Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-02
TO |NDORSE
0ne-Man Rule in the District
Opposed.
PRESENT FORM PREFERRED
Action by Columbia Heights Citi-
zens' Association.
IS FAVORABLE TO SUFFRAGE
Believes That Now Is Not an OPP
perfume Time to Press Discussion
of the Question.
Is FAVORABLE TO SUFFRAGE

Oneman rule In the District of Columbia
at meeting held last night. The ASSOC
citation also went on record as approving
the work of the Dist riot Commissioners
and declared that. the time for an or
ganiZed effort for suffrage has not ar
rived A number of the members asserted
that they did not believe the associa ton
should take such a position now that the
movement was in full progress with "A
chance of success, but the majority pre-
vailed.
Judge Charles S. Bundy called the SEES
sion to order shortly after o'clock and
Immediately recognized William f., Saund-
ers, chairman of the special committee
of the association. which recently at
tended the meeting held at the Riggs
House to discuss the new movement.
Report of Chairman Saunders.
Mr. Saunders then submitted the fol-
lowing report:
Your committee appointed to attend
the joint conference of the citizens as
ISOLATION of the District of Columb a,
called by the chairman of d committee
appointed by the Brightwood Citizens As
ISOLATION ITO consider the question Of
change in the form of the government
visibility of having qualified suffrage in
the District. beg leave to report that
they attended the meeting held at the
Riggs House on Wednesday evening, No
vember %: that the meeting was called to
order by Wilton j. Lambert the chairman
of the Bright wood Citizens Association,
who stated the object of the meeting a S
above. and Louis z. Shoemaker was
elected cha rman of the meeting. MI
Shoemaker made an address. in which he
,l,- tod Cd, ipiS fyaf NJ government
by representative chosen by the people.
Your committee stated through the
chairman that they were there as Cd
servers and wished it understood ana
recorded that they were not present WIN
the authority to vote or take any part
that would commit the Columbia Heights
association to any action that the confer
ence might take at that meeting.
The observations of your committee
were that the meeting developed dlVldeu
opinion on the subject of the present
form of government and while II
appeared that most of those III attendance
would favor suffrage In some FORM. ana
while there We're those who thought the
effort tosecure suff age should begin al
once there were others who We're decld-
edlv of the opinion that this is not an
opportlne time begin. and that II
would be much better to wait until Such
time as Congress might be willing to take
I'D the question without having IL over
Swallowed by legislation WHICH IL "'"iu
probab iy consider of create Importance.
Mr. Saunders said that the resolution
adopted at the meeting provided that
committee to consist of one from eacH
association. ''be appointed by the chair
man Of the meeting. to take into consid-
Grafton the question of a proper form of
self-government for the District of Co
lumbia to report within three weeks
Inopportune, Says Saunders.
After Mr. Saunders had read the re-
port he offered resolutions which pro-
vided that while this movement may be
inspired by motives Of high principles and
patriotism. the Columbia Heights Citizens
Association refuses TO indorse the PROPOSE
ton to vest the executive authority of the
District government in single head, for
the reason that it believes the present
form of municipal government Is the best
the District has ever had. and it eX-
pressly desires to give its hearty indOrse-
ment to the integrity and efficiency of the
present Board of Commissioners. and to
pledge them its earnest support in all
measures for the welfare and progress
of the National capital and. while this
associat ion fully realizes the supremacy
of the general government over the DIS
trict as laid down in the eighth section
of the first article of the Constitution Of
the United States and the reasons there
for. as given by the early commentators
in the Federalist and cotemporaneous
writings. and while We see no reason why
this supremacy should ever be lessened or
abridged We cannot believe ii was the
purpose of the trainers of that instrument
that ii should be so interpreted as to
forever deprive a large body of people
having every qualification for citizenship
of all participation in the government es-
tablished by them for all the people.
merely because they have chosen the
nations capital for their place of resi-
dence: and we believe the time is coming
when the anomalous condition of the in
ha bitants of the District will become so
manifest that Congress i'm the exercise of
its power of exclusive legislation for the
District will be made To provide some
la wfu method by constitutional amend
ment ii necessary. whereby the people of
he District of Columbia may be admitted
to full representation in both Houses of
Congress and the electoral college, their
to have the right 10 vote,
and all the powers OF representatives
from the states. or. if representation in
the Senate is impracticable in the near
future AT least representation in the
House of Representatives. and whenever
that time shall come. the question of suf-
frage for the District and the qualifica-
lions therefor may safely be left to Con-
gress but it is not decreed eXpedient to
ask Congress at its coming short session
to consider any proposition to change the
forms of the District government"
The resolutions We're signed by Mr..
Saunders, William B. Todd, w. W.
Bowie. p. NJ. Brown and Rabbi Louis
Stern. members of the committee.
Every one is thinking of suffrage
here" Mr.. Saunders said. Il hope that
we will be careful and temperate of such
a subject ths-one which means SO
much to us. Some men are restless. Even
their clothes at times remind them of
shackles. If we go in for suffrage we
should go in a dignjfied temperate way |
We should wait for an suspicious time
This short session of Congress is to be
crowded The tariff is to have the floor.
and ! believe it is more adviSabl to wait
until we can get the ear of Congress
upon this subject, which means so much
to us"
Campbell Urges Suffrage.
G. NJ. Campbell referred TO the recent
address of former Senator Blair of New
Hampshire. in which suffrage for the
District was urged. 1T is never wise to
slaclten efforts if you want to secure any
thing" declared Mr.. Campbell. When
we wanted Rock Creek Park we did not
lessen orr efforts and we got it. We have
gathered considerable momentum to this
movement to secure one-man rule and
suffrage in the District of Columbia.
Suffrage is desirable l see by the even
ing paper that Senator Gallinger is much |
in the movement. | see no rea- |
son why we cannot have suffrage Mr. |
Gallinger thinks some action should be |
taken. We should begin the work of i'm |
pressing the committees of Congress-"
S. C.. Rogers declared he did not want |
an unlimited suffrage.