Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-23
DISTRICT REPRESENTATION.
What a Delegate Could Do for the
National Capital.
To the Editor CT The Star

40 Tue EultoI CI StaT.
Toward the end of Your leading edi-
torial of yesterday you say: 1.-The demand
in the District for greater substantial
representation in its government-even
for voteless, almost impotent territorial
delegate if real representation in the ma
tional legislature cannot be secured" etc
Would a voteless delegate be impotent
to serve the District? He might from
his coign Of vantage help secure real
representation for the District and thus
realize The Stars ambition.
Senator ingalls,, with whom The Star
of ancient days dwelt in sweet accord,
on the floor Of the Senate advocating the
report of the Senate District committee
on a permanent form of government for
the District in May, 1878, said:
Il may say also that it would undoubt-
eddy be a very great relief to Congress
in both branches to have some person
selected by the people here to present
their views and their wishes in an au-
thoritative manner. AS 1t is now. the
committees on the District in the House
and Senate are the special organ Of this
community. To these committees they
apply habitually for relief; their COM
plants are presented to them; and the
result is that there is vast amount of
time consumed that might proftaby be
devoted in other directions. IL the people
here had the opportunity of electing
delegate who could represent them and
submit formally to Congress their wishes
and act for them. he being at the same
time as bill provides ex-officio a member
of the District committee In the lower
House, l believe it would be greatly adj
vantageous; that the people themselves
would be better satisfied and contented,
and we should hear less complaints;
there would be less difficulty; we should
know better what the people here want
and senators and representatives would
be relieved of vast amount of unneces-
sary trouble"
What Senator ingalls, said thirty-five
years ago has today still greater force
and application; the District has trebled
her population and her legislative de-
mands have grown In even greater pro-
portion; If members of Congress were too
busy to attend to District legislation back
in the soft and easy days of the elder
statesmen, how reads the clock today ?
A voteless delegate might serve the
District even better than a voting rep
offend by partisan vote either side of
the House The entire devotion of his
heart would be given to the District,
with no side Irritation on national
questions to disturb or disquiet. Only
those who follow closely congressional
history realize what we need by hav-
ing an authorized spokesman on the
, floor of Congress and in committee
looms.
Have the services Of Delegate Wick
ersham for the territory of Alaska
heen almost impotent"? The Con-
gressional Records for many years tell
Inherent story os legislation fought
for and secured by voteless delegates
representing territories broadly and
generously.
or course, we all, with The Star. look
forward to real representation, but
hungry man will hesitate to sur
render his present bread for the hope
of nossible cake in the future. Let us
first nick the fruit on the lowest bough
before we carry the ladder to the top
of the tree.
In this day and generation, when
noiitical John the Baptists cry aloud
on every street corner when the re-