The Man Who Wanted Only the Rich to Vote

The Commencement exercises of the University of Washington were held in the Presbyterian Church yesterday afternoon. Long before the hour announced for the exercises to commence, the large edifice was crowded to its utmost capacity.

After prayers and student orations on topics like 'The Scholar's Hope' and 'Worry,' the day’s proceedings took a sharp political turn with the introduction of Hon. M. P. Dendy, United States District Judge for Oregon, who had kindly consented to deliver the annual address. The subject chosen by the judge was 'Towns and Cities.'

The address was exhaustive and complete; the speaker took strong grounds in favor of property qualifications in all municipal affairs. He showed by actual figures how alarmingly some of the large cities are running behind financially on account of mismanagement and dishonesty in municipal affairs. He took the position that a town or city government was a corporation just as much as a steamboat or railroad company, and those who own no property, or represent no stock in the municipal corporation, have no more right to vote for its officers or directors than outsiders who hold no stock in a railroad or steamboat company have a right to a voice in its management, or a vote in its meetings. At the close of his able address, the judge was loudly applauded.