand or
care for the needs of the prominent residents
of the District. To this element add the re-
fuse of 1850 dram-shops, and deny every
woman the right to neutralize by q single
ballot this mass of ignorance and vice, and
what wonder the brief and slender experiment
was failure.
Yet that was an effort towards Justice, o
semblance of consideration for the rights and
interests of the citizens of the District. The
capitals of the kingdoms of this world are the
the kings and of their courtiers, and the royal
treasures are freely opened to make them
blessed and beautiful. But the capital of the
finest republic in the world is the football oi
the nation. Our three hundred and seventy
eight kings have their homes and their cour-
tiers in their separate kingdoms, and their in
terests are directly antagonistic to ours.
We are here TO ask that the women of this
District, honest, industrious, law-abiding citi-
zens, may be equally represented in any form
of government you may submit; whether it be
monarchy, aristocracy or republic.
Senator Spencer. We meant to include
women in our request to appear before US.
We should have said "citizens of the District" ="
We are very glad to hear you.
DR.. Caroline B. Winslow followed with q
brief argument upon the moral effect of CIV
ing the women of the District a voice in max
ing the laws.
Mr.. Joseph Libbey, chairman of the George
town delegation, presented the memorial
which had been adopted at a mass meeting OF
the citizens Of that city, In which they desire
the old municipal government, such as existed
DtlOIc Iuc lOELl WAS auOplcu, lOI
Georgetown, and that Georgetown only be
hsrGed with the debt due by her at that time.
DI Ceorge Gross made q speech on the sub
ject o. importance, requesting the commission
to rect amend that all alcoholic liquors be
excluded from medical use; also, that they
\ protest against their use as beverage.
MIR. J. B. Mccarthy appeared before the
commission to advocate the cause of the sick
poor. He urged the necessity of some pro-
vision for tie proper care and medical attend
ance Of destitute sick, both resident and non-
resident, and of such persons as may become
suddenly Ill in the streets. At present there
| is no officer or board connected with the Dis
trict government that is authorized to make
any expenditures for this purpose. When a
| man is taken i'll in the street he is generally
| carried into a station-house or drugstore
| and If he gets medical attendance it is through
the charity of some physician. Sick paupers
| can be removed to the Providence hospital
after red-tape routine has been gone through
with, but in cases requiring immediate atten.
I tion there is no provision at all.
I EX-Comptroller George A. Baker spoke in
| behalf of the citizens of the District, and
| asked that committee be appointed to adjust
all unsettled claims against the District. He
reminded the commission that when the board
| of audit had been abolished there was no pro
vision made for funding the debt.
Mr.. Hendee said he thought the matter wa:
a proposition which should come before Con
| gress in an independent manner.
The commission then adjourned, to meet to
/ 1A.QA o1olont