Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-27

hitherto legislatively impotent. ac-
quires power. without the loss OF any
influence upon legislation which from
propinquity it had previously pos
sessed. y Congress in which the capl-
tai community has voting representa-
tion will to certainty be more con-
sistently considerate. just and sympa-
thetic as a local legislature than one
which has no local representation
Mas the IN bisries sf some in
it's financial relation to the natlo1
which must in equity be remedied.
The first. the vital step In securing sueh
remedy is to win voting represen,iiaa
ton for the District in the legislative
body which may grant or withhold .he
remedy. Has some inequitable tax
been imposed upon the local cotnH9G co. ~ r.
nifty. which the latter would reject II !.
taxed itself? In what other way can
the community guard itself against or
correct such inequity so enectlseiy ,as as
by participating on equat te+ns ,tins co,in-
ellis which fix the taxes ana oenhe "h"'
is equitable in taxation?
It has BEEN said that the politicai
equity of national represen!atioii. ,i.ha,,t 49,
not be enjoyed by the District without
sacrifice Of financial equity in its reia-
ton to the nation. On the contrary
this political equity Of national repre-
sentation is the strongest ana phii;tS petHin;ps
the only reliable guarantee OF sta anliity
of the nation in financial equity NJ. 10.
ward the people of the capital- ne ne
haIf-and-half law is not disturbed IN
It's continued existence Is. on the other
hand. guaranteed as long as II remains
equitable; and when the time comes 10
frame substitute for TINS law n...a. na,.I
with power to cause the succeeding
financial system to be based upon tne
principles of justice and wisdom IN
which the half-and-hal1 Jaw Is too,e1 t;on for
more adequate maintenance OF some
municipal function or Tor some sreal
permanent improvement. deveioplhs
the nations city? Voting representa
tion in House and Senate promises II
more surely and more quickly than py
any other device.
Is constructive. uplifting legislation on
sociological lines desired: NO wiser
and more efficient labor to secure sucn
legislation can be conceived imam .hal
which arms the community seekihs
the reform with voting representation
in the body which can grant or refuse
it.
Nation Still Controls Capital.
National representation for the Dis
trict will not disturb national control
of the seat of government through
Congress. as planned by the forefathers:
The small fractional representation OF
the District in Congress. nased on
recognition of the District as an IN
tegral part of the nation. vlndicates
fundamental American principle with
out weakening in the slightest national
| control of the capital. .,,,
The District does not demand 1ui
statehood 1t has no desire to overthrow
the system of a nation controlled capi-
tai In a federal district. But the resi-
dents of the District bear every bur-
den of war and peace imposed upon ma
tional citizens. Equity demands Tor
them every American right and privilege
and benefit not inconsistent with the
nations control of its capital through
Congress. Clearly recognition or the
| District as a part OF the nation political
| ly does not diminish the power of the
| nation. And clearly representation OF
the District in Congress Ii consistent
with the continued control of the Dis
trict by that Congress.
Impotency and Unftness.
| National representation of the Dis
! trict will remove from the nation the
shame of impotency and from Wash
( ingtonians the slur of unfitness.
| II will proclaim to the world that the
great republic is as devoted to the prin-
ciples Of representative government
and as capable of enforcing them as
other republics with capitalism nation
controlled districts, like Mexido, Brazil
and Argentina. These nations have not
| found them selves impotent to give full
national representation to the people OF
their capitals.
people of Washington are as fit to par
| ticipate in national representative gov
| ernment as the people of Rio, Buenos
Aires and Mexico City. Washington will
cease to be the only capital in all the
world whose people, slurred as tainted
| or defective are unworthy to enjoy the
same national representation as that
enjoyed by all other cities of the ma
tion.
| Washington will cease to be the only
| American mmunity-numerous. in
telligent, prosperous. public-spirited and
tinental and contiguous United States
whose fitness to exercise national
privileges as well as to bear national
| burdens Is slurred.
alleged unfitness. whether inflicted by
an American from the states or by some
thoughtless Washingtonian.
| Not white mans government. with
| 71eo of the population white? What
slur of impotency upon the "a and
| What white Washingtonians will
timidly hesitate to exercise vitally
important American privilege, neces-
| sary to their self-respect and to their
material welfare. because far less than
| half their number of colored Washing
tonians will enjoy this privilege with
| them?
Soldiers and National Taxpayers. ,
| Washingtonians ask representation
ON american principles in the leEisla-
ture which alone makes laws for them
and taxes them and may send every
man of them to war. perhaps to be
wounded or killed. Warrington, not de-
string that the nation shat. surrender
control OF Its capital. does not de-
nnnd full statehood. But what new
STATE haas ever been admitted to the