Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-11
BLAIR URGES ACTION
Tells Columbia Heights Citi-
zens to Work for Suffrage.
w0IH n LAVE 1T MI1En
WOULD HAVE IT LIMITED
Suggests Property or Educational
Qualification.
CONFERENCE IS AUTHORIZED
Committee Will Meet With Dele
gates From Other Associations.
Petworth Also Takes Action.

Henry W. Blair, former senator from
New Hampshire, urged suffrage for the
District of Columbia in an address before
the Columbia Heights Citizens Associa-
uon last night. He said a property or
educational clause might be inserted in
the law If it were found to be desirable
He urged the citizens of the District or
Columbia to go forward to the work with
a will and ultimately to have a senator
and representatives to champion their
rights in the halls of Congress. He point
ed to the objections of many that suf-
frage in the District would mean domi-
| nance of a large negro vote and declared
that with a property or educational clause
as suggested this vote would not amount
to over 1000 to 5000 votes. In round
numbers, he said. the white vote of the
District would amount to at least 6O,OOo
Il am willing the negro should vote,
declared Senator Blair, providing he mas
no ma jority.
Here he paused and added: Il am
friend of the negro; but there are more
white voters in the District than negro
ones''
He told of his Sefforts while a member
of the Senate to secure suffrage for the
District and declared that the late Sen
ator Hoar of Massachusetts once said TO
him. while the matter was pending, tnat
suffrage in the District Of Columbia would
destroy the balance of the states. In
reply Senator Blair said, In this instance
do not let the District of Columbia have
a representation in the electoral college
when its vote will prevent choice. II
should always be allowed to vote IN case
of tie he added.
No Stimulus to Young Men.
Senator Blair complained that today the
young manhood of the District of Column
bia is not given the stimulus of being
allowed to rise in politics, and consequent
ly in the service of the nation-in diplo-
matte and other lines. He said the men
of the District of Columbia should be
placed on q par with those of the other
states of the Union and allowed to choose
their own judges and other officials, in
stead of having a President bring
man to the District from any far corner
of the states he should see fit to. He
said he had just returned from New
Hampshire, where he exercised the right
of suffrage, and he was sure the members
of the Columbia Heights Citizens AssO-
citation were as capable of exercising these
rights of citizenship, together with other
residents of the District of Columbia, as
he is.
Continuing, Senator Blair compared the
residents of the District with the inhabi-
| tants of the American dependencies.
Here we are nothing more than in the
same class with the Filipino colonists.
| The residents of the District of Columbia
are simply colonists.
Appeals to Association.
"You should work to benefit your condi-
| tion," declared the senator. AT this mo-
ment want to talk to you of your condi-
ton. What can you do now? You cam
not do anything but talk. Any one can do
that. Amy woman can talk. Any minor
can talk. You ought not to give your
curtain lectures like a woman to her
| husband in the night time; you should
have the right of suffrage and your repre-
sentatives in the halls of Congress.
Before me l see a high order of citizen
ship, and these people do not participate IN
the sovereign right of their fellow-coun-
trymen. Why is 1t so? Everywhere OUTSIDE
of the District of Columbia see this
sovereignty distributed. Why not here?
You should have at least one senator
and two representatives" continued Sena-
tor Blair Your senator could nulllfy
nomination by the President II that nornl.
nation was not for the best interests of
the District of Columbia. He could stop
it. In the District you have some or the
finest lawyers in the country, but not SIX
have been appointed to the bench IN n1ty
years If You had suffrage you would have
consuls and ministers and ambassadors to
foreign countries who would be accredlted
to the District of Columbia.
Senator Blair then pointed to number
of prominent republicans in washington
when he was in the Senate as the repre-
sentative of New Hampshire.
Crosby S. Noyes,' he said, who con-
trolled The Evening Star that great light
upon the local situation, was one of them.
Dr. Robert Reyburn was another.
You are really under q despotic form
of government, continued Senator Blair.
I'VE hear of various methods OF changing
the District government from three men
at the head to one mana governor. A
change may very often be beneficial, but
7 beleye-yes, / am sure-the residents
of the District of Columbia should be
placed on level with the citizenship
of the country.
1.-The way to correct Is to begin at the
beginning. Get an amendment to the
Constitution giving you congressional rep
resentatives and the right to choose your
own judiciary and other officials"
After Senator Blair's address the asso-
citation, upon motion of c. NJ Campbell,
declared its sympathy with the asplra-
tions for suffrage.
Louis P. Shoemaker, president of the
her of the Columbia Heights association,
thanked Senator Blair for his address
and introduced Wilton J. Lambert, chair
man of committee appointed by the
brentwood association to cooperate with
the central committee of the citizens as
sociations to promote the interests OF
suffrage in the District of Columbia. He
made a brief address.
Conference Authorized.
I-non motion of Mr. Shoemaker the as