Evening star., 1931-12-16
BOSTON TEA PARTY
LOGICAL IN DISTRICT.
Citizens of Capital in Position
of Those Who Founded
the Nation.
RY Jesse C, SUTER,
Vice Chairman, Citizens Joint Comittee
on National Representation.

Vice Chairman, CltlzenS JOlnt COmltteo
on National Representation.
December 16 Is a date which should
be marked boldly and annually on the
personal calendar Of every permanent
resident Of the District of Columbia. 1t
was Just 1873 years ago tonight that the
cleverly planned and dramatically exc
cuted plot, the Boston Tea Party, oc-
Cured
There are sound reasons for the Dis
trict resident to pause on this day and
contemplate that thrilling episode Of
American history On that bleak New
England night those Boston patriots
forcefully proclaimed to the world the
doctrine that there should be no taxa
ton without representation" and today
that doctrine is recognized as funda-
mental American principle, applied
throughout our country, except IN the
District of Columbia. Surely we should
observe the day because of its peculiar
significance to this community of half
a million taxed but voteleSs and unrep-
resented Americans.
which actuated the tea party" for it
was widespread throughout the colonies.
And Boston had no monopoly on tea
parties" either. for there were others
which, while lacking in dramatic exc
cution, were of equal daring. Few know
Of the incident of the brigantine Mary
and Jane in the Potomac River at
Georgetown, or the incident of the brig
Peggy Stewart at Annapolis. These
incidents show that the Americans OF
this vicinity were made of the same
stern stuff as their fellow countrymen
Of Massachusetts, that they exhibited
the same devotion to principle, and that
there Is every reason for their sue
cessors of this day enjoying the full
benefit OF the application of those fun
damental principles in the seat Of the
Federal Government.
When in our imagination we find our
selves in Boston on the night of De-
cember l6, 1878, We experience real
thrill of patriotic pride at being among
those present at one of the most pic
turesque and dramatic episodes to be
found in CUR pre-Revolutionary history.
It does not seem strange to us to be
only spectators, for that is usually our
role. unless it be a matter of military
service, paying of taxes, purchasing
Ol blD6IIy JULIUS, VI COflJl lUuUlllS W
benevolent funds, when we are always
accorded place in the flrst-line
trenches. But on this fateful night we
are only onlookers. We go first to
Faneuil Hall which is crowded far be-
yond its comfortable capacity, and still
the people come. Larger quarters are
needed, so the town meeting is ad-
journed to the Old South Meeting
House So we follow the crowd, and
soon are standing way back against
the wall in the gallery. An air Of fer
vent expectancy and suppressed ex-
citement seems to hang over the place,
though the decorum of the aSsemblage
Is entirely in keeping with the churchly
surroundings. The meeting seems to
be waiting for some one, for there is
nothing being done. Suddenly there is
a stir at the entrance, and a man
enters He is a messenger returning
from the Governor of the colony with
the information that that royal oflcial
has positively refused pass permitting
the sailing of the three ships carrying
the hated tea.
Arrival Of Tea Cargoes.
Upon inquiry. we learn that in No
Vember, 1773, there arrived in Boston
Harbor cargoes of tea upon which the
British government had levied a tax of
8 pence a pound. All duties of the
obnoxious stamp act had been repealed
In ITO except that on tea, which had
been retained on the express command
Of King George III. He held that there
should be always one tax at least to
keep up the right Of taxing. The firm