The Washington herald., 1909-01-18
Wants Suffrage.

HdAS SuHE6Se.
Editor The Washington Herald:
/ In reply 20 an article from the New
York sun, quoted in your very interesting
paper Of the 9Th instant. concerning the
matter Of suffrage in the District Of Co.
lumbia, I wish 10 say that from my ex-
perience Of twenty years in Washington
il does not appear TO ne that your critIC
understands the true situation as Il real.
/ " exists among the better class Of peo-
pie. neither do I think that your critic
I who is a nonresident here. Is capable OF
competent to express an opinion for the
people OF Washington. for no one scarce
/ Is, except those who have had long and
varied experience IN Washington. can
realize how the honorable and inteIligen;
class Of people feel under the humiliating
I conditions and deplOrable circumstances
which surround our city to-day, the true
nature Of which I viii not undertake here
20 explain. but VII freely state that the
best people Of Washington are tired and
disgusted with the present situation
/ Your critic states that q great number
Of the most intelligent people Of Washing
ton go 70 their homes in different States 10
vote, which is true-and why? Because
Of the unfortunate conditions which now
prevail But give Us a good and efficient
government for the District. and these
people win soon return and cast their
votes in Washington.
II any city in the Union were divested
Of its right OF franchise as long as Wash
ington has been. II would probably be
much worse than Washington. Politi-
cally, the people OF Washington have no
more standing OF influence before the
world than the Hottentots Of South AZ
.rica-
There were 100000 slaves liberated
from bondage during the civil war, and
the nation hOWled until the ignorant
slaves we're given the franchise. and en-
urely without their solicitation But the
people OF Washington, who are unques-
tiOnably among the most respectable.
worthy. and enlightened in the United
States, have been pleading so many years
for their inalienable rights. for which our
forefathers bIed and died and which were
left TO Us as an inheritance, but from
which We are most unjustiy deprived
Your critic further says if the suffrage
were bestowed upon the District. It would
be restricted 10 the most undesirable
classes. and 70 be controlled by this ele-
ment would be a ridiculous appearance.
It is just about as silly and ridiculous
for any man who has not had long ex-
PeTience in the affairs Of Washington to
talk that way as It would be for an engi-
neer to sit in his Office here and dictate
the building OF the Panama Canal sue
cessfully without any experience or
knowledge OF its surroundings He is
Ike the Calamity hOwlers'' who kept
up a continual cry, War with Japan
Il our feet was sent to the Pacific, and II
I had not had the most implicit conf
dence in President Roosevelt and felt
that he knew what he was doing, would
have expected our feet to go for the Japs
wherever they met them; but now the
poor howlers are ashamed Of their own
delusions
Your critic is also Ike unto the poor.
unfortunate prophets who are continually
the destruction OF New York
OF some other large city Of this country,
and others are setting the exact day when
the earth must be deStoyed-
As a matter Of fact, when suffrage is
restored TO the District. those people who
Se7sibly left Washington 70 get the ben
efts OF their rights. VIII return 10 receive
and enjoy their rights as they did before.
and even II they DO not. I am sure we
have wise and intelligent citizens al
ready sufficient TO take care of the af-
fairs Of the District unde. all circunl-
stances and can make as decent and re-
spectabie appearance as can be found In |
he city Of New York. with its great