Evening star., 1938-04-19
SUFFRAGE LEADER
APPEALSF VOTE
D. c. Urged to Break Away
From TyrannicaI Form
of Government.

An appeal to the public to aid in
breaking away from "tyrannical form
of government" was made last night
by William H. Mondell. chairman of
the Elections Committee of the Citi-
zens' Conference on District Suffrage.
His speech came as arrangements we're
being rushed for the District of Co.
lumbia suffrage plebiscite April 30.
Speaking over Station WRC. Mr.
Mondell charged that the present gov
ernment of the District, although I'M
doubtedly benevolent and we'll in
tentioned," was lust as completely ir-
responsible to you as was. or is, the
government of any tyrant whoever
ruled any place at any time"
Meanwhile. the machinery for the
unofficial vote on whether Washington
wants suffrage, was being geared to
high speed in order to have all in
readiness for Washingtonians to cast
their ballots here on the 149th ami
versary of the Inauguration of George
Washington as the first President,
Mass Meeting Friday.
Wilbur S. Finch, chairman of the
Citizens Conference on District Suf-
frage and president of the District of
Columbia Suffrage Association, which
is heading the movement, in co-opera-
ton with many public officials and
public-spirited citizens. issued general
invitation to the public to attend the
mass meeting Friday night at Central
High School auditorium, where final
plans for the plebiscite will be an
nounced.
The meeting will start at 8 pm, Mr..
Finch said. The first business will be
a report from the Resolutions Commit
tee, Of which William A. Roberts is
chairman. Mr.. Roberts has been out
of the city. but is expected to return In
time for the meeting.
The second item on the mass meet
ing program will be report Of the So
called campaign council" Of the
movement, headed by Mr.. Finch as
chairman. This report will take up
the question of membership and
finances for the campaign.
Chairman Mondell of the Committee
on Elections will announce final plans
for the plebiscite.
Several Speakers Expected.
Several speakers are expected at
the session. A committee Of three is
planning the program in this regard.
1t includes Mr.. Mondell Mrs. Clara
Wright Smith and Charles A. Frank
lin, who is secretary of the campaign
council. Names of these speakers are
expected to be announced soon.
In his radio address Chairman Mon
dell explained the need for the plebi-
scite. To-day. as you we'll know" he
said, Congress finds itself unable to
ascertain what types of taxes the peo-
pie of the District of Columbia ac-
tually desire. 1t is unable to know for
a certainty what public improvements
the majority of the citizens of Wash
ington would like to have. 1t cannot
know the wishes of the majority of the
Districts residents for the simple rea-
son that there is no elective officer or
body responsive to the voters in the
District Of Columbia, authorized to
speak for them and in their name.
Such a situation is intolerable to
us and a burden to Congress. Why
should the Senators from Arkansas,
Arizona, Vermont or Virginia be forced
to devote their time to drafting sani-
tary regulations for District Of Co.
lumbia barber shops? The whole sys-
tenn is as preposterous as it Is ludicrous
and outmoded. That the Capitol of
the worlds greatest and most illus
trious democracy is established in a
community without voice or participa-
tion in its own government disgraces
this Nation in the eyes OF the world.
Parliamentary Exile.
Legally important and politically
powerless, 650,000 American citizens
exist in parliamentary exile and are
consulted concerning their own des-
TIMES only as a gesture of courtesy
and the courtesy even was lacking a
few days ago when citizens of the Dis
trict Of Columbia were elected from a
congressional committee here.
"On the face of 1t, it would seem
that asking American citizens to vote