re given the franchise in the District? and should
this, if given, include the women clerks?

_Answer_. Citizenship should be determined here as in the States.
Clerks should not be allowed to vote unless their intention is to
make the District their home. When I make a government I shall
give one vote to each family. The unmarried should not be represented
except by parents. Let the family be the unit of representation.
Give each hearthstone a vote.

_Question_. How do you regard the opposition of the local clergy
and of the Bourbon Democracy to enfranchising the citizens of the
District?

_Answer_. I did not know that the clergy did oppose it. If, as
you say, they do oppose it because they fear it will extend the
liquor traffic, I think their reason exceedingly stupid. You cannot
make men temperate by shutting up a few of the saloons and leaving
others wide open. Intemperance must be met with other weapons.
The church ought not to appeal to force. What would the clergy of
Washington think should the miracle of Cana be repeated in their
day? Had they been in that country, with their present ideas, what
would they have said? After all there is a great deal of philosophy
in the following: "Better have the whole world voluntarily drunk
then sober on compulsion." Of course the Bourbons object. Objecting
is the business of a Bourbon. He always objects. If he does not
understand the question he objects because he does not, and if he
does understand he objects because he does. With him the reason
for objecting is the fact that he does.

_Question_. What effect, if any, would the complete franchise to
our citizens have upon real estate and business in Washington?

_Answer_. If the people here had representation according to
numbers--if the avenues to political preferment were open--if men
here could take part in the real government of the country, if they
could bring with them all their rights, this would be a great and
splendid Capital. We ought to have here a University, the best in
the world, a library second to none, and here should be gathered
the treasures of American art. The Federal Government has been
infinitely economical in the direction of information. I hope the
time will come when our Government will give as much to educate
two men as to kill one.

--_The Capital_, Washington, D. C., December 18, 1881.

FUNERAL OF JOHN G. MILLS AND IMMORTALITY.*

[* Robert G. Ingersoll rarely ta