National Republican., 1888-04-05
nlsrnIrr nrrEE.rNrNNlnN
wartcd in ro,r Houses Of cpnlrc.,

Wanted in Both Houses ar CnnSrrs'.
Senator Blair lest Tuesday prc.tutal in
the Sara,c "a, dnulit of =. ,,r.t,trt ,aal
mucndmc,' to awe the District Of Cpluuh,u
representation in both houses of Congress
AID letter accompanying .n The follow
is the proposed amendment:
Whereas tine roop,c .ot the Di,irir. ot cy..
umh'u are -uhiw.'"l t. tINttiJl without
principle ol al, 'r,c gDynrumcut. tn,rcfn".
fc II rcsulyut uN t@c senate and llpl.c ~
Representative ~ tHc mite StNtCspi An"t.
.cil I'm tunlrc., H-.cHhl d twuthirl u' l IN
hon ,cs concur!ng, that the ru'uwiul att .'c
Lc pioI Osed tu the legislatures u' tlr ."yr'H
states H. an Huon1inrnt 10 the "rn-tit ltiot
Of the United states,, w9lrn. whra "tiirl ~
th,, iOurths ui ,hid legislature. sli| h'
valid Il, part Ot the constitution, nan ',y
ARTICLE NNi
SICrtoS I. The District ot Cbumhil san
be entitled TO representation in tli3 Eunsr'st
ur tic Uni;cd >tatcs by u"c s'lrt'p'. and p,
ulr ui uppuriiunmCnt o,tthilsh,l by Hgti,.
~ ol the constitution. SUD Di~irrt -ll..
al.o be- Cntiilcd 20 oHs. man electors ipr p9d-
dclt and ice Irc-dcut ui he United StlteS
ns " hps mCmhvrs Oi tungr1~s
SIC. ,. COngresa shall prby.le by law ia
tine and manner OF choosing tue 81 la'pr,
the representative ur rrNrtsentd'itGN al
tie electors authorize by this article.
Tie lott,r accompanying the nboT1 is "a
follows:
WA.inNgroS. u. C.. Mar i0 tSs3.--DrlG SH:
| mclOsc herewith draught of un amen I'm 'ni
to tile constitution of the IuitCl states con
iclr.ng representation In Congress an in tht
electoral college upon the people of the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
It viii be noticed that the proposed aneni
crnmcnt @ for the District but leaves that mat.
; ter. where II Is now, with Congress. II -imDlT
aims 10 confer upon the people Of the District
some voice In the legislature which makes
| tier laws and imposes their tuScs, an In The
/ election which determines who shall supervise
the execution of these laws
There j. no good reason that ! can see why
/ the people uf the District, now estimated at Il
| quarter Of a million In number, should he r"-
| lcvCd Of the common duties or denied the
/ common rights of other citizens: hut many
why they should not They are protected AMI
/ taxed 90 to war and conduct themselves In
! peace IKE others, and who shall say they are
not equally intelligent and patrr!2ti.S5 To cN, :,
: hold them In political slavery Is not only inln
| iious 10 them but 10 the whole people.
| From all the history Of the European world
.aN, Prof John Fiskc in his article on "Th'
| Beginnings Of the American Revolution" In
! the March number Of the Atlantic. there Is
this that II is impossible fora free people 70
guN crn dependent people dcspotically with
ont ,ndanGCIinC it. own freedom.
! What Is meant hy governing dcSpOtically
was stated at the beginning of the century by
! John Randolph:
"pcii;iyaI .iayery, says Randolph, has
| lcen well defined Ia he that state In which
any community is dycsted of the power of
! self government. and regulated by law 10
! which It's assent j. not required and may not
! he given lnd he adds. This species of GOV,
eminent is an experiment how far freemen
! can be reconci!od To live without rights: an
I rSi erimcnt dangerous to the liberties of these
>tHtCs.'
implies moi only subsection, but. that the su.
! periur power may appropriate the earnings ot
The ems ayed without their consent. This l.
precisely what Is done by taxation without
representation. If u man, ora body of men.
may levy u tax Of per cent. on other
mems earnings without their consent, they
may levy taXo 10 per cent, or 80 per ccnt"
or even 100 per cent. There is no limit. The
governed are at the mercy of their governors.
This Is despotism pure aud simple. Randolph
J declared such a state of things in the District
to he dangerous To the liberties of the states
themselves and Professor Fiske says the
teachings of history are against 1t. 1t cet-
tanly a questionable example for republic tu
set. Ii allows citizens to Skirl; their political
duties. II teaches the young men of the Dis.
tlict that they have no political Responsible
tie', When District father now KS his SON
n, sh from the high school orthc college, about
his political rights and duties, he gets for an
swcfs. What, is that to me! ! have no con
,ern with such matters" sometimes the an
swCr is worse. indicating a feeling that pOliti
cal duties are somehow disreputabe Ii not
actually degrading, They take notice Of the
ridiculG heaped upon mistakes made in at
Tempt to perform such duties. The change.
are rung on ward politicians" and "Wllarl
Hail" meetings, until II has come to require
some courage in the capital of the republic
fer grown men, even. to confess that they IA
Vur q government of and by the people as vel
as ior them. Every community has, no doubt
its turbulent classes and its crankS, but l.
that any reason why free government shoul,
lie abandoned: Are the American peopl,
willing to have their capital made the centc
iur fostering ideas adverse to their form o
government! l. this the way that the cxer
rl.c of dcspotism over Il few people Is 10 wori
cut the overthrow of free government for thu
many II looks like H.
But did not intend. Mr.. Senator, to argu,
| the case in this letter, but desired only TO sub
init II proposition to grant the rights of citizen
ship to the people Of the national capital, will
Il view 20 its presentation 10 and consideration
by the Senate. Very Respectfully,
APPLETON i. CLARK.
Hon, II. W. BLAIR, United States Senate.