Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-22
FOR DISTRICT SUFFRAGE
The Meeting Last hight Addressed by Mr..
Douglass.
Preparing a Bill for q Popular Vote
On the Question Talk of
Other Speakers.

A meeting of residents of this city in
terested in obtaining suffrage in the Dis
trict of Columbia was held at Green's Hall,
1921 Pennsylvania avenue, last night. DR..
Robert Reyburn presided, and although
the attendance was small the meeting was
an enthusiastic one.
A report from the executive committee
was read, presenting the form of a petition
to be presented to Congress, setting forth
the injustice of depriving the citizens of
this District of their right to vote, and
demanding change in the present form
of government. Accompanying the petition
was the draft of bill to be introduced in
Congress. providing for a special election
to be held in the District to ascertain
whether a majority of the people are in
favor of or opposed to a change in the
present form of government.
Provisions of the Bill.
The bill provides that within sixty days
after it's passage the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia are hereby directed to
cause a police census to be made OF all
the male residents in the District who
shall have attained the age of twenty-one
years. whose names and addresses shall be
furnished upon printed lists.
A board of revision whose duties shall
be to correct all errors and omissions In
the lists, is also provided for, and the bill
says: The members of the board of re-
vision shall hold their sessions from D a m
to 3 pm. for the term OF fifteen days, ex-
GLIDING Sundays. as above mentioned, ana
for their services In correcting ana per-
fecting the lists of qualified voters shall
receive the compensation of five dollars
per day for each day they are IN session.
A supplemental list shall then be issued
by the board of revision. and no person
whose name shall not be found on the
original printed lists or the supplemental
printed lists of voters shall be entitled to
vote.
The special election shall be held under
the direction of the Commissioners not
later than ninety days after the passage
of the act. The Commissioners are au-
thorized to appoint three judges OF cleo
ton for each of the twenty-five original
legislative districts. who shall provide
suitable places for holding the elections.
"Said judges of election shall receive
compensation of So each for their services
on the day of the special election"
Two forms of ballots shall be prepared
printed: I'm favor of the present form of
government by Commissioners" On the
other: I'm favor Of representative form
of government"
Cost of the Election.
The bill concludes: in order to carry
out the provisions of this bill the sum of
$4,000 be and the same is hereby
appropriated out of the revenues of tho
District of Columbia not otherwise appro-
priated.'
The bill was accepted by the meeting and
a committee auth OriZed to perfect the draft
and present it 20 Congress. The chairman
appointed Messrs. w. HI. G. Simmons. Mil
ford Spohn, Paul T. Bowen, James II.
Smith Geo. o. Cook, j. H. McCuen ard +.
II. Siddons, with Dr. Reyburn as chairman
ex offcio, to revise the draft of TIE bill.
MIR. Douglass Speech.
This closed the business portion of the
meeting, and speeches were declared to be
in order Mr. Frederick Douglass was the
first speaker. He said he pr resent at
the meeting to take sides. and TO show that
he was not afraid to take sides. Neither
the frowns nor the smiles of the present
government could deter him from express
ing his partisanship in the cause of liberty
He often asks himself. he said what have
the people of the District done that Trey
should be excluded from the privileSes OF
the ballot box. Where, when ard how did
thew incur the penalty of taxation without
representation? He found no fault with
the men who compose the present local
government. but recalled the German pro-
verb. that Those who hold the cross bless
themselves and their friends" He wants
to be in a position to bless all of his
friends For instance. he wants public i'm
provements in front of property owned by
colored men. IF you don't know what l
near the boundary"
He said one objection which had been
urged against suffrage in the District is
that colored men will have a vote. Well
what if they do? He is willing to trust the
ignorant with the wise, because the wise
will predominant In order to disfranchise
one-third of the population, consisting of
colored people, the whites have disqualified
themselves. The twO-thirdS are afraid they
will be outvoted and governed by the one
third. He said this is cowarily and mean
and small. Mr.. Douglass spoke of the con-
Trajectory spectacle presented to the min
listers of foreign nations by the presence
of an unrepresentative form of government
at the capital of the most progressive re-
public on the globe.
Other Speakers.
Rev. Mr.. Lee, well-kDown colored
preacher, then addressed the audience. He
said he was in favor of the cause for
which soldiers shed their blood in the revo-
luton. He said the whites had disfran-
chised all the people of this District to get
rid of the negro. They ought to 90 better
than this, for the south knows how to vote
the whites and cheat the negro, and surely
there are enough southern men in this Dis
trict to do that II want the white men of
the District to be free said Mr.. Lee. He
said the District Commissioners are doubt
less good men. God made one good man
and put everything into hts hands and that
man slipped. 1t is not well to put too much
into one mans hands.
DR.. Reyburn then called upon Milford
Spohn of the Knights of Labor to tell the
interest which his organization Is taking in
the movement for suffrage. Mr.. Spohn said
the labor organizations are in accord with
the movement and heartily indorse it. Mr..
Simmons also spoke Of the interest taken
by the labor unions in the work OF the
suffragiStS.