Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-10
ELECTED ITS OFFICERS
Organization Of the New Democratic Cen
trail Committee.
Resolution I'm Favor of the RestOra.
tiOn of Suffrage In the District
to BE Considered.

The democratic central committee Of the
District of Columbia, which was selected
by the local democrats at the recent con-
VentioD In the Academy Of Music, met and
organized last evening at 1924 e street
northwest There was q full attendance OF
the committee present, and it was called
together by Mr.. Thomas B. Kalbfus, and
after the election of Mr.. John Boyle as
temporary chairman, and Mr.. Thomas f.
Cook as temporary secretary, Mr.. William
Lloyd, the delegate from the twenty-first
district, rendered his resignation, and Mr..
John A. Clark was elected in his place.
The selection of officers was then in or
der. Mr.. Kalbfus being nominated for the
position Of chairman by ex-Congressman
Turner, and Mr.. John A. Clark was named
by Mr.. George Killeen. The ballot result
ed In the election of Mr.. Kalbfus, who re-
ceived twelve votes. while Mr.. Clark got
six and Mr.. Arthur Small Of the fourth
district one. Other officers elected were
john A. Clark, vice chairman: Thomas r.
Cook. secretary; John C. Wittekindt, CORE
spending secretary; T. F.. Cusick, treas
urer; George Kileen, financial secretary;
Edward Lynch, sergeant-at-arms, and w.
): Donovin, doorkeeper. A committee con-
sisting of Messrs. Robert Doyle Of the sew
enteerth district, ]. Fred. Kelly of the
thirteenth district. John A. Clark of the
twenty-first, John Boyle of the seventh,
and Chairman Kalbfus Of the tenth dis
trlct, was appointed to revise the rules of
the committee.
After the organization had been COM
pleted Mr.. John B, Miller of the twenty
second district offered a resolution which,
after reciting that the present government
of the District of Columbia was neither
republican in formOr manner nor in conson-
ance with popular free government, declar-
ed IN favor of the restoration Of free suf-
frage in the District and the establish
ment of government "of the people. by
the people and for the people" The reso-
luton further recited that the democratic
central committee believes that the pres
ent form Of government should be changed
so that the people of the District might
have voice in the selection of their rulers:
that the committee favored the holding
OF a meeting at which the people might
assemble and express their feelings on the
subject of suffrage, and that the suffra ge
bill now pending in Congress- which prov;d-
ed for the submission of the whole mat
ter to vote of the people, be earnestly
approved Mr.. John Boyle moved to amend
Mr. Miller's resolution by adding an edu-
cat1onal or property qualification to the
privilege of franchise in the District, and
In the course of a speech he declared that
under the old style of elections negroes were
imported into the District from all Of the
contiguous states ard were voted. He also
declared that under the present system the
District paid only fifty per cent of the ex-
peHSeS VI cOnuuctlnS us government, While
II we had universal suffrage the people
of the District would have to pay all the
cost After further discussion, in which
Messrs Clark, Wells, Scanlon, Killean and
Miller took part, the whole subject was
deferred, on motion of Mr.. Wittekindt, I'M
til the next meeting of the committee, to be
held at the same place on the night of
April 16.
The scenes in the vicinity of the meeting
Place, when the election of a chairman was
III progress. were exciting in the extreme,
and bitter contest was waged between the
friends and opponents of Mr.. Kalbfus. His
candidacy was antagoniZed by what is
known as the administration wing of the
local democracy, and a strong effort was
made to defeat him, but the combination
tfat had been made against him, and
which it was openly declared last night
would succeed in its object, managed to
command bat nine votes. Mr.. Kalbfus has
been identified with the local democracy
for a number of years, and has always
been militant party man. He founded the
Johnson Departmental Democratic Club
which controlled political affairs here from
1863 to 1868, and was an active member of
the Metropolitan Democratic Club in 1876
He was also the founder of the Columbia
Democratic Club, which was organized in
1880 and is still in existence. For many
years ne was the publisher of the Sunday
Herald in this city.