The Washington herald., 1912-11-11
DISTRICT SUFFRAGE
HAS ADVANTAGE
Dr.. Thomas Z. Will Explains Them
to Members Of Secular
League.
SUGGESTS DIES MONIES
PLAN OF GOVERNMENT
General Debate Follows Advocacy
Of Election of Delegate or
Commissioners.

DR.. Thomas z. Will set forth the ad-
vantage Of home rule in an address at
yesterdays regular meeting Of the Secu-
lar League at the New Masonic Temple,
and then. under a general discussion. had
several lively Tits with members of the
audience who offered objections to the
proposed government OF the District by
residents OF the District selected by their
fellow citizens at the polls.
The political dependence Of the peo-
pie Of the District was emphasized by
DIR. Win from the outset Of his speech
The cause Of this dependence, he claimed,
does not lie in the constitutional provi-
sions giving Congress the power Of ex-
elusive legislation over the District.
Madison, in pleading or the adop-
ton OF the Constitution, Id: AS q mu-
n!cipal legislature for local purposes,
derived from their own suffrages, will. Of
course. be allowed them (the people OF the
p1str1co every imaginable objection
seems to be ooViated,'" DR.. Well stated.
'Georgetown and Alexandria" DR.
VIII pointed out. enjoyed municipal self
government before the organization Of
the District, and each maintained It after
such organisation, thus showing that
Congress did not understand its power
OF exclusive legislation'-that is, excIu-
sive as against the States-to carry with
II. Of necessity. the power Of inclusive
legislation as against the District people
Washington city. organised in 1SO2.
was also given practical government
which with slight notifications It retain
ed until 1Sn, when the territorial form
Of government was established
History of Overthrow.
DR.. VIII traced the overthrow of self
government first to the Shepherd era,
with its practical absolutism, and the
vast debt contracted by Shepherd in i'm
proving the city; second. to the hostility
OF Southern statesmen, from recently
reconstructed States. to the suffrage but
a short time before granted to the
negro: and third. probably. to the per-
sonal interests OF certain statesmen
tate. who, through control OF the Dis
trict appropriations, could materially ad-
vance the value Of their holdings.
The virtual pledge, that disfranchise-
ment should continue only during the
Congressional recess from June to De-
cember, 1874. was not kept. he stated.
Instead. after four years Of delay the
manent' in 1878. and called organic" in
1880 with the addition OF the half-and-
half principle of taxation.
with none Of these acts did the peo-
pie of the District have anything to do"
DR.. viii asserted.
Here, as everywhere, autocratic gov
ernment had borne its legitimate fruits.
namely. injustice and exploitation. As
a specific instance I cite the inequalities
in the assessment and collection OF taxes,
whereby the burdens of the powerful
few were largely shifted to the backs
of the helpless many"
Suggests Des MOines Plan.
DR.. Will declared the solution of the
problem is the election instead OF the
appointment of the Commissioners. the
"Des Moines plan," with the various
modern improvements, including initia-
tive. referendum, and recall, and the
preferential ballot. BY these" he said,
sioners, instead of being controlled by
them.
BY the initiative and referendum they
could alter or repeal the orders Of the
Commissioners, while in extreme cases
they could by the recall replace a Com
missioner himself This plan would
leave the Federal government an abso-
Federal affairs, in which II alone is
while insuring TO the SSl 900
people of the District equal freedom in
the management Of strictly District af-
fairs
At the conclusion of DR.. wins address
there was a general debate on the SUBJ
ject, in which HyIand c. Kirk, W. D.
Mackenzie. David Eccles, James G. Kent,
]. ]. Shirley, Aretas W. Thompson.
Donald Macpherson, ]. S. Pierce. NJ. G.
Brizk, and others took part $780,
DR.. VIII, in his rejoinder, answered the
objections raised, concluding with a plea
for political liberty as the right Of
every American citizen. not to be weighed
against gold, nor sacrificed to prejudices, |
whether of race or anything else"
'I ask you to enlist in the struggle for |
freedom for which the very stars in their |
courses were now fighting" said DR.. |
Will