The Washington times., 1921-11-08
MOVE
IND, 6, CORRUPT,
SAY OPPONENTS
"PIundering Contractors Back
Campaign" Assert Enemies
of Enfranchisement.

Charges that corrupt lawyers" ana
"plundering contractors" are back OF
the movement for suffrage In the Dis
trict OF Columbia. were made to the
Senate District Committee today In
advance OF the suffrage hearings this
afternoon.
Senator Ball has received n number
Of vigorous letters protesting agains,
District suffrage and denouncing those
who are engineering the present cam.
paign. No specific individuals are
mentioned In this correspondence,
however.
The Nations City.
John A. Baker, a local lawyer, is
among those who have written to
senator Ball. opposing District suf-
frage. He inclosed an article declai.
ing that Washington belongs to the
people of the country. and II should
always be kept in the national mino.
All the people have common pro-
prietorship i'm it,
lie expressly declares that suffrage
would benefit only small group who
are anxious to throw the city into the
turmoil Of local politics and to con.
troll the local offices by manipulation
of the local votes. He said that those
who are condu', ing the propaganda II,
favor Of suffrage are gaining their
supporters from a class of the popu-
lation which Is not familiar with con-
ditions existing prior To the organic
act of 1879.
Practically all the citizens associa-
tions will be represented at the hear
ing this afternoon on the Capper and
Poindexter suffrage bill. IT is under.
stood that the Senate District Com
mittee will first take UP consdera-
ton of the Poindexter bill which pro
vides only for the election Of a
District delegate to the House of
Representative.
Opposition Looked for.
1t is understood that a number of
local organizations, including the
Board of Trade will oppose this
measure on the ground that the
presence of a "voiceless delegate"
will not aid the District greatly.
The Capper bill provides not only
for the election of delegates to the
House from the District, but also the
election of District Commissioners,
a Public Utility Commission, and a
Board of Education. IL is believed
this bill will be favored in the testi.
mony to be given before the COM
mittee in support of suffrage.
A poll of the District Committee
this morning disclosed the fact that
the ajority OF its members are or
an "open mind" with regard to Dis
trict suffrage, and that the chances
of some action being taken in that
direction are fair.
The fate of District suffrage is
in the scales before the Senate Dis
trict Committee today. Scores Of
prominent Washington citizens will
appear for and against pending bills
at the hearings which open at 2
o'clock. Among those scheduled to
speak are G. w. Ayers, Henry E.
Bolt, and Col. Winfield Jones.
The bill, providing for a voteless
delegate to Congress from the Dis
trict, was bitterly opposed by the
Board of Trade at meeting Of its
board of directors yesterday. Adop-
ton of this territorial delegate prof.
ect would give the District but a
negligible fraction of the powers of
a territory and would tend to delay
and possibly defeat any fight Of the
District for subsequent full repre-
sentation, the board declares. II also
would lead Legislators to treat this
almost worthless grant as a pretext
for shirking or repudiating legisla-
tive responsibility in respect to the
Capital"
The suffrage group Of the City
Club will be represented at the Sen
ate hearings by a special committee
appointed last night. The commit
tee is composed Of Paul E. Lesh,
chairman; Daniel Folkmar, vice
chairman, and Frank II. Bryson,
secretary.
The committee will oppose the ter
ritorial delegate plan and will fight
for the tight OF electing members of
Congress, Presidential electors, and
of invoking the national judicial
power.
The committee has the backing Of
the Central Labor Union. the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations. the
Chamber of Commerce, the Board of
Trade, and other civic organizations.