Evening star., 1916-04-14


of the males preserve their citizenship
in the several states?
Mr.. Noyes-No, senator: I can not.
think the fact should be ELECTED by ap-
propriate questions at the next census
l have tried to have the questions ask
ed at preceding censuses. I know, how
ever. that the number of those i'll the
city who have voting residence out
side is steadily and even rapidly dimin-
ishing. Take any department, any bu-
reau. where a very large number for-
merly went home to vote, and the num-
ber now is very small.
/ think that if this amendment were
adopted, and the opportunity were
given here in the District to vote for
senator's and Representatives and mem
berS of the electoral college. this class
of people who live here. with voting
residence elsewhere, would completely
disappear. The trouble heretofore has
been. where local voting has been al
lowed or in the local propositions for
a vote. that not enough in the way of
American privilege has been granted
or proposed to make it reasonable that
these men, where they were able to
keep UP the state connection, should
relinquish it-for instance, in order TO
participate merely in voting in connec-
ton with a local government. the eX-
elusive power remaining all the time
in Congress. SO that what the local
government did really was only petit
ton to Congress. l think the same rea-
We're now called on to vote merely for
VoteleSS delegate in the House, after
we have become entitled. in our num-
oers and intelligence and resources, to
full representation.
l can conceive that these men would
not surrender their right to vote Tor
senators and representatives and mem
bers of the electoral college in the
states unless the same priHleses were
10 be obtained by voting here. That is
I
lSht of existing conditions we OF
washington should all get together
ana try to secure what equitably be-
longs to the District in the way of
1uil representation, and not go back
to what jackson urged. and what was
granted us in 1S71-a voteless terri
toriai delegate, which was appropriate
at that time on account of the condl-
TONS of population and resources. but
is not equitable or adequate now
The only way to preserve the original
'alfen" status of Washington was to
keep the District as nearly unlnhabited
as mt the beginning. Our forefsthers
did not expect this paraly lysiS of growth.
George Washington predicted that the
city Of the nation a century thence, II
the country kept united, would be,
"thOuEh not as large London, yet
of magnitude inferior to few others
In Europe" 1t il unbelievable that he
thought that this great city which his
imagination pictured would be- peOpIed
by aliens politically and less than
aliens judicinIly. He could not have
ital. rivalinS London In population.
would not be an American city.
The transactfOn at the birth of the
city was not the permanent sale of an
American birfhriEht for special capt
tai privileges, including national main-
fenance and development. Ii the ma
ffOn had carried out it's century-Old
pledges to the capital, the surrender
of the American birthright Of national
representation would not equitably
have been viewed as perpetual But
the nation violated its obligation and
in 1873 only in part recognized and
reassumed it. Today the United states
should fulfill it's obligation Of capitnl
maintenance and uphuilding to the ex-
tent that equity demands. and should
also restore national representation to
the people of the District if statehood
conditions are now fairly met here.
Whatever the actual solution may he,
the problem must be solved of the
status-poIiticaI. judicial, industrial,
mafertai-of a DOpulOus end Intelligent
american community, living at the Ma
tional Capital. but politically outside
Of the nation: and this problem In fast
becoming, with the notable growth OF
the class of isolated Washingt0nians
one OF the most important and urgent
which confront Congress and the Amer
lean people.
Remarks in Conclusion (Feb. 29).
Mr.. Chairman. l am not here either
to oppose or to favor Senate bill 6S1
proposing delegate. / am here to
urge quick and favorable action upon
the proposed constitutional amend
ment. In some respects it is unfor-
tunate, in some respects fortunate, per-
maps. that these two measures have
been coupled. 1t Will be unfortunate e
if the committee takes the view that it
has before it two propositions of ade-
Guate representation, one of which is
easy to be granted. The other difficult
to be granted; one that must necessari-
ly occupy years in the securing, and
therefore appropriately giving way, as
far as immediate consideration is con-
cerned, to another practical proposition
of representation which can be quickly
secured and which will be satisfactory,
as far as it goes, when secured, and
helpful in the long run in obtaining the
fuller representation.
Anything is unfortunate that tends
to prevent the committee from taking
up the constitutional amendment and
pushing it for quick and favorable ac-
tion-not on the assumption that six
years or ten years will be required for
its enactment. but with the conviction
that the District is entitled today TO this
full representation. that it constitutes
the only adequate representation. and
that it should be granted as rapidly as
by urgent pressure the consent of the
nation can be secured. Anything. l say.
that interferes with that course in
respect to the constitutional amend
ment would be a subject of vigorous
protest from the Chamber of Com
merce and the people in general who
unitedly support this constitutional
amendment, and who, in doing So sac
ritce and put to one side the individual
views which they entertain in respect
both to forms of local government and
in respect to the issue of "a voteless
territorial delegate.
All of these propositions of Suffrag &c
in the District were referred by the
Chamber of Commerce to its committee
OF ten. which, when it met, found that
ent views of what should be done in
respect TO local government in the Dis
trict of Columbia. and there was a di-
ViSlon-a distinct diviSion-of Senti-
ment in regard to the comparative ad-
vantageS and disadvantages of a vote
less territorial delegate; but We found
after canvasSing the matter that all
ten of US viewed the proposed consti-
tutional amendment as something that
we We're entitled to at once, as some
thing that was vital to our interests,
the only adequate representation under
existing conditions that should be
d unit put aside our individual senti-
ments in regard to these other issues
and reported back to the Chamber of
Commerce this constitutional amend