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

affairs They never did, never will, never |
can. No one who does not live here will ]. |
The public interests arc so many and so con-
ficting, and touch the sides of SO many, that
the people must attend to this matter thom-
selves. They know when they want mar
ket, judge or a collector of taxes, and nobody |
else does and nobody else has a right to. Aud |
instead Of going up to Congress and standing
around some committeeman with long pc !
titiou In your hands begging somebody to
wait just one moment, II will be far better
that you should go to the polls and elect your
representative, who can attend to your inter- |
ests in Congress. But above all things,
want TO warn YOU charge you, beseech you, |
that in any legislation upon this subject
you must secure q registration law that
will prevent the casting Of an illegal v)te. DO
this before it is known whether the District
is Republican or Democratic. | don't care. N o
matter how much of Republican am, abso-
lutoly / would rather DO governed by Demo.
Gratis who live here than by Republicans who
do not. And now, while IL is not known
whether this Is Democratic or Republican
community, lot us get up registration that
no ono can violate; because the moment you
have an election, and IL is ascertaiued to BIO
either Democratic OF Republican, the vlcto-
rious party may be opposed to any registra-
ton or any legislation that will put in jeop-
ardy their power l have lived long enough
| to be satisfied that any State in this Union,
no matter whether Democratic or Republic
can, will DO safe as long rs the people
have tho right to vote, aud to see that
the ballots will be counted. This country is
now upon u trial In nearly every state in
this Union there is liable to happen just the
Same thing that only the other day happened
in Maine. In every State there can BIO two
! legislatures, ono in the Stato.house aud the
| other Oh the iouoe. Let us in this District so
guard tho right to vote aud counting of the
ballots that we will know after tue election
who has been elected, aud know with GER
! taiuty the men who have been elected
| by tho legal voters of the District
| 1t becomes us all, whether Republicans or
Democrats, to unite in securing such law.
| Lot us act together, Democrats and Republic
cans black aud white rich aud poor, educated
and ignorant-let us all unite upon tho princi-
! Pile that we have the right to govern ourselves.
Then it will mako no difference whether tho
| District of Columbia shall be Democratic or
Republican, provided, it is the will of a legal
majority of her people. Ladies and gentle
men, | thank you.
Hon. Gilbert Dc La NTatyr, of Indiana, was
tho next speaker. He said he had never
| spoken in the presence of such an audience
before. lie was used to something else licre
was as intelligent and brilliant an audience as
there was in the country, not one of whom
| was allowed to say how lie should be gov
erned. The tendency of the course pursued
| toward the people of tho District was that of
a policy of Capitalization; and TIL: people of
the rest of the country would never tolerate
such an idea. During the late civil war the
cause of the uprising of the people was mainly
due to the fear that if the South should be
successful self'government would DO wiped
out 1t was a burning shame that tho people
of the District were denied this boon, and he
blushcd for his State when previous speaker
stated that Congressman from Indiana (Mr.
Wilson, was the father Of II bill which had
done away with their franchise. In conclu-
sion no said IL this movement should result
successfully-and there was no reason
why it should not-the first consideration
should be pure ballot and thus set an OK
ample to the entire country. His only fear
for the safety of our Republican institutions
was that the ballot would be 80 disgracefully
tempered with that self-government would be
a farce.
Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood then came firward,
amidst storm of applause, and made brief
address, in which she stated that she hoped
the ballot would never be restored in the Dis
trict until women were allowed to enjoy its
privileges. 1t was an unwarranted usurpa-
tion of power on the part of tho Federal Gov
ernment TO take away the privilege of self
, government and q direct violation of the Con.
stitution.
MIR. A. NJ CLAPP
said he had read in one OF two journals that
none but the idle and vicious would DO pres
ont at this meeting; that Murder Bay and
Hels Bottom would DO the principal ele
ments; but now he saw the reversible saw u
meeting composed Of the best citizens OF
Washington, irrespective of party and sex, as
sembled simply to demand what was not only
theirs, but the inheritance of every American
, citizen. Since he had given up his office he
resigned his citizenship in New York, and
t had been searching for his badge Of citizen
ship here, but thus far had failed to find it, We
simply ask what is due us-the right to govern
, ourselves. The people here were as intelli-
! gent as the citizens of New York. A Wash
ingtonian amounts TO just nothing in tho scale
of human government Our fathers said the
, people should rule, and not the soveregn5 OF
: Europe. We ask nothing more than this,
S aud to deprive us of it cannot be defended
upon any form fright. lie trusted that this
meeting would resolve itself into commit
!, tee of the whole and not rest until the pres
, ent or succeeding Congresses should give US
e what we want-our rights!
After authorizing the appointment of al
1 executive committee of fifteen to present the
/ objects of the meeting to Congress II motion
S 10 adjourn was carried.