Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-27
BUSINESS MEKSV|EWS
Believe District Should Be Rep
resented in Congress.
3 DELEGATES PREFERRED
Questions Presented for Consideration
of the Association.
COMMITTEE TO REPORT A BILL
Several Addresses in Advocacy Of
Suffrage and Representation
Buffet Luncheon Served.
COMMITTEE TO REPORT A BILL

At meeting Of the Business Mems Asso-
citation held at Guides Hall last night suf-
frage Tor the District was discussed. and
after long and interesting dissertations on
this subject a resolution was adopted put
ting the association on record as being in
favor of District representation in Congress
by three delegates to be elected by the cfti-
zens. The committee on law and legislation
has been directed to draft a ''faultfess bill
providing for these representatives and for
their election by citizens of Washington.
With the exception of two or three, all Of
the fifty members of the association who
were at the meeting last night were in IA
vor of suffrage in some form or other. The
various problems of the question were dis
cussed and dozen or so Of the members
made stirring addresses on the subject.
Taxation without representation" was
scornfully referred to by number of the
speakers, as was the lack of manhood and
real citizenship here because of the inability
to vote. 1t was plainly evident from the
remarks on the question that business men
OF Washington want to vote and have some
say in framing the laws, especially those
directly affecting this community. The
present form of government was bitterly
scored, and some of the speakers went so
far as to advocate universal suffrage and
the abolition of the present form of local
government Some declared that the pres
ent form is too arbitrary and that the in
ent form is too arbitrary, and that the in
erly or sincerely cared for by those intrust-
ed with it.
Capt. James F. Oyster president of the
association, presided over the deliberations,
and after calling the meeting to order an
nounced that it had been called for the
particular purpose of hearing the report of
the committee on law and legislation and
to pass upon its recommendations on the
question of suffrage.
The Committees Report.
This committee reported that it had met
with much difficulty in framing a bill, as
1t had been directed to do at the February
meeting of the association Mr.. Charles
Linkns. chairman of the committee stated
that a number of questions had arisen in
the attempt to prepare the bill, and that
he would like to have those questions dis
cussed by the members of the association
In order to learn their views before taking
any further steps.
The questions were:
81. Whether the bill shall provide for
representation by delegates in the House of
Representatives to be computed by the
number of inhabitants of the District of
Columbia. as representatives are allowed
to the states, or whether the bill shall
provide for the election Of one two, three
or more delegates.
so. The length of time said delegates
shall have been citizens Of the United
States and bona fde residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and the age which such
delegates shall have attained in order to
qualify them.
%. Whether or not the bill shall provide
for representation in the Senate by dele
gates from the District of Columbia, and
their number-one or two.
If Senators Shall Be Chosen.
II. If the bill shall provide for delegates
in the Senate, how shall they be chosen?-
by the delegates elected to the House Of
Representatives, by these delegates and the
Commissioners of the District, excepting
the Engineer Commissioner or by appoint
ment by the President of the United States
by and with the advice and consent Of the
Senate?
%. The length Of the respective terms of
Senate, whether the salaries Of such dele
gates are to be payable from funds Of the
United States, funds of the District of Co
lumbia, or one-half from the United
trict Of Columbia; also whether the dele
gates shall have allowances for stationery
clerk hire. &c. as now provided for In case
OF senator's and members of Congress.
u Whether the vote of delegates shall
be limited to matters relating to the Dis
trict Of Columbia. or whether they shall
have a general vote on all matters.
-. Shall there be any provision for regis
an annual registration or shall 1t be only
every few years?
Qualifications Considered.
49, As to qualified voters:
''S-a. Shall the bill provide for universal
manhood suffrage?
''8-b. Shall the bill exclude citizens who
have been convicted of any offense involv-
ing moral turpitude?
Sc. Shall the bill have an educational
qualification?
sd. Shall the bill have a property quail
fication?
%. Shall employees of the United States
residing in the District of Columbia but &C
credited to the several states be qualified
voters Of the District Of Columbia? Also
shall soldiers. seamen or marines of the
United States army navy be considered
residents of the District by reason of their
being stationed herein?
10 Shall a poll tax be required to be
paid prior to any election, and II so shall
the bill provide that 1t shall be q INSIDE
meanor for any person to pay the poll tax
Of another?
Resolution Adopted.
Mr.. A. e. L. Leckie made a motion that
the question of suffrage and the desirability
of representation in Congress be first put
to vote before the association, before the
question of bill on the subject be taken
up. IF this were not DONE" he stated. ct
would be case Of putting the cart before
the horse" After much discussion. which
lasted more than two hours, resolution
was adopted which read: Resolved, That
1t Is the sense of the Business Mems Asso-
citation that the District of Columbia be rep
resented by three delegates in Congress, to
be elected
Those who spoke In advocacy Of suffrage
and representation in Congress were NJ. I.
Weller r. N. Harper. DR.. Robert Reyburn.
oliver Metzerott. Percival NJ Brown,
Chaplin Brown and Conrad Syme. The only
two dissenting voices were those of John
Fleming and c. w. Claggett.
After the meeting adjourned a buffet
luncheon was served.
,, Postmaster Charged With Embezzle-