The Washington times., 1917-07-26
The Consent of the Governed
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

There place in the world perhaps, where greater
variety of impossible proposals made each year than In
National Legislature Some of them extreme and
thnkabe; Others moderate and meritorous per-
haps considered but fail of adoption because no public
opinion happens to have been crysalzed behind them
Suffrage for the and women of the District Of
Columbia is not unthnkable There is nothing inherently
wrong with the citizen of Washington which makes him less
fitted for the exercise of civic privileges than his neghbor
just across the District line in Maryland or Virginia
The people of this city get suffrage if they will
assert themselves for it. They have been peacefully tolerant
for years. They had the ballot dnce but in the riots
the negro problem observation-disclosures offered
compromise solution The situation has entirely changed
since then Qualifications for the right of the hterate and
intelligent to vote be qutaby worked out by the citizens
of Washington they put their minds to it ALI reform
is achieved in travail The difference between reactionay
and progressive has been defined by President Wilson
the difference between who regards all change
ksome and therefore undesirable and who believes the
ultimate good worth any discomfort cost that must attend
the process of change
There citizens associations and civic bodies here
which organize movement for universal suffrage in
the District of Columbia and obtain it from Congress There
hundreds of thousands of people the District of Column
bia. Who represents them Congressi Is there
sembnce of home rule in the present arrangement whereby
ransients rule the cityfor after ALL few Con-
spend their lives here Now the time for the people
of the District to besr themselves Seven years of
nued residence in Washington the writer has convinced
him that his fellowcitzens of Washington differ not bit
from other Americans in their capacity for self
The State of Nevada has population of 81 875yet it
has two Senators and Representative The State of Arizona
has population of 204 35yet it has two Senators and
Representative The State of Delaware has population of
POP 32yet it has two Senators and Representative The
State of Idaho has populaono 35 yetit has two Sen
aors and two Representatives The State of New Mexico has
population of 32 01yet has two Senators and Repre-
sentative The State of Wyoming has population of 49,
965-yet it has two Senators and Representative.
Six States in other words have populations less than
that of the District of Columbia while Utah. Vermont Mon
tana South Dakota and Rhode Island respectively have
only few thousand people than the District of Coum
ba according to the of 1910 Why should six units
of population each smaller than the city of Washington
enjoy privileges in this country that granted
seventh unfit Westinghouse expanding rapidly Its resident
population according to the last 100000 Unques
tonaby there at least half million people in Washing
today Many of these people retain their legal residence
elsewhere but hundreds of thousands having lived in the
District most of their lives having made Washington their
adopted home do vote at ALL This is not government
by the consent of the governed.
The people of the District of Columbia have given freely
of their treasure they to give up their lives for the
Government and the flag They have all the obligations Of
but of its privileges They obtain the
ballot they will insist upon it. This nssence be best
organized by the residents of the National Capital
and by the various citizens associations The time for
certed action has come