Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-23
LABOR PETITION
is BEARING FRUIT
Plea to Give People of Washing
ton Right to Vote Heard by
Tavenner.
BILL GOES TO CONGRESS
Rock Island Organization Responsible
for Move That Attracts
Attention.
Especial to The Argzs.)

Especial to The ArBzs.D
Washington, D. c., Sept. 23-The
bill introduced in congress by Repre-
sentative Clyde H. Tavenner Of ILL
nois, giving the voteless people of the
District Of Columbia the privilege of
expressing their views on this undem-
ocratic state of affairs, is attracting
considerable attention.
The District Suffrage league of
, Washington is backing the bill, and
at large meeting of the Study Club
of Economics, at which several mem
bers of congress spoke, the club unani-
mously passed a resolution indorsing
the Tavenner bill.
Congressman Tavenner has given
out statement in which he declares
he first became interested in the
plight of the residents OF Washington
as the result of petitions received
from labor organizations in Rock Is
land. who In turn had become inter
ested- as a result of the urgent calls
for assistance made by the trades
unionists of Washington. This state
ment reads:
THAT there is an American city Of
100000 persons in which the people
have no voice in their own affairs
might seem like a unique statement,
but nevertheless, 1t is an accurate
one.
THE city in which this condition
exists is Washington, D. c., the CAPT
tai of the nation.
1.-THE people of Washington are heav-
fly taxed, yet they are not permitted
to vote, and have no voice whatever
in their own government
THAT the people of the District of
Columbia may have an opportunity to
express their sentiment on this I'M
American condition of affairs, l have
introduced bill in the house, which
provides for an advisory referendum
vote on the following propositions:
81. Do you favor self government?
"2. Do you favor representation in
congress.
20. DO you favor a property quail
fication for voters?
"a. Do you favor an educational
qualification for voters?
"5. DO you favor equal suffrage?
IS. Do you favor the initiative and
the referendum?
~. Do you favor the recall?
IS. Do you favor public ownership
of the street railway system?
THE bill provides that 10 DAYS af-
ter the enactment of the measure the
commissioners shall fix and announce
to the people of the district the date
on which the referendum vote shall
be held. 1t provides for the publica-
ton of a pamphlet containing argu.
ments for and against the questions
involved in the referendum. A copy OF
the pamphlet shall be delivered to each
adult voter in the district.
THE people of the District OF Co
lumbia have been agitating for sell
rule for years and years But they
had no votes and therefore no way
to force members of congress to give
heed to their demands.
so the people of Washington fin
ally turned their efforts to asking the
assistance of their fellow Americans
who live In the states, and who enjoy
suffrage, and who are therefore in
position to obtain respectful con
sideration from their representatives
in congress.
This will explain how II happened
that the first petitions / received re
questtng me to aid the movement fol
homo rule in the District of CoIumbis
came from far away Illinois. l have
In fact received several petitions from
the Fourteenth district Of Illinois
The following is a sample of thos,
received, and / reproduce 1t here be
cause It portrays the argument o
those demanding self-government.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Whereas, the people of the Dis
trict Of Columbia were in 1874, afte
many years of home rule, deprived o