Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-05

The resolution. submitting q constitutional
amendment TO give the District Senator, and
representation proportionate 70 It's population In
the House and in the electoral college, introduced
by senator Blair follows the course advocated In
series OF articles recently published In THE STAR
District residents desiring the rights Of American
citizens should ask nothing different from or less
than this. BY members OF Congress who wish TO
place upon the same footing with other American
citizens the people OF washington who are held
70 this spot by family property or business ties or
by lack Of means 70 furnish support while strug-
Cling for foothold In a new location, and are IN
willing or unable 70 abandon their homes, 1t may
be- OF their childhood. nothing less than this can
consistently be proposed and granted TIE STAR
hopes that it may never see unlimited suffrage ex-
creased In Washington In the selection Of city
oficers entrusted with the purely local and nnan-
cial concerns OF a municipal corporation. The ex-
ercfse OF unlimited suffrage In such matters Is not
one OF the rights that pertain TO American citizen
ship, 1nd when called uron, under that mistaken
impression 70 bless our large cities It has revers-
ing Balaam, cursed them The municipal govern
ment OF Washington Is excellent, and can
only be injured by attempts to approximate It to
that OF other large American cities. The power OF
exclusive legislation should not be taken from
Congress. Neither the nation nor city can AFFORD
such q change. But this line Of reasoning fur
nishes no resistance 70 demand for representation
IN the government which makes general laws for q
people, taxes them and sends them to war The
United states In the beginning indicateda space OF
a hundred square miles as the national District
The nation planned a great city upon this terri
tory. It acquired title to only part OF the soil Of
city and district Clearly, 1t did not intend that
this magnincently planned city and this broad
space OF territory should remain without inhabi-
tants, or with such residents only as were
directly dependent upon the government The
declarations Of the national legislators showed
that IL was intended, when the popula-
ton should become sur1cient, to grant
the Inhabitants representation by constitutional
amendment in the national legislature great
city has at last grown up here, as was originally
expected, and the permanent population tied to
the soil. increases largely every year. eonstitu-
tional amendment Is not to be obtained In twenty
minutes, and II win not be expedient 30 press the
political question.to hasty decision to the detri
ment OF practical requests for the satisfaction Of
pressing material needs OF the present. But before
many years the irresistible course OF events will
compel Congress TO decide between two policies
Either the American right OF representation In the
national government must be granted the thou
SANDS upon thousands Of permanent Washing
tonians or the reservation theory must be carried
TO It's logical end, the private ownership OF real
property In the District must be destroyed with
compensation by the exercise OF the right OF emf
nent domain, and the superhuous Inhabitants not
In government employ must leave or be evicted.
Which shall It be?