The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-12-24
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE
IS THE CRY
Residents of District Of Columbia De-
sire the Right to Vote.
By RALPH M. WHITESIDE.

and determined effort made to
have congress change the district
form of government is no longer to
be doubted. There is sincere OBJ
lection to the commission method
on the part CT a large number of
citizens. Beyond that point opin-
ions diverge widely. Some want
the system generally prevalent in
other cities. Some want the pres
ident to appoint our rulers, others
want the district given the right
to vote and choose its own rulers.
Suffrage for the residents Of this
city would solve the problem in
short time.
The question Of public utilities
companies could be settled III time.
Regulations could be voted upon,
and if the chosen officials failed IN
their duties they could be ousted
at the next election.
Of course, if the franchise were
given to the people the taxes might
go up, that is the battle cry against
suffrage, and along with it comes
the argument of the fear Of the
"nigger" vote.
Organized labor has passed reso-
buttons favoring suffrage for years;
has called meetings for the public
to come and Join hands in the
movement, but the phantom of
higher taxes has held the business
man, the property owners, and
likewise those who are willing to
let the colored man work, but do
not want him to vote.
The down-trodden, abused, over
worked and poorly paid govern
ment clerk has at last a champion.
The government clerk, you know,
is a person who has berth for life,
goes to work at 8 a. M. and stops
at 4 P. m. with 80 minutes off for
: Inch; has 80 days annual vacation
with pay and 80 days annual sick
leave with pay; has all his even
ings, Sundays and holidays, and
during the summer, Saturday half
holidays free in which to follow
his own devices, to go 10 the thea
tres or other places of amusement,
study and practice law or medicine
or write for newspapers or maya
zines with the advantage of having
best access to governmental sources
of information. Oh, it's a hard
life being a government clerk on
$50 500, SIS, 500, $3.50 or $500
a month. So the clerk is always
kicking and always looking for
some one to champion his cause,
the cause of the oppressed. Now
the Rev. Dr. Edward Everett Hale,
good old soul, has come to that
point and in an article in a recent
publication espouses the cause Of
the meek and long suffering clerk.
DR.. Hale bases his defense OH the
fact that there are able, Industrious
and conscientious men and women
in the departments, which is somes
thing no one denies, but that is be-
side the question raised by the
"caluminators" of the clerk, who
declare that the government clerk
has pretty soft thing of it, knows
it and tries to keep outsiders from
knowing it by always kicking.
Well, maybe he is right and may,
be DR.. Hale is right too. Anyway.
l wish l had a nice little clerkship
like a friend of mine has. 1t pays
him $500 a year and he has an
outside job at night that pays 5000
a year. Pretty bad, isn't it?
Unless all indications fail, the
word economy" will be written
on the scroll of the closing session
of the Sixtieth Congress. Congress-
. men have heard Secretary Cortel-
bou's warning of a big deficit and
say that they will exert their infu-
ence to put economy pressure on
all appropriations.
Unfortunately for the economy
program, pressure will be brought
to bear for a fat rivers and harbors
bill. While Chairman Tawney says
the treasury deficit makes rivers
and harborS hill look dubious MANY