The morning times., 1895-12-02
P.BL|C SPIRITED PAPER
Rev. Or. Kent Speaks on The
Times Bond Ballot.
URGES EVERY ONE TO VOTE
Earnest Discourse on the Questions
Now Confronting the People OF the
District-Bond Bin, Dollar Gas and
Suffrage Ably Ha ndle nnda Tribute
Paid The Times.

REV. pT- AltAdHttl puoNoi VI tuc
Peoples Church. spoke yesterday morning
on the subject OF Suffrage and Public
Spirit" 1t was not in the nature OF
sermon. but rather brief history oil the
condition OF affairs under which the inhabi-
tants OF the city of Washington are COM
PEELED to live.
Rev. Dr. X ent did not preach from text
and in discussing his subject said in part:
Through the efforts of ourmost enterDris-
ing and independent and public spirited
news paper. The Times the inhabitants OF
Washington are to have an opportunity Oh
Monday to play that they are citizens. 1t
Will be their privilege then to cast mimic
vote.
They will he allowed. in other words, as
residents of this city to express an opinion
as 10 the wisdom or unwisdom OF certain
measures affecting the city, winch Few IN
terested parties desire TO have passed by
the approaching Congress. 1t is under
stood, OF course. that tnis opinion Will have
only such weight as Congress sees ~ 10
give it. IL is 10 DE in no way mandatory
though IL should express the conviction OF
ty-nine hundredths OF the residents and
taxpayers.
iority should be found on record against
certain measures and in favor OF others.
A nj it is 10 be hoped that the residents
generally, men and women, Will avail
themselves OF the opportunity which The
Times has so generously Offered and try
what effect 1t will have on the powers that
be.
LESSON OF TIE BALLOT
1.-The experiment will not only be inter
esting to those who make it, but will be
full of entertainment for the representa-
tives of other countries who may be In our
midst. 1t will show the adherents OF
monarchies and decaying despotIsms how
things are done at the Capital or our free
and glorious republic.
1T is the boost OF u great many inteili-
gent people gaining themselves Americans
the union, and the opposition OF these people
to general suffrage shows that they attrl-
butte our better government to the fact that
the people at large IN THIS city nave no
authoritative or controlling voice in lis
foundation. This should be valuable
pointer TO rulers OF other countries who
have found themselves forced To yield
more and more to the demands OF the peo
Pile for voice in the shaping OF the insti-
tutons.
by al means let Mondays experiment
go un. Possibly the exercise OF the dorni-
nant faculty may awaken the old desire.
The old ambition, and give the people OF
Washington q feeling. or sympathy with
their uDreprcscnted aud disfranchiscu broth
ers and sisters OF other places and other
lands.
But seriously. friends, is il not a shame
and disgrace that here at the very heart
OF our nation. a nation protesting IT,
stand as no other does, Tor popular gov
ernment. here in the very capital Of u
republic founded upon the right nr the
people To govern themselves. We have
been more completely shut out from the
performance ur every political duty which
any municipality under the monarchies
OF Europe.
ROOT OF THE OPPOSITION.
Our positi"n is simply not anomalous:
it is stuitifying, and especially is this
seen to be true when 1t is known that
the opposition to suffrage on the part of
the well-to-du people is ground ed on
the presence of Il large element ASSUMED tu
be peculiarly open tu bribery and corrup-
ton and incaDablc ~ performing political
Manifestly if this kind OF reasoning is
valid for this city IL is equally valid
for scures ot others. and indeed for the
country at large.
'.It is. in fact. 4 confession that our
theory OF popular government is only
applicable to ideal peoples and cannot be
safely or successfully used for purposes
Of Improvement or eol cation. And this
is equivalent 10 wing il is not applicable
TO all for ideai people have no existence.
While the general government had
from the first absolute control. IL was un-
Cerstoud that so far as lecal ma tiers were
concerned the principle OF home rule was
to apply. And in accordance with this
idea the municipal governments cstah-
iislied at 4 AleGandria and Georgetown were
continued, but IN leG2 established muniC-
ipal form OF government here with a
mayor board OF aldermen. and council.
which. with various notifications. was
continued until 1871.
''in that year Congress created board OF
public works. board OF health, governor.
secretar treasurer and council oil
eleven members constituted one branch
of District government. These were ap-
pointed by the President and confirmed by
the Senate
The citizens OF the District were given
the privilege of electing member to Con
gress and twent y two members to the lower
house OF the District of Columbia leCis-
laturc. II was under this government that
the great improvements OF which the city
is so proud We're InaGe, andthe people saddled
with a debt OF S25 100000.
FIGURES THAT SPEAK.
From sO2 to l S71 the eperiod of popular
government the whoeindebtedness wa scnlv
a little more than S3.000.C00, while six
years of government. from 81 To 1878.
irresponsible to the people, drew from them
S23,UUU. coo IN taxes. and pla Ced u Don them
a debt OF S25 100000. In ST8 the
present system was inaugurdted, and At the
same time The last vestige of political
Bower stripped from the people.
1T is evident that the present political
status was not contemplated bv the founders
orthis isgOverumen;. and that atthedisfranchise-
meut of the people is in direct contravention
Of principles which they soiemniy asserted.
and for the establishment OF which they
gladly imperiled life and fortune
Administrations of tiiecyils Of monnpulicS.
Rev. Dr. Kent cited as an example the
Washington Gaslight Company, which
makes the consumers pay the company rs
per cent annually on the capital invested;
1t has grown SO powerful, he says, Lat
il even dares 10 withhold the books from
a Congressional investigating committee.
a ud vet the people are powericSS to do any
thing except IN tue complaint through
portion of the press. Here again. he said,
The Times has made a valia ut fight in the
interests of the people.
In conclusion. the speaker again referred
20 the "bond vote" today and hoped that
the experience of voting on this question
would revive the political consciousness
of the people and lead To formal and
yitrnF,aIS demand nnnu Congress The
restoration Of those rights whose exercise
we have so long desired.
We may rot. at all times" he said.
"use them wisely or well. but they are
rights of which we cannot morally be
deprived and which is our duty To exercise
as best we can"