Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-26
RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE
LEAGUE FORMED AT MASS MEET
ING OF CITIZENS.

At mass meeting of citizens held last
evening in Metzerotts Hall the Suffrage
| League Of the District OF Columbia was
formed. The details of organization are to
be perfected at a meeting in Typographical
Hall in the near future To that gathering
members OF the Business Mems Association,
tho Board of Trade, the various citizens
associations and other representative
CARNATIONS will be invited. The object of
the leasue-securing the right of suffrage
to the District-will be explained Such was
the outline of the plan, presented at the
meeting last evening.
After Mr.. Jesse Wilson, the president had
raped for order and the minutes of the
last meeting had been read by Mr.. s. ].
Howell. the secretary DIR. Robert Reyburn.
chairman of the legislative committee, re-
ported that the committee visited members
of both branches of Congress and had re-
ceived favorable treatment from both repre-
sentatives and senators. The result of the
duced bill embodying the ideas of the
league for suffrage for the District, copies
of which were handed to those who at
tended the meeting. Senator Dick, 1t was
stated. promised to give the bill his consid-
Grafton. The bill provides for the election
by the people of a mayor, secretary of the
District, eleven aldermen, eleven members
of the common council, health officer, dep
uty health officer, commissioner of fire de-
partment, commissioners of police, commits
sioner of water department. commissioner
of charities, attorney for the District, supar-
intendent of public schools and twenty-five
trustees of public schools.
1t was voted later that this committee
should be continued In existence and should
learn from the House committee when a
hearing on the bill could be held and to re-
port to the league, that representatives
could be present.
The legislative committee is composed of
Dr. Robert Reyburn E. ]. Roche c. A
Pfau, Sam DeNedrey, John B. Colpoys,
John F. Costello, Josiah Mallard and Her
man j. Schulteis.
Trouble With Previous Attempts.
The trouble with previous attempts to Sc
cure suffrage in the District DIR. Reyburn
said, was that the people of the District
had not asked for it sufficiently loud. 1t
can only be obtained, he added through
the labor unions. The speaker added that
the committee was given more attention
when 1t became known that they represent
ed the labor unions. His idea was that the
matter should be taken up labor move
ment and should be made national in char
acter.
They say there is no graft here" the
speaker continued. Why, the whole thing
is a graft"
Milford Spohn of the Central labor Union
was the next speaker He said that what
the District needed was an educational cru
SADIE. The right to vote IN the states, he
said, was only taken from people who have
committed crime or who have been de-
clared insane. The people of the District are
regarded in this same class he said, in being
refused the ballot He suggested that the
city be divided into sections and a thor
ough canvass made, with petitions for suf-
frage. He believed the petitions would be
so literally signed that Congress could no
longer refuse suffrage.
II am seventy years old now. bat expect
to live to vote in the District of Column
bia," j. b. Mclaughlin declared. AS an
example of the benefit which this campaign
has caused he cited the fact that Congress
contemplates taking the appointment of the
school board out of the hands of the Com
missioners, and putting it in the hands of
the District Supreme Court.
Mr.. E. w. Oyster said he thought that the
$1,000 union men, representing about 100000
people in the District, could influence Con-
gress to give suffrage to the District 1t
was through the efforts of organized labor
here he declared. that free text books in
the schools were provided.
Mr.. Sam DeNedrey advocated that unions
all over the country be united in the cam
paign for suffrage for the District.