Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-24
TIE SUFFRAGE MEETING LAST NIGHT.

Odd Fellows Hail was crowded last night, on
on the platform were ex-Mayor Berret, eS-
Mayor Bowen, Hon. Gilbert De La Matyr, OF IN
diana; A. NJ. Clapp. eX-public printer Col W.
tax collector; Major A. C. Richards. eX-major Of
police; F. Douglass, marshal District OF Column
bia; Amos Hunt, ex-member common council;
c. s. Bundy, ex-judge, pro. TEN. Of Police Court;
Jesse B. Wilson, ex alderman; DR.. James D. DeX-
ter, eX-secretary Of board Of health; s. S.
Baker, ex-alderman; Horatio Browning. ex-
common councilman; DIR. j. p. Klingle, of the
county; Col. Perry Carson, ex-messenger to ex-
Mayor Bowen; Robert Purvis, Mrs. Belva A.
Lockwood, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, Mrs. Amanda
M. Best, John II. Crane. edward commissioner
and water registrar: 6. IL. Holmes, eX-chief fire
department.; A. P. Pardon, ex-councilman, T. J..
Durant Col Ellery C. Ford, ex-school trustee:
X. W. Tompktns, ex-reading clerk OF the legis-
lature. and others.
Hmber, eX-Alderman J. II. Crossman, eX-Clerk
Registration Board w. c. Harper, ex-Justice OF
the Peace George Hauptman, Commissioner
Henry Lyles, ex-Alderman A. P. Clark, ex-
School Trustee Judson s. Brown, ex-Fireman
ST. C. Burley, ex-Property Clerk OF Police
$. r. Herrick, ex-Constable Henry Lacey, ex-
eeon U. S. A. DR.. Mary Walker, ex-Member Of
the legislature Joseph Brooks, ex- Councilman
+. d. Gaines, eX-Fire Commissioner j. A.
Bailey Bale ex-Messenger to Common Council ana
ex-Fireman w. II. Hurdle, ex-Sergeant alarms
John r. French, Sidney Herbert, ex-member Of
the legislature, Collins Cruso, guard at the jail,
James Edwards, eX-bailiff, L. j. O'Neal,
ex-justice of the peace, w. II. Brown, {of the
navy yard. Z. W. Swaggert, Charley Hurdle,
Delaware Hudnell, contractor: !. c. Bolden, Ia h
district X-messenger legislature; Jas. Cephas,
10Th district; E. Jackson F. Douglass jr., Chas.
II. Peters, eX-ward commissioner; w. G. Chase,
j. f. Bruce, Isaiah Washington, of the sth dis
trict, &C.
The hall was filled to overfiowing, and it was
apparent from the fact that many left after the
add ess OF Col. r. G. IngersOll that he was
the main attraction at, At o'clock those
Major A. c. Richards, as president of the Cen
trail Republican club, under whose auspices the
mass meeting was started called the meeting to
was elected president Col. B. on taking the
chair. said he was in full sympathy with this
movement, and it was an anomaly that here in
the capital of free nation we should be de-
prived OF a vote. Why it was taken from us
was an enigma, and it was matter of pride that
in the government in the District while the Off
GERS were elective there was not single defal-
cation. Messrs. J. II. Crane, VIM. Dickson and
DIR. c. b. Purvis, were elected secretaries.
Ex-Mayor Bowen moved the appointment of a
committee on resolutions; agreed to, and MeSsr5
Sayles j. Bowen, j. p. klingle, F. Douglass, A.
c. Richards, j. II. CrosSman and A. NJ. Clapp
were appointed.
DR.. j. p klingle addressed the meeting He
quoted from the proceedings of a meeting held
in Alexandria in isl, at Which General Wash
ington said that taxation without representa-
ton was tyranny, and spoke OF the injustice OF
depriving US of suffrage, and claimed that the
enormous debt was not on the citizens through
any fault OF their owD, but because OF the OIL
GERS placed over us. Under the present govern
ment SIC, 600 had disappeared, for which no
account had yet been rendered.
