Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-07
Local Magazine Declares Time
Is Ripe for Action by
the Congress.
ITS INFERIOR CITIZENSHIP
NOT FEDERAL CITY PLAN
Objections to Enfranchisement Are
Shown to Be Arguments in
Favor of Representation.

From the Observer Magazine washington, for
May.
The psychological moment for re-
adjustment of the political relations of
the District of Columbia to the rest of
the United states has come.
| Congress appears to be in mood to
render greater measure of justice to
the people of the District of Columbia.
and a proposal that the District be
given the status of a territory and
allowed one delegate in the House of
| Representatives, like Hawaii, has re-
ceived the encouragement of a favora-
BILE report by the Senate committee on
the District of Columbia. This was
joint resolution offered by Senator
Miles Poindexter of Washington and
| is noteworthy as a symptom rather
| than commendable as an adequate re-
| Spouse to the plea of the citizens of
! the District that they be given a po-
litical status commensurate with their
numbers and the Importance of their
interests. A much more ambitious
plan of representation was proposed
r..
Chamberlain of Oregon, proposing an
amendment to the Constitution
To grant the District of Columbia
the representation provided by this
amendment, viz: Two senators and one
and possibly two representatives. would
be to do no more than has been done
| for six states of the Union which are
smaller than the District. according to
the last census-Nevada. Wyoming
Delaware. Arizona. Idaho and New
Mexico. Our population is about
| 100000, or almost enough to entitIe
the District of Columbia under the last
iapportionment law to compose two
congressional districts. The Chamber
lain resolution lacks, however, clause
which should be inserted in any meas
ure granting representation to our
people. giving them the right to sue
and be sued in the courts of the United
States
Conditions Surprise to Outsiders.
| Outsiders doubtless will learn with
surprise that in this respect the citi-
zens of the National Capital actually
| have not the status and rights of
aliens. We must cherish the charita-
| BILE assumption that the fathers never
! contemplated creating positively in
| ferior class in the federal city founded
| by Washington. but it is the regret
table truth that the legal right en-
! joved by every citizen of the United
States TO appeal to the power and wis
dom of the higher federal courts of
the unlted states is denied to the citi-
zens of the District of Columbia
| II the Poindexter bill, giving the
District the unsatisfactory status of a
territory, is inadequate for the ends
or practical Justice. and the Chamber
lam resolution goes farther than the
temper of Congress- to whose nresent
members this is a novel question
might promise to carry the issue il
may De helpfui to suggest that the
resentation in the national JegisIature
Is not advanced in an arbitrary spirit
Inc power of Congress to work it's will
with the District of Columbia never
mas been questioned. even when CON
gressional action has appeared unfus,
| or ill-informed. 1t is conceded nov,
| that the wisdom of Congress must he
consulted IN determining the present
Issue Of representation and that n
| is more Important to educate orr ma
tlonal lawmakers to the justice of our
claims than to face them peremntoriIv
with demands hose merits. through
their unfamiliarity with the suhiect
they will not readily appreciate II is
or less concern whether the District
| OF Columbia eventually shall be rem
resented by one or two senators. by
one or more representatives tban
whether the principle should he .stah
lished that it shall be represented At
all. at
Large Element in Congress Friendly.
Upon this point, thanks to the labors
| OF public spirited citizens of whom
Theodore W. Noyes may, without dis
elimination, be acknowledged as fore
| most in usefulness, a very large ele-
ment in Congress appears friendly to
the principale of District representa-
| ton.
| In 1916 the doctrine advanced as
early as 1900 and repeated by Presi-
dent Monroe in 1918, and subsequently,
emphasized by Presidents Andrew
| Jackson. William Henry Harrison. An
! drew Johnson and L. S. Grant-the
doctrine, as jackson expressed il. that
| 1T is not necessary that this people
should be deprived of all the privileges
of self government is accorded sub
| stantial recognition on Capitol Hill.
II is unworthy the dignity of Con-
gress that political recognition based
| on equity and justice should longer be
| refused to the 100000 people of the
| District of Columbia. II must be con-
| sidered. however, that the first decision
as to the virtual admission of another
| state into the Union lies with the exist
| ing states and that he principle in
| volved In the plea of the District must
1 be recognized throughout the country