Evening star., 1918-02-23
DID WASHINGTON intend
VOTE FOR D. c. CITIZENS?
Plan for U. S. to Own All Land Here
Abandoned May Be Because
of That Idea.

That George Washington may have
anticipated the time when suffrage
would be desirable in the District of
more appropriately. honor the memory
of Washington than by comforting cit
izenship upon the residents of the Ma
tional Capital were suggestions ad-
vanced at the patriotic celebration yes
terday of the Association of Oldest In
habitants of the District.
Allen C. Clark. president of the CO.
lumbia Historical Society of the Dis
trict, and DIR. William Tindall, author
of history of the District. were the
speakers who championed suffrage and
drew from history a basis for their ar
gumentS.
DR.. Tindall pointed out that the first
proposition before the Continental Con-
gress in regard to the establishment of
was that Congress not only should have
exclusive jurisdiction over the District,
bat that the United States should have
the right of soil therein. which would
make all persons living here mere ten
ants of the government.
Basis for Citizenship.
George Washington may have fore
seen the need of suffrage in the Ma
tional Capital and for that reason the
proposition to have the right of soil
vested in the government may have
been abandoned, so that the people re-
siding here would have a basis upon
whi>h to present their petition for citi-
zenship. the historian suggested
Mr.. Clark pointed to the fact that
Washingtonians are sending their sons
to the war. meeting patriotically every
war obligation and manifesting de-
votion to the government that should
ton.
How can we more appropriately
honor Washington he asked, than by
giving to the people of the city that
bears his name the right of citizen
ship. to which he consecrated his mill
tary skill and wise craftsmanship"
Historical Disclosures.
A. s. Perham communicated to the as
sociation some interesting historical
disclosures concerning Washington's
early career and how he came to be
commander-in-c -chief of the Continental
Army. He said that, as late as October.
l114. Washington was convinced that
America did not desire independence.
and that up until the time he took
command as generalissimo he favored
peace and reconciliation with England
He attributed to Elbridge Gerry and
DR.. Joseph Warren of watertown,
Mass. the first suggestion that Wash
Ington be put at the head of the army.
Matthew Trimble and John B. McCar-
thy also contributed to the discussion
of Washington's life. The affection that
Washington bore Lafayette and the
services that the great Frenchman
rendered this nation were described in
an interesting paper read by Daniel
OConnell Callaghan. The speaker re-
ferred to the fact that Washington de-
signed Old Glory. and Lafayette the tri-
color of France, which are now leading
the greatest armies ever assembled for
the freedom of the world.
President Theodore W. Noyes and
Vice President Charles S. Bundy pre-
sided over the patriotic exercises of the
association. which were held in its
headquarters in the Union engine
house, 18th and H streets northwest.
The program, which was begun with a
short talk by President Noyes and the
reading of Washington's farewell ad-
dress by Henry L. Bryan, lasted two
hours, and was followed by the serving
of a buffet luncheon. DR.. B. W. SUNNY,
j. George Naylor, ]. Eliot Wright,
Frank Bowling, D. D. Boss and Charles
H. calvert constituted the entertain
ment committee.