Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-30
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Imalienable Right,

Editor Stdr:-It is diverting to see the falla-
cfes by which men delude themselves and their
the seat of the government. In the report of
preamble adopted recently by political club
In this city we find the following: whereas
American citizen, exercised and enjoyed In all
parts of the land except this
!. Now, the force of this statement, as well
can CITIZEN What is an american citfzen?"
Simply one who is allowed to vote under the
provision of state laws. If this definition be
challenged let the challenger himself define
what is to be understood by the phrase Amer
lean citiZen.' II he enlarges its Import beyond
the limits of the above definition, he will find
no stopping place till he takes in the women,
and all other classes who are disposed to clamor
for this rtght-and then the purport Of the pre-
amble that this right Is enjoyed by all Is not
true, for it is fact that not half the people are
allowed to vote in any part Of the land unless it
be among the MormOns! The declaration then
is mere sophism and blind.
2. Again: "WhefeaS the unanimous opinion
OF the trainers OF the constitution, as expressed
in their writings, is to the effect that the estab
lishment OF the sea- OF government did not de-
prive the citizens of this District Of local legisa
tion" This declaration is simply not true, in fact
but, on the contrary, is directly in the teeth of
the fact. No such unanimous opinion was
held by 1.-The trainers of the constitutions That
instrument embodeS in itself just the opposite
opinion, which is now denied and contradicted
by set OF men who wish to override and prac-
tlcaly destroy this wise provision, vesting ercl-
sire legislation for the District in Congress itself
1t is true Congress has in times past very I'M
wisely departed from this wholesome constitu-
have set up in this District has been uncOnsti-
tutional. The evils of this disregard of the con-
stitutton wee not so great at the first as they
grew to be afterwards, simply because the pop
ulation was different in numbers and charac-
ter. In eighty years the capitol from being a
mere wilderness has come TO be thronged not
only with the better classes, but more especial
ly with the idle, vicious and unScrupulouS. This
District contains to-day an immense mass of
the lowest refuse of society. so that the reasons
for excluding suffrage here, which at first con-
been since then surprisingly augmented.
Upon the advent of the government in 1900
the population all told was 3210, in 1910 it was
s,2Os in 1920 it was 474 in 1850 it was IS in
1910 it was 1900 and in 1850 it was AZ, 001 1t
has now grown up to very high figure, which
the coming census will disclose. The early mu-
nicipal government established here, willie it
YVES just as unconstitutional as any of the sub
sequent local governments, was comparatively
harmless as the above statistics disclose. But
the rapid change in the number and character
OF our population during the last thirty years
has brought out the intOlerable evils of that
system which the constitution so wisely ex-
cludeS
3. An extract from Varnums account of the
seat OF government may not be inappropriate in
this place. ST." says he, 'we consider the eX-
tent to which party feeling was carried in the
canvass that Immediately preceded Mr.. Jeffer-
sons election. when private social relations
were in some instances almost entirely sus-
parties we can see the force OF the reasoning
given for this measure and can realize what a
serious evil such a state of things would be at
the Capital should it again recur and be foS-
tered by continual local elections accompanied
with all the excitement and Misrepresentation
which we now see every four years in the prir-
cipal cities of the Union, and III the midst OF
which it is not too much to suppose that the
position of public officers might subject them
to annoyance and insult in a thousand ways,
even without actual violence. And from SINH
lar experience it is obvious that the votes of
| those In the public employ might be directly or
Indirectly controlled by the government so that
there would be in reality little freedom of
choice!'
4. Again: Suffrage in some form presents
the only just and practical solution OF the queS-
ton. and is demanded at the hands of the ma
tiOnal legislature" 1t is evident that "the
question" has already been solved by the provi-
sion of the constitution and the abolition of all
delegated legislative bodies In this District and
this is the only just and right solution. If there
are men who wish to exercise what they style
"tleir fundamental inalienable rights as Ameri-
can citizens" let them remove from the capital.
Let them go into the states where provisions
made at least for the partial exercise of this
right. But leave the seat of government free
from these complications of suffrage which have
already inflicted so many grievances upon the
sober and industrious portions OF the cOmmu-
nifty. SUFFRAGE-ovER-THE-LEFT