The Washington herald., 1912-09-03
Leaders Favor Movement to Give
Residents of the District
Power to Vote. Z
WILL FIGHT FOR
POLITICAL RECOGNITION
Former Senator Henry W. Blair De
mands Equal Statehood Rights
with Elective Representation.

Former Senator Henry w. Blair. an
old-time worker for political rights for
the District of Columbia. and who. when
member of the Senate, introduced
bill to give the Distric; political free
dom, yesterday pledged his active sup
port to the movement to secure a dele
gate in the House OF Representatives.
He is in favor of going even further and
demanding that the District should be
granted equal Statehood rights. giving
| the District a Senator as well as several
Representatives in the House. according
to the population. He favors the Dis
| trict being granted a delegate In the
House at once, and that the equal State
hood rights should be granted as soon as
| II can be accomplished.
In talking with Roy c. Chain yester-
day, Mr.. Blair said: THE District OF CO.
lumbIa should have full Statehood rights.
At present the administration Is under
/ no obligation whatever to the District,
and her citizens are not recognized for
national posts of honor. The District
| should have some say about appoint
\ ments and about her own debts. The
public school system OF this city should
be the most distinguished OF any in the
\ country.
This District should be on an equality
| with the rest OF the United States, for
the average citizen of Washington is
| better educated than the average Of the
| rest Of the country.
This fight for recognition of the po-
litical rights of the District will be under
many advantages. We are right on top
| of Congress the greater part of the year.
Moreover, Washington is in contact with
the newspapers of the entire country,
and every effort that shall be made here
| for an American form Of government at
the Capital will be echoed far and wide.
The people of the country will see the
justice in our asking for what We are
constitutionally entitled TO. 1t Is tho
sane as asking for the payment Of
bill which has been owed to US from the
beginning.
I'VE should claim what rightly be-
longs to us. We should be given a dele
gate at once. The delegate would act
| under the instruction Of the people who
shall have chosen him. Every move fos
the rights of the people of the District
will then have an offiial advocate In
| Congress.
The unrighteousness of the situation
of this great city is plainly seen when
one considers that the population here Is
five or six times greater than that of
many States at the time of their admis-
| sion to the Union.
THE men in possession of the bust
ness of this CITY," ex-senator Blair as
| serted, do not want any change They
are combined In common interest with
each other and with Congressman to pre-
serve the present order of things. They
all got together at the beginning Of the
present administration at dinner and
induced President Taft to indorse the
present unsatisfactory arrangement.
| In pledging his active support to the
movement, Mr. Blair said he considers
the matter a national question and one
of the greatest importance. He says he
| doesn't know of a more worthy cause
that he could pledge himself to.
Dexter Strong for Ii.
Mr.. Clafiin has received a letter from
Henry NJ. Dexter, pledging his support
| to the movement to secure a delegate In
| Congress representing the district. Mr..
Dexter has in the past been associated
with various movements working for the
| correction OF the evils of the present or
der 1t is considered that his past expe-
| rience will mean much to the new move
ment. as Mr.. Dexter is well acquainted
with the tactics of the opposition to the
peoples rights. In substance Mr.. Dex-
| ter's letter is as follows: Through the
columns of The Washington Herald l
| have learned OF the movement being
pressed for the political rights of Wash
| ingtonians. I hope the movement has
| come 10 stay until IL nnQs over
| this inconsistent form Of government ac-
corded to the District of Columbia, and
should be glad to take part in the
councils OF the movement.
| II believe that the same interests which
| have resisted similar movements in the
past, will endeavor to meet this new ef
fort. These interests. have grown rich
on the spoils made from a people tina:
have no voice in the laws that govern
| them.
How different from our forefathers
| are those residents who were horn and
! raised in this community who have never
| known the power of a voice in their own
affairs. and who have grown indifferent
| to demand their rights.
| There will be "dsorganizers'' who will
fight the movement by attempting to in
troduce elements Of discord in order to
| divert the true issue"
Mr.. Dexter stated that some years ago
one of the newspapers of the city con-
| Quoted an inquiry as to What is the
Districts greatest needs" and he pre-
scented the names of many men who
responded declaring the Districts great
est need to be voice in her own gov
eminent
Clifford Howard Gives Views.
| Clifford Howard. a Los Angeles edi-
tor, who is now visiting in this city. his
former home, yesterday expressed him.
self heartily in favor of the movement
now on foot to secure a delegate in
Congress for the District of Columbia to
| be elected by the people.
Mr.. Howard lived in the Capital for
nearly twenty years, and for a great
part Of the time was assistant Secretary
to the Commissioners. He is an ardent
advocate Of woman suffrage, and took a
leading part in the victorious campaign
in California last year.
Mr.. Howard, having been asked his
views on the delegate proposition, set
forth the following:
The government OF the District of
Columbia presents the most remarkable
political anomaly. The United States
fought for its Independence upon the
ground that taxation without representa-
ton is tyranny, and yet at its very
Capital to-day we have a form of gov
eminent In which representation is abso-
lutely denied the taxpayers 1t Is the
most autocratic government on the face
OF the earth. 1t is lacking in every ele-
ment Of Democracy.