Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-04

d1cted that women will soon be granted
i the right to vote because they deserve
it, and are equally interested with man
If not more SO, in all public questions.
1 Albert Schulties voiced the opinion OF
one who has been a resident Of the Dis
trict since 1866 He said: LAS a either
I have felt greatly grieved at the at.
| tacks in Congress on helpless com.
munity of more than 10000 people, Of
| whom 219.43S are twenty-one years OF
age and over. and of which latter mum.
! Der lib per cent are white" He con-
| tended that now is the time to change
| conditions where SO large a number OF
persons are forced, against their Will, tc
endure taxation without representation
Supported as Matter Of Justice.
| Roy C. Claf1in argued that representa-
ton Of the District in Congress BY dele
gate does not involve any change in the
present form of local government The
| half-and-half principle of financing the
District is OF prime necessity to the prop
| er upbuilding and maintenance of the Ma
J tional Capital. One OF the greatest bene-
| fits of a delegate from the District in
| Congress would be to have an official
spokesman on the floor Of the House to
defend the rights of the people. matter
| of justice that is not denied any other
community of American citizens He
called attention to the fact that more
! than 5000 local citizens have gone on
! record favoring representation in Con-
gresS.
Louis Gutenberg, secretary Of the citi-
| zens committee Of forty, favored the
Tavenner bill. He asserted that the citi-
| zens want the vote so that they can speak
| for themselves as to how their business
w. c. O'Sullivan said that the privilege
of a District delegate means the end OF
| the half -and-half system and the opening
| up of the District offices to the spoils
| system.
A. E. L. Leckie paid tribute to the citi-
zenship of the District as the most rep
| resentative educated class Of men In the
country. He said that If ever the Dis
| is now. He did not believe 1t would mean
| the abolition Of the half-and-half princi-
Pile. He pointed out that members OF
Congress now do not have time to listen
| to the needs of the District or investigate
| them in asking for a delegate" he said,
I'VE in no way jeopardize any advantage
| We now have. We simply put there a man
who will present in an honest: fearless
| intelligent manner the needs Of the Dis
| trict to the whole House"
Declares Attendance Inadequate.
E. C. Graham proposed that further
consideration of the matter be post
poned until there was a larger attend
ance of the chamber. He thought that
seventy out of 700 members was hardly
a fair expression of the opinion of the
entire chamber
P. T. Moran commended those who
| introduced the proposition to the at
| tention Of the chamber. He pointed out
that to get any position in Washing
ton now one must get influence
through congressman from some far
away state. He said that with repre-
sentation in Congress Washington
wOnld
said many leaders in Congress had as
sured him that they will welcome such
a proposition and that 1t will not mean
the end of the half and half system.
A. j.. Leftwich Sinclair favored the
Tavenner bill. with an amendment that
it be put to a vote Of the people
| whether they want constitutional
amendment giving the District senators
Col. T. Towson Smith warned the
members that they were drifting away
from their mornings" He brought
message from former Senator Black
friend the District ever had. mot to
stir up the lion. for he's very feroci-
Gus beast. Don't do anything that will
disturb the organic act''
James F. Oyster advocated postpone
| ment until a larger number OF the mem
bers of the chamber could discuss it.
He said he had grown to believe in suf-
frage for the District. He did not under
StdnQ thaC l0e ldVeHDer Dill WOOlQ
change the form or government in the
District or abolish the half-and-half sys-
TEN. II it did he would be opposed to
suffrage.
Favors a Democratic Basis.
Il believe he said. that the govern
ment of tie capital Of the worlds great
est democracy should be organized upon
democratic basis. believe the estab-
lishment CT model city government in
the District of Columbia is a solemn duty
which Congress owes not merely to the
local community. but also by way Of in
centive and example to the towns and
cities Of all the American commemorative.
II believe that the 10000 voters of
Nevada have no better right to suffrage
| than the 10000 men of voting age in the
District of Columbia believe that the
hand that is fit to rock the cradle Is fit
| to cast the ballot. l believe that tax
alton without representation is tyranny,
whether in the thirteen struggling COL
onies in the eighteenth century or in the
opulent city of Washington in the twen-
tieth. I believe that in this delegate
proposition the people of Washington will
| not sell their birthright for ness Of
pottage.
Il believe that the joint resolution
introduced into the Senate of the
United States by the far-seeing states
manship of Mr. Gallinger over a
decade ago. which proposed to amend
the Constitution of the United States,
so that the District of Columbia shall
be considered a state in SO far as shall
entitle it to representation in the Con-
gress OF the United States and in the
electoral college. and in said District
of Columbia senators and electors
shall be chosen by direct vote of tho
people'-with all my mind and heart I
believe that such an amendment will
| finally be authorized in due form by
| the states and that any measure OF
| local self-government of less scope is
merely provisional, preliminary. pre-
| paratory,. for this, the ultimate. ade-
| quate and just solution of the govern
| mental problem of the District Of Co
F., lumbia.'
Would Bewilder Voters.
| Robert n. Harper spoke as a practical
voter for the last thirty-one years. He
said that to give voters two propositions
at once Is bew1ldering. He favors having
a delegate in Congress, but Is opposed to
some other provisions of the Tavenner
bill. He said the Tavenner bill is moth
ing more than vehicle for carrying out
| the determination of the citizens Of the
| District to vote and have representation
| in Congress. - e.
| Il have too much respect for the voice
| Of the Chamber Of Commerce" he. said,
| than to have 1t expressed by such a
| small gathering as is here now When we