Evening star., 1918-02-16
Both OBJ sections Are Irrelevant.

But IL this slur upon washingtonv
colored and white. were thoroughly de-
served at this time, no reason would
thereby be found to oppose the pendine
constitutional amendment For this
amendment does not directly and Inn
mediately admit the Washington do
fectives and delinQuents to national
representation. It merely eApswezs
Congress, In its diseretioa. at sosne =.
ture time, to admit District residents
to the status of citizens Of q state Tor
the purpose of national Representatives
and also provides the machinery to b
utilized when Congress wishes to exef.
else this power. g.
It does not take any power whatso.
ever from Congress. On the contrary.
of Congress.
Congress now has the power to grant
full national representation to the peo.
Pile of territory by admitting il -
giving to the nation through Con-
gress exclusive control over the seat Of
government deprives Congress Of the
power of giving to residents OF the Dis
constitutional amendment fs an en-.
abling act for Congress. empoWerfngs
but not directing, it to admit District
residents to the status OF citizens Of q
state only so far as viii not disturb the
national exclusive control OF the capital
by the nation through Congress. Voting
representation Of the District in Com
gress will clearly not affect control oe
the District by Congress.
In the republics political history ie
has sometimes happened that partisan
apprehension that new state would b
opposed to the party in power has
caused that party to prevent admission
though it was fit in every respect Such
partisan fears, If any should exist in
respect to the admission OF the District
to national representation. would nat
urally arise and result in acts only
when that admission was directly and
Immediately sought and was imminent
They would not logically justify opp0-
sition to the pending constitutions
amendment
II this amendment passes. Congress win
only have the same power to give part
of the privileges Of statehood to the Dis
trict that 1t now has to give all OF these
privileges to Alaska or Hawaii.
II after this amendment is adopted Con.
gress thinks that for any reason. parti.
san or otherwise. the time is not yet rfpo
for national representation for the Dte-
trict the admission OF Washingtonians to
litical party in control of Congress at that
time is convinced that admission" Of
the District will create senator or sen
ators and representatives controlled by tho
opportunity to block and postpone ad-
mission that both parties have had and
have exercised in the past in the case OF
many Of the territorial applicants for
statehood after they were fitted for adj
mission in population and resources
Washington applies to tSvo-thirda Of
Congress to empower Congress, when-
ever Congress pieases, to give national
give to the seat of government the
same POSSIBILITY of national repre-
sentati0n that Hawaii and AInska now
possess.
What WashinRtonian can be tmsr.
lined n opposing, this amemdment.
which digniAes and exalts his AmerS-
can status. and neither fnnfcts neR
threatens any injury to anybody:
What senator or representative can
be imagined n opposing an amendment
OF Congress on logical and eQuftabla
lines, and which simply empowers Con-
gress to correct political tneQuity when.
ever 1T sees fit to do s0s
Washington is asking by constitu.
tional amendment. requiring two-
thirds vote OF Congress, only what 10
absolutely essential to be secured in
this way. If more were asked by con-
ever could secure the necessary two
thirds vote.
All of the controverted issues con-
corning the makeup of the local elec-
torate, the qualifications OF voters and
the form of local government, upon
which Washingtonians radically difSee.
are now postponed, to be decided BY
the majority vote OF Congress after the
great and vital question Of the con-
stitutional status of the Washingto.
nian has been answered. p
Surely no Washingtonian will con-
tend that the District should not By
amendment be placed onS
the same basis as ALASKA or Hawaii a
respect to the possibility Of national
or that Congress should
not then in its discretion by o major.
ity vote grant such equitable repre-
sentatiou.
Surely Congress will not qufbbls e.
by constitutional amendment the poWeP
ut the right time to cure the eva aA4
shame OF completely noD-repreo9utAe
live eoVeE1mank o1 tie ao94 0e -