Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-30

should not~he taken away from the
people OF the capital, and the bill
snouid not be passed even in pretense
Ihat 1t is practical measure" The
| nrst bill, he said, was defeated not be-
| cause of the half-and-half principle,
put because Congress- was not willing
70 go to the country on the matter of
taxing suffrage away from the District.
representative Blackburn. he said,
supported the bill when it came up
again for reconsideration, even in the
modlned form it took on its reappear-
ance Mr.. Blackburn was quoted by
Mr. Kelley as saying that of all the
debt then carried on the Districts
shoulders only Il per cent had been
imposed by the rulers which the people
| themselves had elected. the balance
having been heaped there by the fed
, eral government.
Representative Fort of Illinois was
quoted by the speaker as saying: III
We pass this bill We ought to pay. not
half. but all. the expenses of the Dis
trict of Columbia. This bill strikes
down popular government" He later
called Gale sssInt it "monstrosity" and an en-;
government. according to Mr.. Kelley.
and expressed the view that it was
aimed at the disenfranchisement of the
negro here.
Classed as Typical.
That" said Mr.. Kelley. "is. I think,
the bill; it was not so much a debate
was objection to Transforming the con-
ditions here A necessity of the oc-
casion was responsible for the half
and-half plan of appropriation. rather
than that it was intended to endure
for all time"
He said he believed in commission
form of government. and. in response to
questions from Representative Cooper.
expressed the opinion that a commits
sion Of five men. three to be elected
and two to be appointed by the Presi-
dent, would well illustrate the proper
tion to be maintained in the Districts
finances. He said that police and fire
protection should be turned over to the
federal government. and that other
municipal functions. which he did not
Senator Works of California asked
Mr.. Kelley if he had ever given con-
sideration to the question of the col
ored vote in the District Of Columbia
and whether that question enters inte
the general question of popular gov
ernment here in the city of Washing
ton. Mr.. Keeley replied that the COL
ored population represented % per cent
Of the population. and then said:
"A quarter of the colored population
is a floating population and cannot
maintain a residence. In addition the
colored population now is not like the
co1ored population after the war. Then
the negroes were mostly illiterate. To-
day, after forty years of schools with
as good teachers as we have in the
white schools. the negro is welr educat-
ed. 1t is the criminal colored man who
is the floater, and cahnot maintain any
residence qualifications. There was a
time when the colored men were voted
in squads. Now I believe thoroughly
that with the change in condition tho
colored man resents, tho idea of being
bought"
Queries by Senator Salisbury.
Have you ever heard" asked Sena-
tor Salisbury. that the colored popu-
lation is sometimes used for the pur-
poses of padding registration lists be.
cause they cannot be distinguished so
readily by watchers at the polls?"
Mr.. KeeIey said he believed such q
thing could not happen. here.
Something of that very sort was done
in 1874" said Mr.. worthington: con-
tractors marched their laborers to the
polls"
not exist" replied Mr.. Keeley.
Senator Salisbury also asked:
s'Twenty-eight per cent of the popu-
Iation Is a majority of a majority Have
you ever considered the result of
In election times to get control of
vote"
10 a minimum here"
Dishonesty in Elections Cited.
Representative Cooper interposed:
Gould any colored population make
= worse showing than " made in