Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-07

l
| fled proposal which has found impor-
| tant support among the residents of the
District of Columbia. which aims first
| to confer upon Congress the power
| to grant representation to the District
without Immediately making that rep
| resentation operative.
| Too Little in Poindexter Plan.
!, We are firmly convinced that the
Poindexter amendment, providing for
one territorial delegate, offers too lit
tie. We are emphatically of equal
opinion that the District of Columbia,
in the American spirit of justice and
equity. is entitled to no less complete
| Congress than any other political unit
| of its size in the United States. But de-
| lay may come over relatively unimpor-
| tant questions of detail, with the re-
| suit of sacrificing the main issue. For
| this reason the Observer is content to
! associate itself with the proposal that
| the Constitution be so amended IS to
| empower Congress at such time as it
| may please to accord representation to
! the District of Columbia, and that the
| Chamberlain amendment be so modified
as to provide that the Constitution
| shall delegate to Congress the power
| to decide whether one or two senators
shall serve.
ment which should command the united
support of Congress and the residents
of the District of Columbia would con-
fer upon Congress the power to admit
the residents of the District Of Column
ola to the status of citizens of a state,
for the purpose of representation in
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. Such
an amendment should provide speci-
fically for representation in the House
according to population. as with other
states of the Union. Provisions cloth
ing Congress with power to enact ap-
propriate legislation to carry the
amendment into effect and to establish
the qualification of voters should be
incorporated also.
The Chamberlain amendment as orgi
nally offered has been approved by the
Board of Trade and the Chamber of
Commerce of Washington. which may
be considered as representative bodies
entitled to speak for the people. What
the attitude of these two important
| bodies toward this later proposition
may be we do not at this writing know.
Suggested to Avoid Delays.
The difference, it may frankly be
said. is one of expediency rather than
of principle. and the modified plan is
to instruct Congress as to the details
of the policy it wisely may follow. I'm
der this plan the proposed amendment
would not take effect until ma jority
vote of Congress made it operative.
The chief objection to the holding of
elections in the District has sprung
from fear that the colored vote would
dominate them because the negro con
stitutes about 80 per cent of our popu-
lation. This objection cannot be urged
against the constitutional amendment.
but, on the contrary, is an argument in
its favor. Congress has the right to
provide for elections in the District for
municipal affairs and for territorial
representation in the House. such as
existed for many years.
The large class of government EN-
ployes and other white residents would
refuse to give up their state citizen
ship for the purpose of participating
in such elections. If. however this
dominant class. by means of constitu-
tional amendment. could be clothed
same opportunities of citizenship as
they now enjoy in the states they
would the more readily relinquish their
present state affiliations and become
voters in the District. thus charging
the white vote of the local electorate
much beyond its present dimensions
Moreover. the days of the Negroes servi-
tude are far in the past and objections
to enfranchising him for this limited
purpose represent rather a magniied
fear than reasonable obstacle to local
suffrage.
Rational Answer to Objection.
Another objection urged against en-
franchising the District Is that repre-
sentation in the electoral college and
Congress of a federal controlled terri
the federal Constitution of a federation
of Independent state governments
This objection is entitled to due weight
and might seem to apply with fatal
force in the present circum stances, did
it not ignore peculiar conditions which
did not exist with respect to our
former territories. The rational answer
to this objection is that federal control
of territories generally and the dis
Reimbursement existing in separate
territories have been only temporary
and preparatory to statehood.
In the pioneer sections federal con-
troll and assistance have been necessary
to their development and no territory
has been permitted to reach the stage
of growth and charactr of that of the
District of Columbia until its citizens
! have been admitted to full participa-
ton in the national government. The
alternatives in our are per-
petual Acknowledgement. which is con-
trary to the spirit of a free republic.
the granting of special privileges
Which correspond to favors and not to
rights-or a condition consistent with
the spirit of American institutions that
is in accordance with and NOT, like the
present, absolutely repugnant to the
broad and beneficent scheme of the
Constitution of the United States.
Personal to River Men.
Capt. II. D. King. inspector in charge
of this lighthouse district. has sailed
L 10 81 To