Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-03
THE WASH|NGTON|AN
AMER|CAN|zAT|ON
CATECH|SM.
BY THEODORE W. MOVES.

DIX 4aGO1OhG W. NS = %ssSs
(1O) Arc you fit In numbers. intelIi.
gence and resources to enjoy these na-
tiOnal rights and privileges OF citizeni
OF a statef
Yes We are American citizens as
sembled ''in sufficient numbers in
limited space" and meet all the terri
torial requirements of the community
about to be admitted to full statehood.
The District exceeds In population nve
and perhaps six of the existing states.
1t exceeds In population every new
state in the Union MT the time OF Its ad-
mission except Oklahoma.
The community i'm intelligence, In pub
lie spirit, patriotic devotion, in every
distinctive American characteristic II
unsurpassed In the United States.
Who contends that these 100000
Americans are not as intelligent, as
patriotic, as public-spirited. as Ameri-
can, in short, as the same number o1
Americans anywhere else in the United
States, or as the smaller number OF
Americans collected in five of the
states?
What new state has ever been ad-
mitted to the Union which at the time
of admission had SO large, so intelligent
and so thoroughly American a popula-
tion as the District? What new state
at the time of admission, measured, as
to its taxable resources. was raising SC
much in local taxes and contributing sc
much in national taxes, as the Distric,
Of Columbia? The District today is con
tributing in national taxes. to be dis
bursed by a legislature in which II is
not represented, greater amount abso-
lutely than twenty two of the states
and a greater amount per capita than
thirty-six of the states.
The District in war today responds as
enthusiastically and effectively to the
call to arms as any other American
community. Washingtonians have risk
ed life and shed their blood in every
national war. To preserve the Union
the first volunteers came from the cap
ftal, and Washingtonians supplied q
greater percentage of troops in excess
of their quota than nearly every state
in the Union. In the war with Spain
they sent to Cuba a fine regiment ex-
ceeding their quota in numbers. The
same response was made when the sum-
mons to the Mexican border came. Al
that time the percentage of men Of mill
tary age enrolled in the organized mill
tia was greater in the District than in
any state of the Union. Washington
sent more soldiers to the border than
twenty-five of the states.
If. however, any one thinks that the
population of the District is not now I'll
for admission to partial statehood, NO
reason results for opposing this consti-
tutiOnal amendment. which merely gives
the future to grant this representation
and which postpones the test of the Dis
tricts fitness until Congress shall ses
fit to apply it. We shall be f1t then Il
not now.
To vote against our constitutional
and delinquents of Washington will
never be fit for national representation
and should be denied the possibility OF
ever convincing Congress that they
have become fit.
I'D II you are thus entitled to fnI
statehood why do yen mot ask for ad-
miaafon ~ q ful1-AedgeA .stafeY "
We assume that national cof1tr6f 81
the eapifal through Congress Will moi
pe surrendered. and as long as thissecn-
a sovereign state. We do not seek to
wrest control Of the capital from Con-
gress or to reduce the powers OF Con-
gress in any particular We ask only tc
be made a small fractional part Of the
national government, which represents
the whole nation. the District included
In exercising power of exclusive legfs-
lation over the ten miles square
II we secured full statehood. and sur
render by the nation of control of Its
capital, reputation by the nation OF
financial equity in dealing with its self
governing capital would be threatened,
and possibly even a removal of the
seat of government.
Our present attitude is unassailable.
We show convincingly the conditions
which entitle US to all the rights prfyi-
leges and powers of the citizens of a state
In order. however. that in the national in
terest the nation may retain full control
OF its capital we waive those rights and
powers which are inconsistent with that
control. And we petition Congress to
empower itself to grant to ms when
we are dt such of those rights and
powers of the citizens of a state as are
c0nsfsfent with national control of the
seat of government
Entitled to all. we ask patrfotically
and se1f-sacrificingly only for a part.
How can any American. in or out of
tion? What national legislator can be
imagined as STOPPING so low as to
threaten reputation by the nation of
its financial obligation toward the capi-
tai, or violation of the nations pledge
that Washington should be the perma-
nent capital. merely because Washing
tonians dare to present and push this
just amendment?
Not a vote in either house of Con-
gress should deny this degree of Ameri-
canlzation to the people of the District
of Columbia.
G2) Whnf are the exact words which
you propose to insert by amendment
into the Constitutions:
"The Congress shall have. power to
admit to the status Of citizens Of 4
state the residents Of the District con-
Stitutfng the seat of the R0vcrnmeut Of
the United States. created by article /,
sectfon y, Tor The purpose of represen-
tatfon In fhe Congress and among the
electors of President and Vice PresI-
dent and for the purpo.e OF suing and
being sued I'm the courts of the United
States under the provisions of article
III. section 2.
"When the Congress shall exercise
this power the residents OF >such Dis
trict shall be entitled to elect one or
two senators. as deter1utncd BY the
Congress, representatives in the House
according to their numbers ns deter
mined by the decennial cnumeratl
and presidential electors equal In NAM
ber to their ngEregate representation
In the House and Senate.
t1The Congress shall provide By law
the qualifications of voters and the
time and manner Of choOsing the sen-
stor or senators, the representative or
representatives and the electors herein
authorized.
"'rhe ConGress shall have power to
make nIl laws which shrli he neces-
sary and proper for carrying into exc
cution the foregoing poyver.o
ITO be continued)
TAILORS TO AID COUNTRY.