Evening star., 1926-05-19
APPEAL FOR VOTE
ST|RS COAL MEN
Classic Makes Ringing Suf-
frage Plea on Behalf of
D. C. at Banquet.

, Congress was subjected TO criticism
! hy both of the speakers who addressed
he annual banquet of the National
Hetail Coal Merchants Association
at ,ho Willard Hotel last night. Henry
! f. Classic of the Tariff Commission
j3unched the first attack when he
a0Dcalal to the coal dealers 10 help
the people Uf Washington attain the
normal status IL american citizen
ship by being granted The right OF the
! ballot.
Senator James y. Reed of Missouri
next declared that Congress has set
out ~ make human automatons' of
Americans and so regulate every
thing that soon no person in this
country Will be able 10 make a move
that !s not controlled by statute. SEN
a-rr Reed ironically pOndercd
whether representation IL Congress
for tho District would turn out to be
q disaster rather than blessing
Sees No Progress.
There are &c men up in the Senate
who GOn't know a whit more today
han they did when they were taken
from their farms, or their banks, or
thCi mines. % become United states
Senator's" Senator Reed declared.
humanity. to lay down prescribed
rule for every move YOU and l may
make
IF God had intended that we should
&Il have the same ideals. that we
houil all do cXpct!1 the same thing
u exactly the same way. ard think
md see things in "HaCtlv the same
way. all Of our heads would have
'"an thr sam" shape. God might be
able 10 do thar. even to change the
.;.pc. of our heads, hut it's Il dan
"erous thing 70" the Congress of he
United States to try"
Appealing for q return to the origi-
nal doctrine that police powers should
ha vested solely in the States, Senator
Reed declared that as Il result of care
ruliy prepared propaganda. (which
has even used the pulpit and the min
iet3'Y to gain its ends" the Federal
Government is rapidly taking over
hat power and relocating the States
10 the status cf subjects.
"If Congress voted only one one hun.
dredth OF the time ii is in session and
talked all the rest of the time the
country would he better off Some of
the bills before this Congress are moth
ing less than infamous and damnable,
aud If we keep going much longer
viii be regulated bv statutes from the
minute Of its birth to the precipIce Of
The grave. Tho hest thing 1t man can
Go in Congress TODAY is object to
everything it tries TO do
Classic Makes Appeal.
Mr.. Classic referred to the Senate
as the board of aldermen OF the city
of Washington" in his appeal for the
members Of the coal association to
help the National Capital realize its
dream of representation in Congress.
NJ. Classic frankly asked the diners
If in their tours Of Washington they
had found anything wrong with it's
citizens. Answered with a chorus OF
nos" he continued:
Then why is il that we can't en-.
JOY the normal rights of American
citizens ana he given voice in our
Government, instead OF being reduced
70 the status Of poor. spiritleSs. vote
less animals? We have a larger pop
ulatiOn here than four States that
nave full representation in Congress:
we have paid tribute to everything
that is American. We are q fairly in
telligont. normal and healthy Ameri-
can community. Just like you. We
recognize YOU as Americans, let us
share the rights of American citizen
ship with YOU.
rs that something monstrous,
something revolutionary to ask you?
Is it something that is revolving to
your brain? If it isn't, go back home
and help us win our liberty by appeal
ing to your representatives in Con-
Gress to vote for suffrage for the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
Remember. this is not a cemetery;
these great buildings you have seen
here are not empty vaults. There are
people here, people who want a voice
in this great Government of yours.
We want to become living organisms
in the life of our country and yours.
We want the historical accident that
has stamped us with the stigma of be-
ing subjects of America, not part of
it, removed