Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-18

! HOUR Lkw-sPFEcHEs AND RESOLUTIONS
There were three main topics for discussion
at a mass meeting held last night at II. A H.
hall under a call from the District Assembly,
] X. of L.. and the Federation OF Labor. These
! topics we're suffrage in the District Free
! Text Books and Edacation" and :he Eight
| hour Law" The suffrage question however,
| commanded most attention. as the speakers
who we're to discuss the other topics left them
| to speak of suffrage The hall was about half
| filed with people. the weather having most
discouraging effect on the attendance. MIR. U.
s Montz, wee president of the Federation OF
Labor, presided. The vice presidents chosen
we're Messrs. Milford, spohn and c. j. Wells,
and the secretary, Mr.. Z. W. Oyster
I SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT.
| The first speaker was Rev Alex. Kent, who
spoke on Suffrage in the District" Mr.. Kent
described the present form of government of
the District as anomaly. There was, he
! said an impression through the country that
this citp is burden on the nation at large.
| He referred to a pamphlet he had recently
seen prepared BY Mr.. W. C. Dodge giving a his
tory of the financial relations that have existed
between the capital city and the federal gov
eminent. He cited at some length statistics
I from this pamphlet. showing what had been
| done and given Originally BY the citizens
what the government had appropriated at
various times and what the citizens had paid,
| To show that the people of the city had done
more than their share the people could not. he
| said even build school house with their own
| money unless Congress first appropriated the
money. The city has rested he said.
under uni ust burdens all these years which
| it ought not to have been required to carry.
Visitors he said, mistakenly imagined that
the great improvements that have taken place
IN Washington have been made at the expense of
the people OF The country. The citizens here have
borne burdens such other community in
the country has been called upon to bear and
without their consent. For the support of the
federal government the District paid much
more than several of the states did. He had
frequently heard it said that other city in
| III the country was so well governed. Yet
when he saw = statement that the per capita
deJt oil the city was five or ten times as great
as that of the cities supposed to be badly gov
erned then he doubted whether they had been
50 we'll governed here after all 1t was high
time that the people of this city were coming
forward and having something to say In the
management of their own affairs. He referred
to the government OF the city of Berlin and the
system followed there by which the RESPONSE
bnltles of city government We're shared among
great numbers of citizens, both men and
women. He understood that the measure adj
EOcatej proposed male suffrage only for the
District He was III favor OF suffrage for the
District. but he did not want any distinction
between men ana women. Ii they we're to
have suffrage in the District they should at
least be abreast of Wyoming.
The fact Was. he said. that in matters social
the people OF the old world were far III advance
OF Us. In the last hive years We have thought
more OF these questions OF sociology than for a
hundred years before. and they would think
more OF them ir the next i've Years than in the
past The beneficial results of an enlarged city
government In Berlin. he said had been most
marked. They wanted to have suffrage here
and they wanted to get all the citizens inter-
ested. When they aId that the politics of the
city would not be in the hands of few ignorant
men. When citizens felt that they had re-
spousi5Iiity in the management OF affairs they
would study the questions arising carefully and
act inteiiiSentiy,
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. f. ". Oyster then read a series of reso-
lutions prepared by committee composed of
Messrs. Paul +. Bowen. Jos. IL. Potter and Z.
". Oyster of the District Assembly and VI. f.
Hobbs. y. 5. MONTE and E. J. Dakln of the
Federation of Labor. The preambIes set forth
the ,ii-franchised condition of tine District and
the evils which II was claimed flowed from such
state OF affairs; the wrong done by the House
Of Representatives III cutting down the appro-
priation for free text books to so. 900 and
res, nclng the appropriation asked tor new school
buildings so as to provide for but one instead
OF five new buildings; the persistent viola
ton of the existing eight hour law, and that
the action of the House III proposing to
apply SsUOOOO of the surplus revenue of
the District to the payment of the debt
OF tine District for the .'dry-water
| tuHnel' and the new water mains
contrary to provisions of law, would infict
great injury 10 various interests of the District
throw labOrers out of employment and bring
distress on the community. The resolutions
declared that we demand for the District of
ColuEbIa those rights OF local self government
which are III harmony with democratic princi-
pies and are enjoyed by citizens of the United
States e-er ywhere except at the national CAPT
tai; that demand of the Fifty-second Con-
Sress an appropriation sufficient to provide
free text books for all the pupils of the first
eight grades and TO erect the school build
ln.ss which the trustees and Commissioners
nave certified will be necessary in the future:
that We heartily unite with workingmen who
IN all parts of the country have Endorsed, and
are petItiOning for the passage of, an effective
law making eight hours a days work for all
persons employed by OH behalf of the
United states the District OF Columbia and
urging Congress to enact such a law at the
present session That We condemn the forced
production of surplus and the seizure of
81, COO which has been paid i'll taxes BY our
People as proposed by section of the District
appropriation bill. and we demand that the
| paymer: OF the debt for water (Which we have
never had snail be left to the operation Of the
| sinking fund. and the surplus shall be expended
Tor schools. sewers, streets and other public
necessities That We will present our case to
labor organizations with whom We are allied
throughout the country and secure their CO.
operation in our efforts to make the foregoing
resolutions effective
The resolutions were adopted
Mr.. Oyster stated. in answer to the remarks
by Rev Mr.. Kent, that the organized working
! men sought to secure suffrage in the District:
that so far he was concerned and he be-
lieyed his associates were OF the same mind.
that he would vote to give women the same
! rights as they enjoyed themselves.
THE TEXT BOOK QUESTION
Mr.. Theo. l. DeLand was introduced to speak
on the subject of free text books. Mr.. DeLand
| remarked that four wears ago he offered III the
Committee of One Hundred an amendment to
| the school bill providing for free text books.
! The amendment was voted down The Com
mittee of One Hundred subsequently did adopt
| the suggestion. When they commenced the
| struggle for free text books the District Com
! mssloTers were opposed to it. but they we're
now Jealous advocates of 1t They had at least
| gained the principle of free text books. Con-
( sress had decided To give free text books for
some of the grades. The principle being set
! tied they had now to see how far they could
have 1t applied From the Senate he believed
I they could get just what the Commissioners
| had estimated-S35,00 900.
He had proviso written out which he would
ask a Senator to submit when the bill came be-
\ fore the Senate. He satisfied that il they
/ appe aled 10 the gallantry and the sense of ius-