Evening star., 1918-02-03
CALLS FOR JUSTICE
TO CITIZENS OF D. C.
Vim. E. Brigham, in Boston
Transcript, Shows Why
Washington Should Vote.
DECISION WITH PEOPLE

.MlllIhm r.. brigham W aSliington correspond
ence Of the Boston Transcript.
The voters Of the United States may
soon have a chance to render simple
Justice to the citizens cf the District
OF Columbia Constitutional amend
ments are something the fashion just
now; but however the individual voter
may register himself with respect to
prohibition or woman suffrage. he can
conscientiously mark cross in favor
of the proposed resolution granting the
District representation in Congress
with no other thought than that in so
doing he is simply following out the
principles of the Golden Rule. The citi-
zen who cherishes his own right to
vote cannot logically refuse the same
right to others. especially when he can
aid the other fellow without injury to
himself True. Congress has not yet
approved the amendment granting suf-
frage to the District. but there never
has been a time in the history of Con-
gress when the idea has been so popu-
lar with men of all parties or when the
essential justice of the proposition was
50 cordially recognized. In due time
Congress will vote upon joint reso-
luton offered by Mr.. Chamberlain in
the Senate and Mr.. Austin of Tennessee
In the House
ItSOlullOH DiuS ldlT 10 be auopttu
by Congress, when. of course. it must
go to the states for ratification by
three-fourths of them Meantime. and
afterward, it will become subject of
interested discussion throughout the
country. Assuming that eventually
this proposed reform will be submitted
to all the voters for decision, they
should understand the spirit in which
the people of Washington ask for
right which has been too long with
held. First. the District wants suffrage
not through any special dissatisfaction
with its treatment by Congress. The
Plan, in fact. Contemplates no change
in the relations between the federal
government and the District of Co
1umbia, nor does it propose selfgov-
. ernment for the District. Washing
tonians-to use the broadly descriptive
term-recognZe clearly now as
when the District was carved out of
nothing and contained an exclusively
official population. that the federal gov
ernment is entitled to paramount rights
Tits own capital
Development of Capital Expensive.
Washington is laid out on a mag
nifcent scale, out of all proportion to
the physical necessities of other COM
nunitieS, where the first consideration
Is local convenience at the least posSi-
BILE expense. The general plan of
Washington instituted by l. LEnfant and
perfected by Ellicott, called for a de-
velopment which no growing munich
pality could afford out of it's own re-
sources.
The capital was designed therefore.
upon comprehensive plan, in which
majesty and beauty should be dominat-
ing factors. Development of this char
acter was exceedingly expensive, and
the federal government very properly
has borne its share of the cost. More
over very large percentage of the
territory of the District of Columbia is
owned and occupied by the government
and therefore is unavailable for pur-
poses of taxation For forty years the
so-called half-and-half plan, whereby
the government has met half the eX-
penses of maintaining Washington. has
overthrow never has been seriously at
tempted by Congress. the Senate al
: ways refusing to sanction change.
But Washington is now city of some
100000 inhabitants. The backbone of
its population is the government clerk,
but he and she constitute only small
fraction Of the total population. A
great city has developed containing
more men and women than six states.
Outsiders will not be offended if Wash
fngtonians declare that the level of in
telligence is higher here than in any
other great city of the country. for the
basic population is selected for supe-
rior ability to perform the work of the
government, as soldiers are drawn for
the Army through superior physical
qualifications.
without Political Representation.
THE point is not, however, superiority
Of personnel 1t is that these 400. 900
Americans are absolutely without po-
litical representation of any kind They
have no voice in their own affairs.
which are administered by a commits
sion appointed by a President whom
they had no hand in electing and laws
are made for them without their being
given an opportunity even to debate
them on the floor of Congress. They
are as helpless as Indians or negroes
in-the south. Their position is almost
as humiIiating as that of the man with
out a country. From one point OF
view it is more SO, for they have done
nothing unpatriotic to forfeit their po-
Iitical rights. Their only offense has
been to carry on the work of the gov
ernmeDf
washingtonians pay their proportion
of every national tax, direct and indi-
rect. that is imposed on the taxpayine
public They fight the battles of their
country as bravely and willingly as
any other class in the land. They are
amenable to all laws, yet have not even
the right to sue in the United States
courts. They are making sacrifices to-
day for the defense of the nation that
are eaualed nowhere else. Their con-
tributions to the liberty loan will meas
ure with those of any other community.
They have contributed for the war
more per capita than three-fourths of
the states and more absolutely than
nine OF the states combined 1et the
most unamerican spot in America to-
day is the capital of the United States.
the rights of whose citizens are actual
1y less than those of aliens.
Only Representation Sought
The District is not asking Congress
for anything more than the bare priv
ilege of representation in the law-mak-
ing body. 1t does not demand even
equal representation with communities
, of its size. although it really is entitled
to it. On the contrary. it leaves to
, Congress to decide whether il shall
have one or more senators. 1t desires
only to be represented in Congress and
to vote for presidential electors. The
time is opDortune to grant this request
because no partisan consideration en-
ters into it, The District has no politi-
cal ak to grind nor could any one pre-
dict how its citizens would vote upon
any leading domestic ISSUE like pro-
hibition. or woman suffrage. protection
or free trade. 1t has candidates for
senator and representative. The move
ment for suffrage in the District had
its inception in political self-respect
not in personal ambition. The exceed
fngiy strong organization. or executive
committee. which has been formed in
Washington to advance the cause of
District suffrage comprehends every So
cfal ana business interest in the COM