Evening star., 1914-12-09

tion, It should be stated, was takeI
from a joint resolution proposing sucf
! an amendment to the Constitution, OF
| fered in the Senate, December 2. l9ol
| by Senator Jacob N. Gallinger of New
/ Hampshire.
"In support of the form of repre-
I sentation suggested for the Distrlc'
. very little. in the opinion OF your COM
mittee. need be said.
Representation in the government
of the United States Is right to Whlcn
we of the District of Columbia. as
American citizens. are clearly entitled.
and Of which we have too long been
deprived.
why should we be deprived of rep
resentation in the Congress. which
makes all our laws and imposes and
disburses our taxes. and which may
send every man of us to war TO DC
wounded or killed?
"Why should we be deprived of rep
makes all our laws and imposes ana
disburses our taxes. and which may
send every man of US to war to be
wounded or killed?
why should we be deprived of par
ticipation in the choice of the Presl-
dent, who appoints our Commissioners.
our judges, our district attorney. our
postmaster. our marshal. our register
other local public officers"
Justice StanOrQ 1Qed.
Then follows a portion of the address
of Justice Wendell Phillips Stafford OF
the Supreme Court of the Di1trict of
Columbia. delivered at the dinner given
to President Taft by citizens of Wash
ineton in May 1909, in which he said,
in part:
II am not speaking now of municipal
suffrage at all. Let the present ar
rangement, or some improved substf-
tute for it, he continued if you please.
What has that to do with the broad
and fundamental fact that the hun
dreds of thousands here should have
their due and proportionate represen-
tation in the national assembly
citizens enjoy of giving their votes In
the election of the Chief Magistrate Of
the republic"
Continuing. the report states:
The founders of our government did
not intend that the people of the Dis
trict of Columbia should be forever
excluded from the rights and privileges
of American citizenship.
Members of Congress in the early
days of the government expected that
the people of the District would be
given representation in the national
government. That this was the ex-
pectation of members of Congress in
those days is shown by the following
citations
Then follows statements made by
Representative Dennis of Maryland
and Representative Smile of Pennsyl-
vania in December. 1900; Representa-
tive Huger of South Carolina in
1903, and Representative John Ran
dolph, jr.. in February, 1903.
Woodward Pamphlet.
The following statement of A. B.
n do 1of 10
government of the territory of Column
bia." published in 1901. then is given:
This body of people is as much en-
titled to the enjoyment of the rights
of citizenship as any other part of the
people of the United States. There
can exist no necessity for their dis
frarchisement, no necessity for them
to repose on the mere generosity of
their countrymen to be protected from
ton for the regulation of their inter-
ests. They are entitled to participation
in the general councils on the prin-
ciples of equity and reciprocity"
Congress to Control.
In conclusion the report states:
'It should be stated, to avoid mis-
understanding, that the proposed
amendment to the Constitution would
not in any manner affect the exclusive
Jurisdiction of Congress over the Dis
trict of Columbia. and would not in
any way alter or interfere with the ex-
listing kulf-and-half financial arrange
ment between the District and the ma
tional government. These would he
main urdisturbed.
Now, would such an amendment
have the effect of changing the pres
ent form of government in the Dis
trict? The only effect of the amend
the District a voice in the national
government, the same as other Ameri-
can citizens have.
"Your committee further recommends