Evening star., 1917-12-02
AK Not Too Little Nor Too. Much.


the Washingtonian's political status
lacks is voting representation in Con-
gress and the electoral college. To Sc
cure this privilege an amendment Of
the Constitution is necessary. Two
thirds vote of Congress and three
fourths vote of the state legislatures
are required to adopt constitutional
amendment.
Washington is organizing to support
|:a proposed constitutional amendment
70 secure District national representa-
tion, which wisely asks from two thirds
of Congress an irreducible minimum of
legislative action; and which leaves to
be decided by mere majority vote Of
Congress an unincreasable maximum of
legislative issues.
Only by this policy can success be
won. To ask more Is to lose all. To
nsk less will make q failure of success.
The District of Columbia with over
B50, 900 bona fde residents constitutes q
community intelligent, public spirited,
law abiding, patriotic and thoroughly
American. In combined quantity and
quality of populsssun, and in ability to
meet national taxes and to supply SOL
diers in the nations defense in time of
war, this community is not equaHed
by any new state at the time of its ad-
mission to the Union.
Why, then, do we not demand admis-
Bion to the Union as ll-fedged state
Because under the Constitution the ma
] tion controls its capital through Com
gress, and admission of the District to
statehood would destroy this control;
and because two-thirds of Congress are
not ready now and probably never will
be ready to vote to surrender this con-
troll.
We do not ask full statehood, but
we do ask for all the fundamental
American rights and privileges which
ere consistent with control of the capi-
ta1 by Congress, representing the ma
tion- Representation of the capital on
lAneriean principles in Congress is
clearly consistent with control Of the
capital by that Congress.
i In the last Congress we urged a con-
'stitutienal amendment which directly
and Immediately gave to Washing
tonians this national representation,
and we thought in so doing that we
had found the irreducible minimum of
bad which the amendment must carry
in running the gantlet of two-thirds of
Congress and three-fourths of the state
legislatures.
But we learned later that we were
mistaken. We discovered that Congress
WIS reluctant to grant directly by con-
.stitutional provision this national rep
.yesentation- Powerful influences opposed
the amendment in this shape. Our
amendnent was shelved in committee.
Our constitutional amendment now
pending gives no District representa-
tion. directly, but empowers Congress to
grant this representation. In thus re-
Educing what we thought was the ire
ducible minimum, we avoid the OBJ
lection and opposition which paralyzed
last sessions amendment.
Our frankly avowed purpose in Of
s1ering the new proposition is to secure
congressional action upon a constitu-
tional amendment which can success
fully run the gantlet of the require
sment Of two-thirds congressional vote,
and ct the same time constitute prac-
tieaa and substantial advance toward the
goa1 of real national representation for
/ The District.
While our amendment does not d.
rectfy and Immediately give to Wash
Mgtonians national representation, it
Ffakes that vital privilege from mac
feasibility and places it within easy
reaoh After its adoption only a ma
E5ority vote Of Congress will be required
TO do equity in this matter.
As now framed, our amendment. in
stead OF proposing to curtail the power
FOR Congress, increases and extends that
power. Congress, which can now give
an the rights Of citizens of state to
the people Of territory, is to be further
empowered to give part of these rights
TO residents Of the District, the only
remaining Americans in the continen-
tai and contiguous United States who
|ihaye not been admitted to statehood.
IS All Of the centroverted issues con-
Eeerning the makeup Of the local cleo
|itorate, the qualifications of voters and
the form Of local government upon
(which Washineonians radically differ
.are postponed to be decided by the ma
E5ority vote Of Congress after the great
and vital question of the constitutional
status Of the Washingtonian has been
answered.
s. OHT proposition is SO stripped of
ENvery strife-breeding feature and SO
eentered upon single principle of un-
eeniable equity that all of Washington
csn and should enthusiastically get be-
hind Il and push It to success.