Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-09

Il
Meeting Last Night.
/ OPPOSITION MANIFESTED PROM SECTIONS THAT CLAN
| NOT TO BE WELL RKPREsRNTED-THB MEETING AID
JoURSs FOB ONE WEEK WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE
| NOMINATIONS.
When Mr.. Martin F. Morris called the citizens
| meeting in Masonic temple TO order last evening
i there Were four or i've hundred persons in the
ball. Mr.. Morris explained the object OF the gath
ering by reading from THE STAR the call for the
meeting, Ito take into consideration the expe
| diency Of appointing general committee Of ONT
hundred representative citizens to promote the In
terests Of the District before Congress- and to aid
in the advancement OF its general welfare, In con
necti0n with the Commissioners"
Mr.. MORRIS EXPLAINS.
| Mr. Morris made brief address. They were
all wen aware, he said, that the citizens OF the
District of Columbia had no representative or or.
ganiZed authority by which their wishes or needs
could be conveyed to Congress or to the executive
branch OF the government. 1t was true they had
the Commissioners but these officers were execu-
tive officers, who had no right to speak unless
asked to give Information. AT the same time they
had the satisfaction OF having had good Commits
sioners, occasionally II not always, who had looked
after their interests very well. 1t was no uncOm-
mon thing, he said, for committees OF Congress to
give up District problems in disgust, because they
could not ascertain what the wishes OF citizens
were when so many persons appeared Deiore
them antagoniZing one another. Some may
say the remedy for this is suffrage, but they
were not assembled to take that matter into con-
SderatiOn suffice 1t too say that the overwhelming
sentiment OF the District was adverse to that,
at least in the present generation yet he thought
IL was proper for them to have some authorized
representative body, and 1t was proper that such
authority should emanate from a public meeting.
They remembered very well the committee OF one
hundred, that some years ago accomplished great
deal for the District They thought that commit
tee offered az least model On which to form the
proposed one. The committee proposed should be
q committee OF representative citizens-nOt of
the best citizens so called for they were ali "the
best citizens"-but n representative committee OF
all interests, OF all occupations and so far as pos
sbe of all localities OF the District 1t frequently
happened as a present, that there were complaints
from different localities that they were not prop
erly represented or recognized. The purpose of
this committee, however, was not to take up the
grievance OF any special locality, but to endeavor
TO promote measures OF general interest. There
was a lurking suspicion in the minds OF some that
that this committee was to antagOniZe the Com
missioners and in the minds Of others that its
purpose was to uphold the Commissioners. This
meeting was not called for either purpose, but to
cooperate with the Commissioners in all measures
was 10 secure some representation OF the citizens
before Congress. Mr.. Morris concluded by pre-
seDting the name OF Mr.. VIM. NJ. Gait as chair
man of the meeting.
Mr.. GAIT ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN
Mr.. Gait was elected, and quickly mounting the
platform and throwing his hat and coat upon a
chair, proceeded to business at once.
Upon Mr.. Norris nomination, Henry Wise Gar
nett and Alexander Porter Morse were elected
secretaries.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Mr. John A. Baker offered series of resolutions
setting forth that 1T Is the sense of this meeting
that the wants and wishes OF the citizens Of the
District OF Columbia should be manifested to Con-
gress, and otherwise, as may be needed. by some
organized authority that can cooperate with the
commissioners whenever the interests OF the Dis
trict so demand and that TOR that purpose it is
pedient that a committee Of one hundred citizens
should be chosen, representative as far as possible
of all parts OF the District and of all classes pro-
LESSONS, occupations and business interests and
without reference to political proclivities; that
committee OF f1ve persons be appointed by the
chairman from among those here present whose
duty it shall be forthwith to prepare and report
this meeting list OF the names Of one hundred
reputable citizens proper TO constitute such COM
mittee; that the said committee OF one hundred
when constituted and appointed may select from
among its own members an executive committee
to be composed OF thirty citizens, whose duty 1t
shall be TO inquire and determine what action
should be taken in reference to pending and future
legislation for the benefit of the District, and to
take all necessary and proper steps to facilitate
the work OF the committee OF one hundred and to
report from time TO time to that committee and
that in order to facilitate the transaction OF bust
ness, thirty-three members shall constitute
quorum OF the committee Of one hundred, and
said committee shall have power to fill vacancies
occurring in 1t, and eleven members shall consti-
tute Quorum OF the executive committee herein
MR.. NEWTON WANTS TO TAKE TINE.
Mr.. Watson ]. Newton proposed to amend by
providing for committee Of eleven to nominate
the committee Of one hundred and to report at q
future meeting.
Mr. Baker and Mr. R. Ross Perry argued that it
was desirable to appoint the committee at once
as they had at the meeting much larger repre-
sentatiOn OF citizens than it likely they would
secure again.
Mr.. r.. j. Beall wanted the committee appointed
by the meeting.
Mr.. 8. T. Suit wanted a nominating committee
OF SIX four representing the four sections OF the
Mr.. Newton said that the one hundred men to
whom they were to entrust the interests OF the
and such would be the case, unless the committee
had already been selected and the matter was cut
and dried.
Mr.. Curtis ]. Hillyer sincerely hoped that the
amendment offered by NJ. Newton would be voted
down. There seemed to be an idea that there
were antagonismS in this meeting and antagon-
1Sttc interests here, which was not fact In cases
where there were conflicting interests it would be
wrong for this proposed committee OF one hun
dred 10 interfere. He thought 1t would be best to
appoint the committee at once while they had SO
large representation OF citizens present.
M. l. N. Saunders urged that La appointing the
committee every section OF the District should be
represented otherwise he believed the influence OF
the committee would be greatly impaired.
MI Newton's amendment was voted down and
Mr.. Bakers resolutions originally offered were
adopted, there being few ''nOeS."
THE COMMITTEE OF FIVE.
The chair announced as the nominating COM
mittee Of five j. A. Baker, Thos. j. Fisher, C. C.
Glover, H. A. willard, N. W. Beveridge.
AS soon as the committee was announced Mr.
Peter NJ. Dubant Sprang to his feet and said, "An
from one section nOt1ce-thiS committee OF i've
all from the favored section. There are some
here who object to that"
Chairman Gait remarked, "Then substitute Mr.
w. A. Gordon for Mr.. Beveridge" But the com
mittee men were already retiring from the room
and Mr.. Gordon did not accompany them.
After the committee had been out some time
and silence had reigned in the hall for some min
uteS DIR. Garrett, rising, moved that those gentle
men who were pregnant with speech avail them
selves OF this opportunity TO be delivered This
raised laugh and calls for 'Dr. Garnett" but the
doctor did not respond.
MR.. DODGE MAKES AN INQUIRY
Mr.. W. c. Dodge, after few minutes rose and
wanted to know whether 1t was proposed that this
committee Of one hundred was to urge a pending
measure that would add two and half millions
bill 2O1 providing for extending streets out be-
You'd the boundary.
Chairman Calf said this meeting had no personal
interests TO serve II there was any who had a
measure TO propose, IL could be submitted to the
committee and would be considered by them.
There was nothing but good government and good
law intended.
MI. Dodge said he desired to ask as to the char
acter OF the measures 1t was proposed that this
committee would promote. He thought the tax
payers would like TO know.
Mr.. Morris said he thought the resolutions were
Sufnclentiy DEFINITE. He repeated, i'm substance
the resolutions. The committee ne said would
pass upon measures and determine whether they
meeting, as he understood it, had no special OBJ
Jects In view or measures they desired to pro-
mote.
Mr. SUIT GIVES WARNING
Mr.. Suit said he understood that this committee
was TO constitute third congress-, that all meas