Evening star., 1916-04-14
Full Representation IN Natlona
Government the Vital Privilege.

The genuine American political BIRTH
right is not municipal self-government
but national representation through a
delegate in Congress when in the ter
ritorial stage of development and
through senators and representatives
when the population. educational
standards and resources of state have
been attained.
=. ~
The fight to vote in the municipal
government was possessed by Wash
ington until 1871, when territorial
form of government was established
with the voting privilege in respect to
one branch of the local legislature, and
for a voteless delegate in Congress.
Since 1874 no voting for any part of the
in the national government have been
enjoyed.
The limited privilege of voting for
some or all the branches Of a municipal
government. operating by suherance OF
Congress, though enjoyed from 1900 to
1874, was not viewed as constituting
| in the smallest degree the American po-
litical birthright.
AS we have seen, the un-American
disfranchisement of the people of the
capital, meaning thereby their exclu
! sion from national representation, was
complained of as grievance from
1900, and from the time of the occupa-
tion Of the city by the nation in that
the Constitution should be amended to
permit the District to have one sena-
tor and one representative.
Washington was in existence only a
few months when it's residents began to
bemoan their prospective disfranchise-
ment, their exclusion from participa-
ton in national elections. In pam
phlet concerning the Government Of
I ~ Nf (sn1, III S-Ln
in 1901 by A. b. Woodward, it is said
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 disfran-
chisement. no necessity for them to re-
/ pose on the mere generosity Of their
countrymen to be protected from tyr
! for the regulation of their interests.
They are entitled to participation in
the general councils on the principles
of equity and reciprocity"
| And a constitutional amendment was
urged giving the District one senator
as we'll as representation in the House.
From the beginning of the century, too,
membe OF Congress who have viewed
the condition of the capital with other
emotions than that of Indifference have
either felt their hearts bleed over the
enslayed condition of the people or
have denounced the disfranchised as
Selling their republican birthr1ght Tor
/ Il mess Of pottage.
In debate in the House December,
| 1900, Representative Smile said,
! Not a man III the District would be
represented in the government, where
as every man who contributed to the
support of government ought to be
| represented in it; otherwise his nat
! ural rights were subverted and he was
/ left not citizen but y slave. 1t was a
right which this country. when under
/ Q
worth making resolute struggle for
! and evinced a determination to perish
rather than not enjoy"
| In 1909 the 'unrepublican" condition
OF the District was again a matter of
comment, and it was proposed TO re-
cede to Maryland and Virginia jurisdic-
tion over the parts of the District orig
inally ceded by them. John Randolph,
| Jr.. In February of that year, said in
the House:
| Il could wish, indeed. to see the peo-
pie within this District restored to their
| rights. This species of government is
recondiled to live without rights; an
experiment dangerous to the liberties
! of these states. But inasmuch as it
had been already made. inasmuch as I
future time it's deleterious effects may
be arrested. l am disposed to vote
! against the resolution"
| A proposition to recede the territory
of Columbia outside of the limits of
Washington caused Representative
Clark to say, in 1905. that he spoke OF
| the inhabitants whenever he had occa-
sion to allude to them with pity and
compassion, and he most devoutly wish
ed to see them placed in a condition
more congenial to his own feelings and
| the feelings of every true lover of civil
and political freedom. Alexandria was
retroceded in 1886. her calling disfran-
,chisement' being referred to IN debate
Georgetown had sought retrocession>in
1898. but unsuccessfuuy.
Il During all these years Washington as
well as Georgetown and Aiexandria
had been voting in their respective mu-
nicipal governments.
Views of the Presidents.