The Washington herald., 1912-09-22
Thomas E. Will Makes Address Be-.
fore Crowd at Eighth Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue.
BONDAGE HERE DUE
TO WEALTHY PEOPLE
Many Members of Citizens Asso-
.ciations Are Opposed to suf.
frage in District.

statement made last night by Thomas E.
Will. OF the District Suffrage League, in
| a speech at the Peoples Forum"
Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mr.. VIII said in part:
In Senate report No. 572. January II,
1871. We read: The people OF the District
have never consented that the right to
manage their local affairs should be
taken from them
THE memorial Of citizens (subjects)
presented in 1890 said: Here in this Dis
trict the consent OF the governed has
never been asked
But those behind the movement knew
what they were about. The Spencer re-
port further said: The attempts upon
the principle OF popular suffrage are
fostered or inspired by those who desire
to overthrow suffrage in order to accom-
plish selfish and mercenary purposes.
1t Is always expedient, when pos
sible, for the few to govern and despoil
the many. That powerful forces
are strenuously striving to mold public
sentiment in favor Of those primary de-
partures which inevitably lead to the
overthrow Of the republican system is
one of the evident and alarming signs
OF the encroachments upon the public
liberties Of private wealth and corporate
power in America
Two years after the temporary over
throw OF suffrage in the District a tax
bill was before Congress. This BILL Sem
ator Spencer afterward said. was ap-
proved by the Commissioners. and. as
he understood them, was drafted at a
meeting of citizens. of Washington tax
payer.'
I'm a colloquy in the House be-
tween Messrs. Buckner and Neal, 1t
was brought out that those favoring
the bill recognized the people of this
~ al
estate only-the few wealthy gentle
men who, Mr.. Neal declared. claimed
to carry in their brooches pockets the
entire city of Washington
Capital Was Not Taxed.
Under the bill, as Senator Norton
pointed out, capital was not taxed at
ALL Mr. Neal said of 1t. IF the bill
had been drawn in the especial
interest OF the capitalists of the Dis
trict 1t could not have been made to
answer their purposes more completely
than 1t now does
Senator Hamlin of Maine said OF 1t:
I think this exceeds anything ! ever
saw. / have no command OF language
| to characterize the things as l think 1t
deserves
senator Morton said: Tt is taxation
without representation, In violation of
every principle of our government
Speaking of the people of the District.
he said: None of them are consulted
except a few gentlemen who get to-
gether and frame O bill and get these
Commissioners to bring " In, the effect
of which is to relieve them from the
payment of taxes
He traced the evil to its source
and said: The argument against suf-
frage here is an argument against
suffrage everywhere We have
some gentlemen who are opposed
to suffrage because they can control
the affairs themselves without SUI
frage. as they have substantially done
Thus the plot was exposed at it's incep-
ton. but the friends of the people of
the District were too few to outvote
the peoples enemies.
The District people of to-day are
face to face with similar situation.
AS proven by the George report. tax
lodging by a few powerful interests Is
not the exception but the rule. These
tax-dodgers to-day dread suffrage as
they did in 1876. because they fear that
with suffrage they cannot control the
Districts affairs.
Raise Cry of Wolf.
Whenever an earnest effort is made
to secure the ballot for the disfran-
chised political serfs of this District.
these interests raise the cry OF 'Wolfr
They raised it this time before we men
toned the half-and-half tax. On Septem-
ber II. We were told by the press. 1t is
no secret that many members Of the fed
Grafton Cof citizens associations) are op-
posed to the establishment of suffrage
here
why are they opposed? The reason
given was that the principal opposition
is based on the belief that suffrage
would mean the abolition OF the half
and-haf plan
why should suffrage menace the i
half-and-half plan? Is there any valid |
reason why government, because 1t NOM |
inally pays half the tax. should do all
the governing in the District?
The excuse is false on its face. Those |
who raise It do so because they fear the |
people.
"on March 10, 1855, a paper published J
here declared, editorially: The deplor-
able financial condition of SO many of
our large cities is due. in the main, to
unlimited popular suffrage. 1t has legal
lied the virtual confiscation of accumu-
lated wealth by aggregated paupers'
That lets the cat out of the bag. The
rich and powerful tax-dodgers here fear
that the people here will, IL emancipated, |
cut out the tax-dodging.
No rogue e'er felt the halter draw,
With good opinion Of the law
We'll they may fear! Suffrage or no.
suffrage. it's going to be cut out, any
how. Congress is sharpening an ak.
THE District of Columbia Suffrage |
League is not fighting the half-and-hal |
tax and has given absolutely no excuse |
for the false charge that it is doing so. |
But 1t is fighting the plan whereby
few are permitted to grab. the bulk |
Of the governments contribution, boost |
rents and land values, shift to the shoul- /
ders of the middle class and poor and the |
army of underpaid government clerks |
the taxes they themselves shamelessiy |
evade: and then, as Of yore. because It |
menaces their scheme, cry: Death to
suffrager
I'VE talk of 'evolutionr In the Middle |
Ages European cities sought what we
seek here to-day-the right to elect their |
own officers. enact and administer their |
own laws, and stop the tax-robbery by |
the lords.
This liberty many Of them bought |
with a great price. They paid for 1t /
twice over; they paid the lords for their
freedom and then they paid the king to |
make II stick.
I'VE. here. in the National Capital, are |
far behind those cities Of the Middle |
Ages. But instead Of trying to buy our |
liberties-if 1t were necessary. az It Is |
not-our self-constituted leaders here have |