National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-24

to have Mt least one electoral vote In the !
selection of President of the United States,
smaller population than yours Is repre- |
scented not only in Congress, but in the Elec-
toral College. If 1t is necessary to amend the |
Constitution 20 secure these rights let us try |
and have it amended; and when that question !
is put TO the people Of tho whole country
they will bo precisely as willing that the peo- |
| pie of the District of Columbia shall have an |
equal voice as that they themselves should
| have a voice. Lot US stop at no halfway |
| ground but claim aud keep claiming all our
| rights until somebody says we shall have
them. Aud let me tell you another thing
Once have the right of self.government recog.
| nizcd here, have delegate In Congress and
an electoral vote for President and thousands
| will be willing to come hero aud become citi-
zens of the District. As 10 Is, the moment
man settles here his American citizenship
| falls from him like dead leaves from tree.
| From that moment he Is nobody. Every
| American citizen wants little political
| powcr-wauts to cast his vote for the rulers of
| the Nation. He wants to have something to
say about the laws he has to obey, and they
are not willing to come hero aud disfranchise
themselves The moment 1t is known that
man is from the District lie has no infuence,and
no one cares what his political opinion may be.
! Now let us have it so that VIC can vote and be
on an equality with the rest of the voters of
| the United States. This Government was
| founded upon the idea that the only source OF
| power is the people. Lot us show at tho Cap
! ital that we have confidence in that principle;
that every man should havo vote and voice
| in the South, in the North, everywhere no
matter how low his condition, no matter that
he was a slave, no matter what his color Is, or
! whether he can read or write, he is clothed
| with the right to name those who make the
laws he is to obey. While the lowest aud most
degraded in every State in this Union has that
right, the best aud most intelligent In the
District hnyp That RIGHT. IL wont do
There is no sense in it; no justice in it-noth-
ing American in it, II this were the case in
some of the capitals Of Europe we would not
be surprised hut here in tho United states,
where we have so much to say about the right
Of self-govCrnment, that 100000 people should
not have the right to say who shall make
and who shall execute the laws is at
least an anomaly and contradiction OF
our theory of government, and for one / pro-
pose to do what little | can to correct it.. 1t
has been said that you had once here the
right of self-gOvernment If | understand 1t,
the right you had was to elect somebody TO
some office, and all the other officers were APP
, pointed. You had no control over your legis-
: laturc; you had very little control over your
other officers, and the people of the District
were held responsible for what was actually
done by the appointing power We want no
appointing power. If II is necessary to have
police magistrate say the people are com
, petent to elect that magistrate; aud il he is
not good man they are qualified to select an
other in his place. You ought to elect your
Q judges. / do not want the office of the judi
: ciary so far from the people that it
;. may feel entirely independent l want
5 every officer in this District held accountable
to the people, and, unless he discharges his
4 duties faithfully, the people will put him out
i and select another in his stead want ID un-
o derstoOd that no American citizen can be
S forced to pay dollar in State or in the dis
= trict where he lives who Is not represented,
= and where he has not tho right to vote. 1t is
4 all tyranny and all Infamous. The people of
c the United States wonder to-day that you have
G submitted to this outrage as long us you have.
o Neither do l believe that only the rich should
: have the right to vote that only they should
o govern, or that only the educated should gov
: ern. / have noticed among educated men
: many who did not know enough to govern
0 themselves. ! have known many wealthy men
Z who did not believe in liberty, in giving the
h, people the same rights they claimed for them
0 selves. believe in that government where
= the ballot of Lazarus counts us much as thu
q vote of Dives. Let the rich let the educated
:; govern the people by moral suasion, and by
t example and by kindness, and not by brute
It force And in a community like this where
o the avenues of distinction are open alike to
If all, there will be many more reasons for acting
L like men. Where you can hold any position,
70 where every citizen can have conferred upon
Is stimulus to be q mau. But in a community
e where but the few are clothed with power by
J., ! appointment, no incentive exists among the
@ people. If the avenues to distinction aud
It honor are open to all such, government
/. is beneficial on every hand, and the
l. poorest man in the community may say to
l. himself, IF pursue the right course the very
n highest place is open to me-" And the poorest
II man, with his little tow.headed boy on his
o. knee, can say, John, all the avenues are open
}. to you. Although 1 am poor, you may be
t. rich; and while | am obscure you may be
N every hour of toll and renders holy every
'e drop Of sweat that rolls down the face of labor.
is hate tyranny in every form. despise It,
If and execrate a tyrant wherever he may be
e. and in every country where the people are
to struggling for the right of sell-gOvern'
ct mont, and l sympathize with them
m in their struggle. Wherever the sword
st of rebellion is drawn in favor of human rights
ed am rebel. l sympathiZe with all the peO
re pie in Europe who are endeavorng to push
to kings from thrones and struggling for the
10 right to govern themselves. America ought
IN to send greeting to every part of the world
p when such struggle is pending, and we o.
lie the District of Columbia ought to DO able tC
of Join in that greeting, but we never will be
re until We have the right of self-governmenI
ourselves. No man who is good citizen car
have any objection to self.gOvernment here
re NO hlhn Cdl Do OplOSou W ~ WIN pSlloNSs
Ii. that our people have enough wisdom, enough
ye virtue, enough patriotism to govern them
.ir selves The man who doubts the right of Thu
n. people TO govern themselves casts LITTLE
a. doubt upon the question: simply because he il
n. not man enough himself to believe in liberty
is | would trust the poor of this country will
II. our liberties as soon rs / would the rich.
a will trust the huts and novels just as soon q
of will the mansions aud palaces. will trus
Mt those who work by tho day in the street a
NJ soon US / will the bankers Of tho United States
"A. | will trust the ignorant-even the ignorant
or Why? Because they want education, and n
10 people in this country are so anxious to hay
il their children educated as those who are no
of educated themselves. | will trust the ignor
y. ant with the liberties of this country qucke
Ga than | would some of the educated who doub
ic the principles upon which our Government
les founded But let the intelligent do wha
.si they can TO instruct the ignorant. Let til
NJ wealthy do what they can to give
to THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY
no to the poor, and then this Government wi
". remain forever. The time is passing ava
m. when any man of genius can be respected VIII
I'm will not use that genius in elevating his fe
IN. low.man The time Is passing away whe
he ! man however wealthy. can be respected nj