Hon. Thomas j. Durant was the next speaker,
and he spoke of being deprived by law from ad-
dressing them as fellow citizens, and gave his
tory OF the bill for the present form of govern
ment, which took only three days to become a
law. He claimed that Congress in depriving us
of the right OF suffrage did SO without authority
and the act was unconstitutional. He urged
that they appeal to Congress for redress and If
unsuccessful then to the whole people
The committee on resolutions made their re-
port. which was read by Mr.. Crane The report
ton OF the rights of the inhabitants OF this Dis
trict as citizens of the United States, guaran-
teed by the principles of our constitutional
government: That there is nothing In the re-
ment which can in the slightest degree justify
such Acknowledgement OF 10000 people, and
they claim the same municipal rights that the
people OF all other capital cities have wherever
republican governments exist, such as the
founders of the republic intended we should en-
JOY, and which were actually exercised by us
down to the year 1871. That our political rights
ought to be as extensive and inyiolable as those
OF any other citizens, and they claim. as Ameri-
cans, that we are entitled to representative
In Congress and vote in presidential elections.
and that we should hold our rights, not at the
Will OF any body of men. but by the same tenure
as do other citizens OF the United States That
If no better way can be found to restore
our liberties, We should welcome the re
tession OF the District 10 the state Of Mary
land. That we earnestly call upon Congress
TO consider the justice OF our claims and If full
concurrence in them cannot now be had, we ask
that, at least, our former franchises may be re-
stored and that local government be eStab-
lished based upon popular suffrage. That the
objection sometimes urged against home rule
here-that it means the rule of the idle and
vicious, and that others can govern us better
than We can govern OurselyeS-iS an insult to
the honest, Intelligent people of the District,
and utterly disproved by our history. 1t is an
argument that applies equally well to other
cities of the Union, to the whole country and
finally, to elective system Itself. 1t can come
from neither good republicans nor good demo-
Gratis ill the proper sense OF these words, but it
Is the argument OF aristOcratS who do not be-
lieve in popular rights at all. and we hold that
any dc serve to be disfranchised it should
not be, first the poor who need most OF
all the protection of the ballot and the power
and dignity it confers but, rather, those who
have proved traitors to the American idea of
government for the people and by the people,"
and have thus placed themselves in a position
similar to that occupied by the criminal classes
that Of the enemies OF the people. That we
call upon the people to mark the course of their
representatives in Congress upon this question,
TO aid us in the struggle for our liberties, and
not TO permit, under any preteXt the rights of
citizenship, so dear to all true Americans, to be
trampled under foot at the capital of nation.
Mrs. Lockwood moved an amendment, that in
asking suffrage we mean to include both sexes
and the chairman took vote, when it appeared
that the house was about equally divided; but
after some hesitation he declared the amend
ment adopted, and the report was adopted.
Colonel Robert g. 1ngerSoll was Introduced
and made the speech OF the evening After
speaking OF the right OF citizens to govern and
select their rulers, he referred to the depriya-
ton of suffrage here as an injustice. He said
the District should have one vote for the presi-
dency, and in framing bill for government
they should see to it that the registration law
will protect from illegal votes. The man
who would cast such VOTE or attempt to
wrongfully influence or vote, deserved hang
ing, and il such a law Is passed republican
as he was he would be content to live under de-
mocratic rule. He had not one word to say
against the officers OF the District. Not word.
But let them do as well as they can; that is no
justification. Its no justification OF monarchy
that the king is good man; it is no juStifica-
ton of tyranny that despot does justice. No
man who is good citizen can have any Objec-
ton to self-goyernment here. No man can be
opposed to It who believes that our people have
enough wisdom, enough virtue, enough patriot
ism TO govern themselves. The man who doubts
the right OF the people to govern themselves
because he Is not man enough himself to believe
in liberty. He would trust the poor of this coun-
try with our liberties as soon as he would the
rich. He would trust the hutS and novels lust
as soon as he would the mansions and palaces.
He would trust those who work by the day in
the street as soon as he would the bankers OF
the United States. He would trust the fgno-
rant-even the ignorant. Why? Because they
want education, and no people in this country
are so anxious to have their children educated
as those who are not educated themselves. He