Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-28
THE WASH|NGTON|AN
APPROXIMATION
CATECH|SM.
THEODORE W. MOVES.

~ Wkat do you *eeks
National representation, i.e.. voting rep
rexentation in the national government.
The status of American citizens and ctti-
xens of m state in House, Senate, elec-
toral college and the courts OF the
United States.
t2J How do you seek national
representation. BY the pending
constitutional amendment We ask the
people of the United states to empower
Congress- In its discretion to grant US
this representation. When this power
is given to Congress by two-thirds
vote of Congress and three-Iourtns
vote of the state legislatures we shah
seek to persuade majority OF Soh-
eress of the justice and wisdom OF the
speedy exercise of this power BY
the constitutional amendment national
representation is taken from anaccessi-
bility and made possible. BY the SUD
seouent action of Congress Dtstr1ct
representation will be made a reality.
(3.) What do you omit to seeks
We do not seek to disturb In any way
national control Of the capital through
Congress. We seek merely to participate
like Americans of the states IN the
Congress which exercises this control,
and in the national government wnicn
makes and executes laws for the whole
United States, the District OF Coiumoia
included.
We do not seek in this movement for
national representation either to break
down or to protect the form OF munici-
nal government which Congress repre-
senting the nation has given US. Con
gress has now the power by a majority
vote to set up here any municlpa1 gov.
ernment it pleases, with any degree OF
self-government which does not involve
a delegation by Congress OF It's power
of general legislation. 1t Will nave pre-
cisely the same power. NO more ana NO
less. when the constitutional amendment
empowering Congress to grant District
national representation has been
adopted.
Some of us favor retention of the
present form of municipal government
some of us favor its change by Con-
gress in the direction of larger meas
ure of local self-government. We alf
come together and cooperate heartfly
in seeking representation IN the ma
tional government and the honor. the
privilege and the power of national rep
resentative citizenship. We are not so
foolish as to drop out of campaign Tor
something that we all earnestly want
and absolutely need In order to quarrel
without result over the entirely distinct
question of local self-government.
Those who want District national
representation by constitutional amend
ment and no more, and those who want
what they call full citizenship" or ma
tional representation through constitu-
tional amendment plus approximate To-
cal self-EovernmeBt through majority vote
OF Congress, travel together har-
monfousiy up to the point O tne aaop-
Here the two groups separate and be-
gin to fight.
The few of the first group who de-
nounce national representation by con-
stitutiona1 amendment as the "entefing
wedgen for local self-goyernment are
illogical An entering wedge pushes
into the point of least resistance and
makes way for something larger and
not otherwise find entrance. A consti-
tutiona1 amendment requiring two
thirds of Congress and three-fourths of
the states, attacks the point of Ereatest
resistance. and the national representa-
tion which results is of far greater i'm
portance than the approximate local
The "entering wedge"
comparison is radically misleading.
The few of the second group who
clamoring for full citizenship hold back
from pushing the pending constitutional
amendment on the ground that it is in
adequate, are equally illogical. National
representation. which is by far the more
important factor in full citizenship"
can only be obtained by constitutional
amendment. The other factor, approxi-
mate local seIf-government. can be OBJ
tained by majority vote of Congress-
The full citizenship" advocate must fight
with all his might for both, and pri-
marily for the more important and the
harder to win. the constitutional amend
ment.
The unreasonableness of those who
refrain from pushing the constitutional
amendment because of the delusion that
it is the entering wedge" for local
seH-government Is no less than that of
those who are lukewarm in,>s support Of
the constitutional amendment, because
it does not cover and include any pro-
vision of change in the local govern
ment
In seeking the Americanization of
Washingtonfans we ask through consti-
tutiona1 amendment only that which is
VITAL to that AmericanfzatiOn and which
can be obtained in no other way than
by constitutional amendment We do
not seek to secure two-thirds vote of
Congress and a three-fourths vote Of
the state legislatures for any Legislative
proposition Whatsoever which Congress-
now has the power by mere majority
vote to enact.
(To be continued)