Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-04
It is perhaps natural that those of us anon

1t is perhaps natural that those Of us among
residents of the District who cannot claim
citizenship in any state should be impatient of
the exercise Of the voting privilege by other
residents, especially since state citizenship
under the apportionment Of offices law gives
an advantage In securing federal employment.
This impatience is indicated in two commune
cations published elsewhere in The STAR I'm
questionably it is a hardship that the people OF
the District, shut out from voting for Presi-
dent, Senator or Representative, should also be
barred, on the plea that their quota of Offices
is filed, from employment in the leading local
industries. the government factories and WORK
shops But il is not at all clear that the dis
franchisement Of the voting residents, and
their compulsory conversion from citizens Of
states into citizens Of Washington, would help
matters ut all. Indeed. by swelling enormously
the number Of persons credited to the District
in government employ 1t would render still
moro hopeless, as long the apportionmens
law exists, the securing of Office by Washing
tonian. And the demand that others be dis
franchised without gain to ourselves
might expose us to the charge Of
dog in the manger' policy.
Evidently the capital and its legal residents
profit by every new conner, by every lot pur-
chased. by overy home built here, whether the
man who lives in il retains his voting privilege
in q state or not. The fact that one could live
here without unavoidably FORGETTING citizen
ship in n state has doubtless operated as en-
cOuragement to the development of Washing
ton rs d residence city. Tho capital cannot af-
ford to favor any change in law which will
check in the slightest degree the steady in
crease OF the citys population, OF its attractive
homes and OF its taxable values. The capitals
interest is to gather here all tho men Of enter
prise, ability and wealth that il can win to it
self, and to this end 1t must render itself as
pleasant and attractive possible.
Under the apportionmcnt law. which divides
the federal Offices like bandits plumber among
the states in proportion to their strength,
Maryland is held to be entitled to a certain
amour. of the spoils, and those who fiji her
quota Of offices come to Washington as dis
tinctiyely as Marylanders as docs Senator Cor
man. The law is unjust and injurious. and
should be repealed, but while it exists
it must be considered in fixing the status Of
those who hold Office under it.
There are more than Sc, 900 persons now in the
District who were born here and there are
thousands of other residents who have lost
citizenship elsewhere. The repeal of the APP
portionment law will give the District people,
especially the unemployed and growing youth.
fair and equal chance to secure home en-
plOyment in the government industries from
which they are at presen. excluded, and the
development Of the city will constantly in
crease the more desirable forms of employ
ment that are independent of the government
service. IN time, with the increase of dis
frsnehised citizens at the capital some repre-
sentation in the national government is newt
able. Meanwhile let US pull nobody down to
our lack of privilege.