Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-14

Tor PTeSI1ent,
and TO elect delegate in Congress Think that
then we would have good deal more influence
with Congress"
WITH PROPER QUALIFICATIONS
Col. W. G. MOORE said, 81 am heartily opposed
to unqualified suffrage but am In favor OF suf-
frage with the proper qualifications. Commits
siOner Vests plan have not considered, but It
seems to me that 1t would be unnecessary to have
I'VE Commissioners; IL would be taking just so
nucn more from our revenues 1shouid prefer that
Two commissioners be elected and the Engineer
Commissioner be appointed by the government"
TRIED 1T AND NEARLY RUINED BIT IT.
G. III. b. WHITE, cashier Of the National Metro
politan bank, said that he was decidedly opposed
to suffrage. We tried that before ami came near
being ruined by it The present form OF govern
Inent he thought satisfactory, and with the gov
eminent on our side and bearing large share Of
the expenses, we ought to be content.
Judge A. T. GRAY, attorney-at-law, thought
there was no necessity OF returning to suffrage
The present form OF government, in his opinion,
Is as good II not better than we would be able to
procure. Ii we should revert to suffrage 1t would
be impossible to prevent the fraud which charac-
terizes elections In other Cities and which existed
here to such an extent in former years He would,
however, favor qualified suffrage II the property
owners and respectable citizens could have say
in the matter.
TIRED OF THE COMMISSIONER SYSTEM
M. N. RoHRER, real estate agent: ~ am in
favor OF suffrage. ] am tired of the present Com
missioner system, with its divided responsibility,
and am In favor OF one head-a governor-to be
elected or appointed Let the responsibility be in
one mead, not In three or yet in lot OF subs. as
especially as now managed-is very unsatisfac-
tory. An individual citizen in pursuit OF fnforma-
as IL he had no rights which commanded respect.
II he be not snubbed outright. then he is sent
from pillar TO post 20 be pretty thoroughly dis
guSted before he gets through, ami then the
formation.
The engineer department seems to run the
IN
ber-are army officers. They suggest, mould, act
without regard TO the wishes OF Committee or In
diytduaL The treatment In this department of
individual citizens, my experience teaches me, is
often positively 1nsolent Even allowing the
present EMS system OF government to stand, 1t would
elected by the people, then their accountability
would be to those who elect them. AS 1t is now
The commissioners hold themselves accountable
more to the government, from whom they derive
their appointment, than to any committee OF citi.
zens or any individual citizen.
Again, II these Officers were elected It would be
by the city, duly and properly distr1cted, and
thus each district or ward would be heard in its
spected- AS matters now exist, we find the
anomalous condition OF the Commissioners acting
In the matter OF the distribution OF the public
funds as they please. We find that one chosen
section-the nOrthweSt-haS been made the
favored center OF public Improvements, fully
three-fourths OF the money being spent there.
Notwithstanding the protests OF the remaining
portions OF the city. This discrimination against
all other sections, whose money has been and Is
ana 1niquitous and can no longer be tolerated
without Just expression OF Indignation. And
this, II for no other cause, would be sufficient for
move to change the existing form OF govern
ment For at present we find a large proportion
of the area OF the city taxed whose money Is
largely spent IN improving another portion to the
neglect OF the parts SO taxed. Yes, let US have
suffrage. This need not necessarily render any
change In the present mode OF taxation as it now
the District OF Columbia. 1t only changes the
MODE or making our rulers and the source TO
Which they shall account"
WANTS NO MORE POLITICAL MEETINGS AND MANIPU-
LATIoS OF VOTERS.
GEORGE L. SHERIFF, coal dealer: 81 don't want
any more political meetings and manipulation OF
voters Everything Is peaceable now. We would
Ike to be represented in Congress, but for the
political excitement we can do without them.
don't want to go back to the old style, which
among the people l would like it II we could
have our own COmmissiuners-identif1ed WITH and
ing our Commissioners once In three years We
could have them identified with us, but as for
eiect1onS every year. political meetings and all
that want no more of that think Mr.. Vests
plan is good, only there should be but three Com
missfoners and two of them should be elected. The
gov YER should always have the appointment
OF the Engineer Commissioner"
NO CRYING NEED FOR CHANGE
b. II. WARNER, real estate agent: 81 think that
our presentform Of government Is very good one.
Every system can be improved. Perhaps the cleo
ton Of one Commissioner by the people might
form closer tie between the governing and the
governed The citizens of this country are especl-
ally favorable to the doctrine that government
belongs TO the people and not the people to the
government l think we ought to have some
local voice In the management of our oWn afYairs.
and at this time qualified suffrage-I mean one
On an educational basi5-would meet with my
hearty approval Our citizens could then express
In tangible form their approval or d1sapproval of
any particular line OF policy on the part Of our
executive officers. think as this is the home OF
NM CufYr ocbo 1,a
connned to purely local issues, so as not to
estrange either political party, as disturbance in
Congress In meeting its share OF the District ex-
penses. It does not seem to me to be the right
thing to have the District OF Columbia the only
place In our land where boys can grow up In an en-
tire ignorance OF the practical working OF the ma
chinery OF elections, and without contact with
there are different candidates for ONCE. I think
we ought to have q representative On the Moor OF
congress- elected BY the people. who could repre-
sent our local wants and interests In more efYec.
tive way then can be done under the present sys-
tenn think that the present Commissioners are
more more able men then are generally at the head OF
local governments, and there Is cyring need for
a change OF course there are GROWERS, but 1t Is
impossible TO get rid Of them by any improve
mentS, no matter what they are"
CAPT. GRANT WANTS SUFFRAGE
A GRANT, Of Capitol Hill: 81 am In favor OF
suf1ra-e in the District. There are nearly 10000
people in the District OF Columbia, v ho have no
voice nor right to be heard in the management OF
thelr own affairs or property. Ny observation for
the past Twelve years, during which Suffr ige has
not existed. has been that large part OF this peo-
pie has suffered from oppressive taxation without
voice IN the expenditure Of the funds collected
or the right or opportunity to arrest the unjust
DISCRIMINATION In the assessment of property and
10 prevent the taxes collected from the property
cw Isers OF some sections from being expended TO
enrich favored few In other section OF the Dis
tf1ct. In the investigation some years ago OF the
affairs or the District, IL shown by the records
that over 81, OOOOu0 collected from the section OF
The city east OF the Capitol had been expended in
the northwest section OF the city, and the same
Tact to greater or less degree is true southwest
Washington and the county. Such a state OF ar
lairs ought not to exist anywhere, much less at
the national capital During the past II years 900
people residing In the eastern and southern portions
OF the city nave had no representative the exec-
tive branch OF the District government and almost
none In subordinate Off1ce5-a thing almost I'M
heard OF elsewhere in the civilized world While
i nave not time to give my views in full IL seems
TO me that the people should organize IN the va
rious wards OF the District and give Congress to
understand that the rights Of all this people Must
be respected even though the statutes and the
constitution have to be amended to accomplish
that end.n
OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT THE BEST, But REPRE-.
SENTATIVE COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE APPOINTED
f. KURTz JOHNSON, coal dealer: II have resided
In Washington about twenty years, and, of course
within that period have lived under several forms
OF government, but say unnesttatingly and EN-.
phat1caliy that the relationship the district of
Columbia bears to the rest OF the union makes the