Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-06

speech last night before the Citizens
Northwest Suburban Association at Ten
leytown.
Il am anxious 10 restore the rights OF
franchise To the people OF the District,
said Mr.. Sims How on earth 1t ia to bt
done in the halls OF Congress without
your initiative is more than l can say,
There are men there from nll the
states in the Union who pass on the leg
isla,ion OF this District with just ns man,
ideas of what a franchise should be. i
would be an impossibility TO agree on
franchise measure. The Introduction q
such bill for consideration would meal
weeks and months of what in all llkeli
hood would be useless discussion.
Initiative With Citizens.
"In matters of this character ! ma,
truthfully say the members are almos
afraid 10 deviate from the laws and pre-
cedents of their own states. How utteri,
impossible ii would he to frame a salts
factory franchise law under such circum
stances.
Frame your own franchise law. Tha
is the solution of the matter. Have II In
troduced into Congress. ! pledge you j
will have my hearty support. Such
procedure would do away with grea
many drawbacks incident to the Other
course
But in framing your measure. be care
full Frame one which will eliminate OF
entirely do away with corruption and pc
litical dishonesty which would necessa
rily arise in this city from unlimited fran
chiSe measures.
There are peculiar conditions rere
Were a franchise without Limitation.
granted the very right granted to 20,
would be signal for political misconduc
Il ,,,Sr Nytn
of the conditions the franchise must bs
ironclad in Its provisions with positive
limitations.
Il am convinced that the twenty-one
year straight manhood ballot would meet
with disaster in its incipiency, though, Il
none other We're obtainable. I would sup
port It.
Government Not to Grow Better.
Your present government is not going
TO get any better. 1t looks to me al
though it were to become worse. The
District is gradually becoming too large
for the present form Of municipal ad.
ministration. The change in municipal
administration will have to come some
time. II this strip OF government terri
tory Is to be properly governed.
There will come day when this cit,
will double and triple Itself. when 1t viii
contain 100000 or 81 100000 people. Wha'
are you going to do with your Distric
committee in Congress then? Why. Il
would take all their time to attend tt
District affairs. and nothing else. Men II
Congress were not elected for that pur
pose. They will have to'do something t.
relieve matters when this day comes.
Congress will be absolutely driven t.
formulate some other plan for the Dis
Frict government. I see no reason VIII.
II should not be in the form OF suffrage
Then you could formulate your own meas
nd fov nd unV$ <hny~n %
ratification"
Mr.. Sims spoke at length on the unfa
,niliarity OF many members Of Congress
with the needs OF the District Of Colum
bia and urged that citizens association
make II a general practice to have repre-
sentatiVes. and especially members Of tn,
District committees, present at their meet
ings.
Urge these members to attend YOU
meetings for the sake OF yourselves" sait
Mr.. Sims. 1T would be a fine thing Il
have members Of the District committee!
attend these meetings as much as posi-
BILE and as few banquets as possible.
Appeal L. Different.
1.-The difference between the District ant
q representatives. district is this: WheI
You come to us you say, Gentlemen, heet
our requests when a representative
goes into his district it is Mr. Blank
heed our demands And why should no
your requests be intelligently and con
scientiously inquired into? You pay your
taxes. Your requests are proper. AND
any reasonable request should not b,
carelessly passed over or ignored"
The speaker referred to his recent bill
In Congress prohibiting the holding o
stocks and bonds in corporal tons who's,
franchises they grant. He spoke at length
OF the legislative abuses possible unde
such circumstances. and severely con
demned the practice.
almost regret introducing this bill.
said Mr. Sims. Il thought l was doin,
the community and nation "a great serv
ice. whereas but two papers in Washing
ton made mention of the bill
1t appears as though the general pub
lie was indifferent to whether representa-
tiVes Ile!d stock in companies or corpora
lions whose existence and prosperity de
pend on their vote. Such condition o
affairs as public men holding securities il
u corporation which they establish an
for whose conduct they pass laws i
shocking to any man who has any mora
sense.
Mr., Sims referred to several local cor
Parnttons. the estimated value of thei
properties. tue tax basis and the amour
OF taxes collected.
Needs Should Be Known.
In conclusion Mr.. Sims said:
Congress doesn't always know your dc
mands or even your needs as. for in
stance, the street car service and tn
street and parking provisions Max
Setr needs and wishes known and.
necessary, keep pushing your request
upon ts until they are noticed Their
Will always h- u satisfactory solution I
matters presented in time
Tic meeting OF the association was IN
last OF tue season. At it's conclusion
adjourned until October
Resolutions were introduced thankin
Senator GallinEer of the Senate Distric
committees for his work in behalf Of tn
Sims for similar efforts At the con
ciusion OF tho lntter's speech a risin
vote of thanks was rendered him.
An incident of the meeting was the vot
10 lay on the table, resolution condemn
ing Capt Edward NJ Markham. assist
ant To tho Engineer Commissioner. 10
his alleged testimony before the Commits
OF favoritism in awarding public con
tracts, NJ which Capt Markham wa
quoted as saying: AN employee OF tn
engineering department Of the District a
Columbia can honestly and honorably &C
cept cash gift from a contractor doiu
business with the department. but h
should first consult his superiors.'
Markham's Cause Championed.
The resolution was introduced by w. I
Ireland. Passage was urged by C. [
Lancaster in an impassioned speech ID
claring the citizens of the District woul
not tolerate such utterances from men
bers OF the army assigned to the Dis
trct government for any service wha
ever.