Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-02
The Question Of Suffrage in the Dis.

The members Of the House committee on the
District OF columbia have already given much
consideration To the subject of a new form of
government for the District. As j. known.
the committee has already had the views. both
oral and written. of many of the leading citi-
Gems Of the District on the subject. There can
De no dispute a. tO the fact that the very large
majority of the property holders and the bust
ness people Of the District have no desire
whatever for the Incorporation of a suffrage
feature i'm any reorganization Of the District
government which may be adopted. Vet dem
agogue> i'm and out of Congress Keep up such
howl over the matter that suffrage feature
Will certainly he included. though. perhaps. of
qualified chaTacteT.-l Hash. Cor. Bat sun.
10 il quite certain. as stated above. that a
very large proportion of the tai payers and
business men. and those who have a SubStan-
tial interest in the prosperity of the District,
are utterly opposed 10 any suffrage feature,
unless i'm some limited form which would not
leave them entirely at the mercy oi the class
Of voters who have little or nothing at stake
here. There i no probability that any re-
StrictiOn limiting the suffrage 10y educational or
property qualifications would he adopted b.
Congress. and therefore the proposal for the
infection Of unlimited suffrage again upon the
District finds little favor amongst the better
class of people. There are citizens of intelli-
gence and character who favor suffrage in the
abstract asa wholesome thing for cOmmuni-
ty, but il is quite generally conceded that
elusive legislation the exercise of suffrage
amounts to nothing practically in the way of
public good. while it brings upon us a fright
full amount of evil The first result would he
to releCate the District to the control of the
low demagOgues. ward strikers. and Murder
Bay politicians. from whose offensive rule we
have Just escaped. These demagOgues would,
as in the past. exert all their energies to keep
afiOat here the eOntraband population, to util
iZe them a. voters: and, with suffrage Te-e>-
tab>hed. il would be practically impossible To
get rid of the mass of idle people who ought to
be at work upon the farms of Maryland and
Virginia, and who. if they remain here, have
no means Of livelihood except from theft or
charity
But the conclusive objection against an elec-
tive form of government here is that if the
people Of the District once assume the man
agement of District affairs Congress will be
very apt To promptly throw the whole respOn-
siblity for District debt and District expenses
upon our shoulders. No doubt Congress will
very gladly wash its hands of al responsibility
i'm the matter 10y giving us local government,
but in view of the fact that the bulk of this
debt has been incurred by the agents of gov
eminent. the people of the District will prefer
to leave to Congressional wisdom the task of
providing for il. AS conceded by the best
lawyers ia Congress, that body has entire
control over the District. and is respOn-
sible for the debt incurred by its act and
for 4 full share of the annual District ex-
pen>es- Let us then leave the management
OF District Affairs with Congress and not in
terfere with its exclusive right to control at
fairs here, and 10 pay its own debt and a
proper share of the expenses of the govern
ment city