Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-02

lines of sovereign state? Having the
power to bestow all the rights and privi-
leges of a sovereign state. may 1t not
bestow less than all? Does not the
greater power include the less?
The power Of exclusive legislation in
the ten miles square given to Congress
by the Constitution prohibits the evolu-
ton of the District into sovereign state.
:. lille this constitutional provision is in
force the District as state could not
have all the self-govern.ng and indie
pendent powers Of maryland or Virginia.
But can it not be treated as state. with
out amendment OF the Constitution. SO
far as representation in the national leg
islature. Its own exclusive legislature. is
concerned.
Cannot Congress under its power to
word state as it occurs in certain Sec
tons of the Constitution shall include
the District? The courts have already
viewed the District as state for some
under treaty with France. a construc-
ton comforting privileges on aliens: but
not state whose people can sue as citi-
Gems of state in the federal courts. The
District Is state when direct taxes are
to be collected. but not state when rep
resentatives are apportioned. though the
Constitution couples the two things.
Representatives and direct taxes shall
be apportioned among the several states
which may be included within this union
according to their respective numbers"
Direct taxes. but not representatives,
have been apportioned to the District
Cannot Congress SO far admit the Dis
trict as state that it shall sometimes
be state when American privileges are
bestowed, and not be viewed as a state
only when burdens are imposed?
The question is whether the Constitu-
ton absolutely prohibits the existence OF
ton in Congress. which ladks some Of the
attributes of a sovereign state. Must all
the American communities represented az
states in Congress be on precisely the
same footing and be shaped in identically
the same mold? Perfect equality Of the
states is doubtless assumed in the Consti-
tuition. 1t Is provided, however, that no
state shall without its consent be de-
prived of its equal suffrage in the Sem
ate. Does not this provision imply that
of its equal suffrage in the Senate; for
instance, that the District as a new state
for purposes of representation may con-
sent to unequal representation in the
Senate. as. for example. representation by
one senator instead of two? And If a
state may with its consent lack the i'm
portant attribute Of equality of repre-
sentatfon in the Senate, may 1t not also
with it's consent lack some other at
tributes of sovereign state. and still
exist as a state under the constitu-
tional provisions in regard to congress
sonal representation?
Without full representation in Congress
voting in the District for municipal Of
ficers only or for voteless territorial
delegate Is a delusion and a snare, expos
ing the material interests of the commu-
nifty to obvious and serious dangers. and
improving in no substantial respect our
status as Americans. Westinghouse
should have, like other Americans col
lected in sufficient numbers and with
sufficient resources in a limited area, rep
resentation in the legislature which may
deprive them of their property by taxa
ton and of life or limb by sending them
consistent with the exclusive power OF
legislation concerning the District pos
sessed by Congress. On the contrary
such representation is the more essential
since Congress is not only Washington
national legislature but its municipal and
state legislature. It is not likely that
the nation will surrender it's control
through Congress of the national city.
But every American right consistent with
this control and with the national inter
est should be voluntarily and quickly
granted to Neutrality-suspicious..
The people of Washington should not
think. either ask or accept any voting
franchise which does not give them full
representation in Congress. Lacking this
end, the game will not be worth the
candle If this representation can be Sc
cured without constitutional amendment
we should press urgently for the desired
legislation. If an amendment Is abso-
lutely essential, we should vigorously CO.
operate to the end of securing it.
1t is no longer a hopeless task to at
tempt amendment of the Constitution
except as the aftermath of civil war
1t has recently been twice amended in
quick succession. But If the Washing
tonians cannot without constitutional
amendment be made full-fedged Ameri-
cans, and the Constitution cannot prac-
ticaliy be thus amended to do them JUS
tice. then Congress should, with Mary
lands consent, declare all Washingto-
mans who have no residence in other
states citizens Of MARYLAND: The Dis.
trict Of Columbia should be national
neutral ground, residence in which does
not affect state residence and citizen
ship; and provision should be made for
casting ballots in the District to be
counted in the spective states In ma
tionaI elections just as the ballots o.
soldiers were cast at the front in tn
civil war and counted in the home states
Washinetonians are, according 20 Pres.
dent William H nry Harrison the ma
TONS soldiers in time Of peace. who
should be entitled to. all the political
privileges of its soldiers in time OF war
In readjustinE the relations between
capital and nation the latter IN there
tn