National Republican., 1883-07-10
SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT.
MIR. John II. Given Expresses Himself ms
to GEN. VESTS Plan and Freely Criti-
cisrs the Commissioners,

MIR. John IT. Given Expresses hh"Sc' M
to GEN. VESTS Plan and Freely Criti-
cises the Commissioners,
"Mr. Given" said REPUBLICAN, reporter
to Mr. John IT. Givon yesterday, have you
read Commissioner Vests plan for change
in the form of tho district governments ~
al have glanced over it, said Mr.. Given,
"but not given it a close examination"
"What do you think of itW
"There are features in it that when modi-
fed are worthy of attention. without hav-
ing given it that attention which any such
plan should have l would reject it, 1t does
not commend itself to me as the proper rom
cdy for the evils under which we are suncr-
ing
"What would you suggest"
al wouldn't suggest anything without pre-
viousy weighing the matter very closely IN
all its bearings This, as have told you,
have not done. There is one feature OF the
present government of such transcendent
Importance to the people of the district that
am unaltorably opposed to anything whlch
would change or jeopardizc that"
"And that is" suggested the reporter.
"That is" replied Mr.. Given, the pay
ment by the government Of one.hali the OK
penses of the district AS to dlsiranchiSe-
ment YOU must remember that our interests
here are purely local We can have nothing
to do with national affairs. Individually l
should be contented to be deprived of suf-
frage the rest of my life If our district gov
ernment should be administered wisely, I'M
partially, and honestly, with the government
paving its half of the expenses rs now. The
present government for some months back
has not met the wishes of the people, and
there is dissatisfaction with its personuel-a
dissatisfaction that is growing every day."
"What is the cause of that?'
81 think the people have got the idea that
the commissioners don't pay rs much atten-
tod to them as is their right The people OF
the district want nothing but justice There
is a disposition on the part Of the commits
sioners to ignore them. An evening paper
sometime ago published an article on this sub
ject, which expressed my views exactly IL
said that we were q law.abiding people, paid
our taxes with less trouble to the tax gatherer
than other community in the country. We
had no favors so ask, only justice and
courtesy, We wanted no West Point inso-
lence, no contemptuous disregard Of our eN-
pressed Wishes as if we were slaves ana the
commissioners our masters. This, briefly and
substantially, was the article in question, and
i indorse it,"
"What is your remedy for the cvil?"
"Well | think the appointment of commits
sioners thoroughly identified with the dis
trict would rectify some of the evils. Neither
one of the present commissioners is so ldentl'
fed. Commissioner Edmonds, from whom
great things were expected, has greatly dis
appointed us all and alienated his friends
He would, l think sell oil his property and
quit the district at once if it were to his in
terest to do so. Commissioner West is moi
identified with The people as one our com mis-
sioners should be- OF course Mai. Lydecker
being an army officer, does not lcel toward III
as he should"
"What do you think of sulrage?"
al would not object to suffrage with edu
Cational and property qualification. Re
member that our interests are local, purely
local, and not at all national. l repeat agar
that the amount of money paid MS by
the government as its share Of our ex
pcnscs is of the first moment 1t shoult
always be considered in any scheme
of changing the present plan of gov
crnment. Anything calculated to jeopar
die or take that away meets with my
opposition. Such plan would be fatal to us
=. As for suffrage, pure and simple, he that re-
"lnembers the terrible times we had with II
from ten to fifteen years ago must hesitate
before he recommends recurrence to the
policy under which such state of affairs wa
possible. But confess the growing evils o
the present government have made many o
the most ardent advocates of the commits
soner form change their opinion, ant
acknowledge that they would accept un
qualified suffrage, with all the ignorant anC
corrupt elements in the district allowed Il
participate rather than groan under an ire
sponsible and insolent despotism, whether o
one man or three While do not go as fa
ms these gentlemen, some of whom have ex
pressed themselves strongly to me, yet freel.
acknowledge that the present form of gov
esnmcnt, either in its natural results or in it
personnel, is susceptible of vast improve
ment. Nevertheless, the district cannot d.
without the amount paid by congress rs it
share of the expenses. To have that tax el
away would be ruinous."