Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-29
WASH|NGTON|ANS
AND THEIR STATUS
Present Condition Isolation:
Present Privileges Only Pc
tition and Evacuation.
POLITICAL FAIR PLAY
FOR WASHINGTONIAN
He Deserves Every American Right
and Privilege Consistent With Full
Control of Capital by Nation.
May :, 1914.


May g. 1914
The problem of a square deal
politically for Washingtonians is
not solved by the arbitrary die
tum that their status is unchange-
able, that their political impotency
is incurable, that their voteless
un-American condition was vol
unfairly accepted by them more
than century ago and is not,
therefore, through all eternity to
become at any time reasonable
subject of complaint. The CEN
tury-old surrender of the Ameri-
can birthright of national repre-
sentation was only for a time and
not for all time.
| Are we prohibited from contemplating
changes in the political status OF the
| Washingtonfan? Are we forbidden to
| consider what that status should be in
| future by the authoritative declaration
| that the Washingtonian's condition was
| unalterabiy fixed at the beginning Of the
republic by the n-mtles-square provision
Of the Constitution. and that what he was
! after the Maryland cession he is now, and
| ever shall be?
We are told that this Is SO: "a that this
provision Of the Constitution Is In some
| unexplained fashion not subject to
amendment but Is fixed and unalterable,
like the laws of the Modes and Persians:
| co that this provision means that the
Washingtonian can never exercise any
American rights which he did not pos
| sess just after the city was born; and
| that these rights are the right to petition
| and to emigrate, to supphoate or evac-
| uate. to beg or get out, these being also
the alternatives submitted by a Castro or
| Zelaya to his subjects, and that G)
| when he became Washingtonian, wheth-
er by birth or BY railroad or other trans
| portation agency. he did SO with full no.
| tice that the Washingtonians of over q
| 20 this status with its disabilities: and
| that by being born here or railroaded into
| the city he accepts these disabilities as
perpetual.
| All these assumptions are unsound: a.
| The ten-miles-square provision Of the
Constitution 10 a. readily amendable as
any other provision, II the conditions
have changed which furnished tho rea-
sons for its enactment 60 The provision
does not mean what II Is construed as
meaning and no amendment OF 1t fs nee
essary Exclusive control by Congress is
declared, but there is no prohibition
| against future representation Of the Dis.
| trict In tho Congress which IL to exercise
| this exclusive control. The Mary1anders
| and v1rginians who were marooned in
the District Of Columbia were too few In
numbers to be represented on state
! footing In Congress as q separate COM
munity, and. having lost their rights as
never until recently in a position OF popu-
| lation and resources to ask consideration
| as q distinct community. But the Consd-
| tuition does not prohibit such request or
favorable response to It. when the
| changing and changed conditions Justify.
| 81 Tho Washingtonian is no more COM
mitted to refrain from fighting to alter
| for the better his political. judicial or
material status than the Hawaiian. the
Porto Rican or the Alaskan. There 10
no solid foundation for the charge that
| the District (when nearly uninhabited
voluntarily resigned It's right Of distinct
representation and irrevocaby adopted
| bitter enemies and it, lukewarm fHends)
as the representatives Of its interests.
What was the intent Of the forefathers in
respect to the Westinghouse. the in-
habitants Of the ten miles square? Madi.
son commenting in the Federalist on their
status said: LAS they will have had their
voice in the election Of the government
which Is to exercise authority over them;
as a municipal legislature for local pur.
poses derived from their own sunfaSes
will of course be allowed them
every imaginable objection seems to be
obviated."
AIadison's idea was that the community
should have a local elected legislature.
and 1t did have some such government for
nearly three-quarters Of a century. In
the beginning the nation had no great
property interests at the capital which
required it to control the local govern
ment in self protection.
At that time it was the impecunious
partner. the beneficiary Of patriotic
| charity. It had at the capital only what
! was given 1t In Jurisdiction and money
| contributions by Maryland and Virginia
and in land by the individual owners of
| the soil. The proceeds Of sales Of part
! of the lots thus donated much more
| than paid the cost of the public build
| ings.
Conditions have changed. The national
government is now a very large property
| owner at the capital and a half tax
| payer. 1t feels that for the protection
| OF it's interests 1t must dominate the To-
| cal government.
| Under these changed conditions the To-
| cal legislature which. according to Madi-
| son would. of course. be granted to
Washingtonians. has been denied.
| Inc COnQltlOnS nave also CIidHSeQ IN
respect to the local community as an APP
plicant for representation il Congress
and the electoral college. The feeble
| popula ton OF the infant capital was de-
| MED representation because these few
! men were no longer Alarylanders or Vir-
| ginians and because they were not In
| sufficient numbers to entitle them to dis
| tinct independent representation. 1t was
| indicated In a congressional debate in
| 1880 that the Constitution might be
amended to give them representation IN
| the general legislature when their num-
! bers should become sufficient. Madison
| meets the objection of lack of national
| representation by the suggestion that in
voting for the cession they will have
| had their voice in the election of the
| government which is to exercise author
| ity over them This suggestion applies,
| however, only to the original Inhabitants
| OF the ten miles square who voted for
| cession, and not to their successors who
| have had no voice. as alleged. in the Sc
| lection of such government. Unless. in
deed the few original inhabitants. when
| the District was almost uninila bited.
| could SC assent to MISREPRESENTATION for
themselves as to bind all future Washing
| tonians. though they might grow to
! million in numbers and might Surpass IA
| dozen Of the states in all characteristic
| elements of the American commonwealth.
! Personally. ] do not think that any
! American right is forfeited by the WASH
| ingtouian If he permits the nation to con-
| troll the affairs of tn, municipal corpora
! ton. in which it is half stockowner and
! 7 believe the control by the nation. II
| consulta ton with the smaller stoc!shoio-
i ers. is in the interest of both nation ana
local community. The principle of no
taxation without representation carries
with il in spirit the principle Of no repre-
I IT. N