Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-05

IChE OF THE COMMITTEE CONSIDBRED-REA-
SONS FOR THE LACK OF fSrH1Esr IN II DIS
cUssED.
A called meeting Of the Citizens Committee
Of One Hundred was held last evening at the
residence of the president, DR.. Robert Rey-
burn. Eighteen members, including the
presiden. and secretary-M L weller--re-
sponded TO the call.
WHY THE MEETING WAS CALEB
The president stated that he had called the
members together for the purpose Of confer
ence in order to determine upon some plan for
the future. He said that the organization had
been maintained. although no meetings had
been held for several months past He con-
sidered it important that the association should
be preserved Under the present form of gov
eminent in the District, which he
must in his opinion, soon give way
to some other and more popular FORM the only
method by which the voice OF the people could
be heard In regard to the questions affecting
their interests was through some organization
OF this kind. The committee was supposed to
be a representative one and the members took
part in the deliberations as representatives Of
constituency. Some Of the associations
which had heretofore elected delegations to
the general committee had failed to do so re-
whether the committee SHOULD continue in its
presant form or whether . new organization
should be effected.
FRESH START PROPOSED
Mr.. Weller thought that the various associa-
tons in the ten districts into which the District
Of Columbia had been divided ought to be re-
vived where they were no longer kept up, and
that they should be requested to send dele
gates to the central body.
In, hNxw - ~
tricts were represented at this meeting the roll
was called by districts and it was found that all
but three districts had representatives present.
1t was stated, however, that in only three of
the districts had elections Of delegates taken
place monthly. -..---'
After further discussion which was partici-
pated in by Messrs Weller, Sperrv, De Land
and Allen, a resolution was adopted authoriz-
ing the president to request the officers Of
the various district associations to call meet
ing for the purpose of elocting delegates to
the central body. In the event o! the failure
of the officers to take this action the president
was further authorized to request a member
or members of such district associations to call
the members together for that purpose.
Mr.. De Land inquired whether the present
condition OF affairs was due to apathy on the
part of the citizens.
The opinion was expressed by Mr.. Weller
that that was TIE trouble, but he believed that
the various district associations could be in
fused with new life.
THE BOARD OF TRADE.
DR.. Allen suggested that some of the former
members of the organization had joined the
board of trade, and considered that member
ship in that body did away with the necessity
of keeping up their connection with the citi-
Zens committee. He said, however. that the
beard OF trade was n self-constituted body
while the citizens committee was intended to
be purely representative. and to be composed
of members who had been elected by the people
generally to represent them.
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
The question was asked by Mr. Sperry whe Their
the failure of the district association to MAIN
tain their representation in the central commit
tee was not due to an apprehension that the
object of the organization was to advocate the
of suffrage in the District He
inquired whether disavowal on the part of
the central committee of such a purpose would
not contribute to a revival Of interest on the
part of citizens i'll this organization. He ex-
pressed tie opinion that the differences on this
subject led to n loss OF interest OH the par: of
many of the members of the original commit
tee and their withdrawal from an active part
in the work of the committee.
Both Mr.. Weller and DIR. Allen had said pre-
viously that Of course the object OF the organi-
cation was not to advocate the restoration of
suffrage. but was to consider the material in
terests of the people of the District. The dis
cussion, however. WAS not continued after Mr..
Sperry's remarks. as the president stated that
1t bad drifted away from the subject under
consideration.
The resolution as offered by Mr. Weller and
amended by Mr.. Thomas W. Smith as given
above was adopted.
After talking over the financial condition Of
the committee amotion to adjourn was adopted.