Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-25

twd senators to the District, we urge
that the Constitution be amended so
as to give to Congress the power to
grant this representation when in its
Judgment the conditions emitting the
| District to this status and this repre-
sentation have been met
Another Constitutional Amendment.
Amend the Constitution of the United
Estates by inserting at the end of sec
ton ,. Article ", the following words:
THE Congress shall have power to
admit to the status of citizens of
Estate the residents of the District con-
lstituting the seat of the government OF
the United States, created by Article
/. section S. for the purpose of rep
resentation in the Congress and among
the electors of President and Vice
| President and for the purpose OF
suing and being sued in the courts OF
the United States under the provisions
of Article Ill. section ,.
when the Congress shall exercise this
lpower the residents of such District
shall be entitled to elect one or two
senators, determined by the CON
lgress representatives in the House ac-
lcording to their numbers as determined
Iby the decennial enumeration, and
presidential electors equal in NUMBER
to their aggregate representation III
THE Congress shall provide by law
the qualifications of voters and the
time and manner of choosing the seha-
tor senator's, the representative OF
representatives and the electors heieih
authorized.
The Congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be necessary
land proper for carrying into execution
the foregoing power.
| This provision giving Congress power
to grant national represe NATION TO tne
residents of the seat OF government
Tin respect to whom it has alreadV the
power to exercise exclusive leglslatlonl
is appropriately inserted at the emu
of section g. Article ": which gives 10
congress the power to admit new
states and to make all needful regula-
lions respecting the territory belong
ing to the United States. from which
these new states are carved. 1t is UNI
der this section that new senators, rep
resentatives and territon' ial delegates
come to the Capitol. AS We have seen,
the three political subdivisions of the
United States under the Constitution
are states. territory incipient states).
and the District constituting the seat
of government of the United States.
When our proposed amendment is
adopted this section will be rounded
out and perfected and the power of
Congress in respect to national repre-
sentation will be equitably extended to
all three of the parts into which the
United States was thus in the Begin
Our frankly avowed purpose in of
ferlng this alternative proposition is
to secure quick congressional action
upon a constitutional amendment
which can at this session successfully
run the gauntlet of the requirement OF
a two-thirds congressional vote and at
the same time constitute a practical
and substantial advance toward the
goal of real national representation for
the District.
The Psychological Moment.
We think this is the psychological
moment, when the relations of capital
and nation, both financial and political,
are under earnest, thoughtful, intelli-
gent and sympathetic consideration. to
provide for Americanizing the Ameri-
cans living at the American seat of
government
| Our alternative amendment does not
directly and Immediately give to Wash
ingtonians national representation.
but it takes that vital privilege from
naccessibility and places it within
reach After its adoption only ma
jority vote of Congress will be required
to do equity in this matter, whereas
now a twothrds vote of Congress and
Il three-fourths vote of the state legis-
latures are necessary.
We emphasize the fact that the sole
| effect of both proposed constitutional
amendments is to remedy an acknowl-
edged evil and to do equity by declar-
ing. or empowering Congress to de-
clare. the political and judicial status
of the residents of the seat of govern
ment.
| All of the controverted issues concern
ing the makeup of the local cleo
torate, the qualifications of voters and
| the form of local government upon
which Washinstonians radically differ
are postponed to be decided by the
ajority vote of Congress after the
great and vital question of the con-
stitutional status of the Washingtonian
has been answered.
No Strife-Breeding Features.
Our proposition is stripped of
every strife-breeding feature and so
centered upon single principle of
undeniable equity that all of Washing
. ton can and should enthusia stically get
behind it and push it to success. 1t is
so worded a s to reduce to minimum
opposition to it's immediate passage
in Congress Our Legislators, may rea-
sonably be expected to favor this just
enactment.
Strict constructionists of the Con-
, stitutiou should not be opposed to this
amendment. Any amendment of the
Constitution is forbidden which shall
deprive a state. without it's consent, of
=
ware and Rhode Island must always
have in the Senate equal representa-
ton with New York. But enlargement
of the Senate by the admission of new
: state with two senators does not vio-
, late this prohibition, and the admission
/. of one or two senator's to represent the
seat of government would not have this
effect. If the seat of government were
. allowed only one senator the disparag-
ing inequality or suffrage would exist
only in respect to it and not to any
, state. No state would in this event.
= without its consent. be deprived of its
equal suffrage in the Senate. The fact
that the seat of government is not
state would be empha sized by limiting
il to single senator. And if it were
construed in this connection and for
this purpose as state it's deprivation
of equal suffrage in the Senate would
be with it's consent.
$ Appeal for United Action.
f The appeal for harmonious local CO.