Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-21
THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
The Proposed Change Of Form Discussed
by the Citizens, COmmissee.

$500
As far as the action OF the Citizens Committee
Of One Hundred Is concerned, the present form OF
the District government was changed last evening.
The committee was called to order by the presi-
dent Reginald Fendall. Upon the wall behind the
presiding of1cer had been placed a large poster
displaying three paragraphs In bold type. They
were enclosed In quotation marks, and, although
no name was attached, every one recognized them
% extracts from o recent speech made by Senator
ingalls, in the Senate in which he declared that
the District is . reservation as much as Fortress
that all residents other than Government en-
ployes are here by spfferance.
Mr.. FENDALL OPENS THE DISCUSSION.
There being no other pending business the re-
port Of the select committee was taken up and
Mr.. Fendal, calling Col. Geo. ". Dyer to the
adopted, and that an executive committee be APP
pointed TO present the subject to Congress and
urge upon that body the adoption OF the neces-
before the committee for seven weeks and all the
members were undoubtedly familiar with the pro-
,nsU OF tne OH. He would therefore not 60
say that the entire object was simply q modifica-
ton OF the agencies OF the local government. 1t
Congress, or alter the financial connection with
the General Government The only objection to
the bill that he had heard was that 1t was an en-
tering wedge Tor the return TO suffrage in the Dis
trct He regarded this objection as groundless,
and said that ne favored It because IL avoided this
greater curse befall the District than return TO
suffrage. and he would oppose anything in that
direction.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
Mr.. Jesse B. Wilson took the floor In his minor
lily report he said that his opinions had been fully
set forth. He wished, however, to call attention
TO one fact The president had Just said that this
measure was not step toward suffrage. ON the
other nand ne mad heard member OF the major
hpf n ma Guffr
he thought that the members OF the committee
could draw their own conclusions.
1t was maintained by Mr.. Jno. III. voorhees, that
II was understood ut the beginning that the OBJ
)ect OF organizing the Committee or One Hundred
was not 10 disturb our present form OF government
or 10 advocate suffrage. Yet In the report the
committee states that they do not sat present" ask
me right OF suffrage, intimating that this is to
follow.
rs that in the bill ITSELF, asked Mr.. Hovey.
- was the reply, '6ut 1t is In the report or
preamble to the bill, and as that is an explana-
the motives OF those who advocate this measure.
He referred to the bitter experience of the past
IN TINS under suffrage, and he hoped that no
the feature or the bill comforting upon the Presi-
GENT incl power to appoint the council OF fifteen
as as the very tyranny which the report complains
OF, because they would not be placed in office by
the vote OF the Citizens He thought that the pro-
posed change was no improvement on the present
umvrate and the slur upon Army oficers contained
In the report, and maintained that our taxes, In
stead OF being high, were low as compared with
Mr.. Hovey Interrupted the speaker by raising
inc point OF order that the bill and not the report
was before the committee for consideration, and
called for ruling OF the chair.
Mr. VOORHEES, ALLOWED TO PROCEED.
The chair thought that only the bill was before
this committee, and by unanimous consent Mr.
voorhees,, whose time had expired, was allowed to
He then reverted to the object of the formation
OF the committee which he claimed was to be q
co-ordlnate branch OF the District Government to
cooperate with the Commissioners, and yet, after
Delng organized short time, the committee
became antagOnlstic to the Commissioners in
every particular. The only thing that had been
railroad In the committee by which the school bill
and other measures were rallroaded through
When the school bill was before the committee he
was taken on OF the floor, and he hoped that the
tendency in this direction which he had already
observed on the present occasion would not be
UNQUALIFIEDLY IN FAVOR OF SUFFRAGE.
ANY intention TO choke OF debate was dsclaimed
by DR.. Reyburn. In speaking on the bill he said
that he wanted 1t understood that he was unQuali-
fedly in favor Of suffrage in this District He at
first opposed the bill because II contained no suf-
frage. In his opinion the present form OF govern
ment was the worst possible for a free people, 1t
had all the worst features OF the worst govern
mentS OF the world. IL was modelled after the gov
eminent or heather Rome He declared that when
this government was established Congress had no
intention OF making it permanent. 1t was spec
III l.
tre OF the bill which placed one responsible head
In control OF affairs and referred TO the German
cemetery matter AS AN exhibition or how one CON-
missioner can dodge behind another and SHIFT the
responsibility. Exception was taken by Mr.. Will
son to DR.. Reyburn characterizing the present
form OF District government as the worst possible.
he said that Sucn statesmen and lawyers as Sena-
orStewart, HOn.J. Wilson, Mayor Hewitt and ex-
Senator Thurman. Senator Allison and others had
approved this government and said 1t was the best
Mr. MULLErT's WRATH.
The mention OF these names In this connection
choked Mr.. Mullett with wrath, and it was with
difficulty that he managed to say that none OF the
gentlemen mentioned would dare to 20 to their
own constituents and ask them TO accept such a
government. He besought Mr.. Wilson to ask them
II they would dare 10 do such q thing
Mr.. Wilson said in reply that as these gentlemen
were In town MIR. Mullett could ask them himself
II he wanted the information.
Mr.. HOvRY OBJEcTs TO DISCUSSING SUFFRAGE.
Mr. Hovey renewed his objection to the Discus
sion Of the subject of suffrage In connection with
this bill He thought that the matter OF suffrage
might come up In another connection. Perhaps
In the line so ably presented by recent writer In
iaE STAB, when Congress would be asked to con-
the states, both as to representation In Congress
and in the electoral college. He claimed that the
OF the District government, and the main feature
was to give the people voice in determining how
their money shall be expended.
Mr.. Mullet again reverted to Mr.. wilson's men.
ton OF the names OF members OF Congress- and said
he objected to such trucking and groveling tastes
as indicated by O Difference to the wishes or
opinions OF members OF Congress. He characterized
such references as eating dirt.
NOT TEMPORARY But PERMANENT.
Mr.. Petty objected to the statement that this
government was intended to be temporary. and
said that in the ganic act OF June H. 1873 It was
called permanent form OF government. The gov
eminent OF 1874 was the one denOminated a tenn
pOrary form.
In response to the statement that this bill tram
scended the powers OF the committee, Mr.. j. o.
Wilson quoted from the published object and pur-
poses OF the committee, and said that one purpose
or organization was 10 call the attention Of the
people, as well as the President and Congress TO
the District. He maintained that this bill fell with
in the scope Of this object. Mr.. Wilson then said
that the special committee had not raised the
questions considered In the bill. These questions
had already been raised. Citizens assOcia-
tons had been organized six or seven years
before the committee had been formed,
notably among those was the South Washington
Association, and in q report printed in 1885 the
position was taken that the present form of gov
eminent was a violation OF the principle of home
ing representative from each district was sug-
gested by that association, yet gentlemen seemed
to be OF the opinion that this was something new
and now declare that the present form OF govern
ment was perfect one. Perhaps. he added, sar-
casticaly, the opening OF North Capitol street has
as they are.
Mr. GEO. M. oyster explained that as far as the
action OF the Northeast washington Association
was concerned in asking for representatives In the
government, what they wanted was District
Commissioner appointed from that section and not
o council
THE QUESTION OF SUFFRAGE AGAIN.
Mr. Wi1cOn ohcorvod In roulv hat hat vuSo<