The Washington herald., 1912-08-30
SUFFRAGE LEAGUE
TO HOLD ELECTION
Both Men and Women May Vote
Here in November, but Bal
lots Won't Count.
INTENDED TO AROUSE INTEREST

regular election. at which the peopfc
of the District of Columbia. both men
and women. may vote for their choice
for President and Vice President. will be
held on the first Tuesday after the sec
ond Monday In November under the aus
pices of the District Of Columbia Suf-
frage League.
At the same time they will have an
opportunity TO say whether they FAVOR
home rule for the District.
decision to hold the election and 10
conduct a campaign as a preliminary TO
It was made last night by the executive
committee OF the Suffrage League. which
met in the Office of Its secretary, DR..
Thomas E. Will. at 500 G Street North
west. The campaign will be an i'm
portant part of the election plans, 1t was
stated, as II is intended to arouse an
enthusiastic interest in suffrage for Inc
District.
The voting will Re according to regu-
lar rules, however. The principal can
didates, including Taft. Wilson. Roose-
welt. and Debs, will have places on the
ballots. as will the proposition for home
rule for the District
Have Equal Rights.
The people of the District Of Columbia
have exactly the same rights to govern
themselves as have American citizens liv-
ing in other cities.
The notion that they have not is an
astounding misconception. For seventy
government. Then, wholly without their
consent. they were deprived of this es-
sential and inallenable right.
The exclusive legislation clause of
the Constitution would not require amend
ment before local self-government could
be established. That clause was there
during the seventy years of home rule.
1T has been clearly pointed out by
Senators Morton, Edmonds. and others,
that this clause never contemplated the
Acknowledgement of the people Of the
District. The exclusive legislation meant
exclusion of State legislation, not of local.
municipal legislation.
1T was introduced originally because
OF the mutiny of Pennsylvania troops in
Philadelphia in June, 11s. These troops
embarrassed Congress by demanding
their pay. Congress appealed to the
Pennsylvania State authorities without
avail. The constitutional convention.
four years later, thought to protect Con-
Gress against such embarrassment. hence
this clause.
James Madison. a member of the
convention, emphatically stated in the
Federalist that "a municipal legislature
for local purposes, derived from their
own suffrages. will. OF course, be al
lowed them,' as it was until 1874
Protest Against Taxing.
DR.. VIII protested vigorously against
the practice whereby people of the Dis
ti.ct are taxed without their consent.
He said: This question is ancient. For
a thousand years our ancestors have re-
fused to be taxed without representation.
The bare suggestion by an English Par
lament to-day to tax the English people
without their consent would result in the
balls of Westminster being swept as by
cyclone. Should an English King at
tempt to collect such a tax, his crown
would not be worth its weight in cast
iron.
When in 991, the English people faced
a national crisis, because of the invasion
by the Danes. and when emergency tax
alton might have been thought justifi-
able, the King, Ethslred II. knew better
than TO attempt to tax the people with
out their consent. Instead. he called
together Parliament-the ancient Witen-
agemot-to obtain its consent for the
levy OF .Daneseld.'
King Johns attempt to tax the peo-
pie without their consent led to their
uprising under the barons. The similar
attempt by Charles l brought on the
civil war Every schoolboy knows that
the essay OF Parliament under George
III to- tax the American colonists with
out their consent occasioned the Revo-
luton.
Yet. taxation without representation
and without our consent is the only kind
OF taxation of which we have any
knowledge. We plan now to ascertain
whether the love of our ancient liberties
l. Z
The Suffrage League will hold a public
meeting at Its Offices at 500 G Street
Northwest, Wednesday night, Septem-
Der II.