The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-11
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TION
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIE. Director.
washtngson. .. C.
yOTELEss WASHINGTON.
washingsoa. .. C.

4 to secure representation IN congress
and voice in the making of their
! own laws.
| Residents of the District of Column
| bia have decided to renew their fight
| for suffra &c. and, as the quickest way
| of gaining the desired end are opening
| a campaign to enlist the aid and SYM
pathy of their fellow countrymen-l
carrying the battle to the halls of con-
| gress by way of the people.
f; IF Bill Hicks of Hicksville," the
people of Washington argue, writes
| his representative in congress and asks
] how it happens that in free country
+, like America 100000 people are denied
| the privileges of citizenship, the afore-
| said congressman, thinking of Bits
| vote, is apt to consider the Austin
| Chamberlain amendment more care
fully than if approached by a voteless
| Washingtonian-
| Believing that the Bin Hickses" of
the nation are as a rule justice-loving
| chaps, and have only neglected taking
| up the~fight of their fellow country
| men in the national capital thru igno-
rance of their plight. the business men
| of Washington a few months ago
| printed a postscript to their letter
heads in a few lines of red ink, plainly
| stating the case as it stands and ask
| ing their correspondents aid and SYM
| patf1y. The postscript reads:
-Four hundred thousand residents
| Of the District of Columbia pay federal
| taxes, obey federal laws, go to war to
defend the federal government; but
| these 100000 have no presidential vote
no national representation. Taxation
without representation is tyranny.
Will you help US? If SO, write Cs, and
we will tell you how
Since the postscript first appeared
under a Washington business mans
| letterhead over one million of them
| have been printed, and have gone out
| to carry their message to the million
business men turnout the nation re-
ceiving the letters.
The idea was originated by Joseph
kaufman. a Washington business man
and firm believer in the theory that
! 'it pays to advertise"
III you want-to change the course
| of river start at the source" Mr..
| Kaufman argues, and if you want to
I effect. constitutional amendments
talk to the people, the source of leg
| islation. We must advertise our
i plight. We must sell the conviction
1 of the Justice of our claims to the hun
dred million people in the land. Half
the people back in the states do not
realize our condition. Let US advertise
the truth and leave the rest to their
| sense of Justice"
The scheme has worked. In answer
to the plea, the business men of the
city are receiving from every state and
section of the union promises of help
and requests for information as to
how they can best serve the people
of Washington in their fight.
| How can We folks in New Haven
| help you folks in Washington get a
Glance to 90 was the postscript to
a letter received in Washington from
n big business house in New Haven,
II Conn. The answer was a small fold
err compiled by a Washington news
paper, explaining the amendment in
| troduced into the house by Repre-
sentative Richard W. Austin of Ten
nessee on April %, 1917, and in the
senate by Senator George E. Cham
berlain of Oregon on May II. 1915.
The amendment the folder ex
plains, gives congress the power to
correct the injustice to the District of
Columbia, without disturbing. in the
slightest national CONTROL of the capt.
tai or the present form of municipal
government. Congress retains every
power that it now possesses. All that
Is proposed is that the District of
Columbia shall become g. small frac-
tional part of that congress, and po-
litically an integral part of the nation
which that congress represents"
The amendment contains the fol-
lowing provisions:
That congress shall have power to
admit to the status of citizens of a
state the residents of the District con-
stituting the seat of the government
of the United States
The residents Of the District shall
be entitled to elect one or two sena-
tors determined by congress. rep
resentatives in the house according to
their number as determined by the
|, decennial enumeration and presiden
tial electors equal to their aggregate
number of representatives in the
house and senate"
That congress shall provide by law
the qualifications of voters ande the
time and manner of choosing the rep
resentatives in congress
THAT congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be neces-
sary and proper for carrying into ex-
ecution the foregoing powers" 1t is
pointed out that the reasons given by
members of the constitutional conven-
? ton for depriving the seat of govern
ment of the rights of citizenship are
no longer applicable, and that the city
: has grown to proportions undreamed
of by our forefathers. THE city,
the folder declares has now three
times the average number of inhabi-
tants of the colonies prior to the Rev
r olutionary war. If the District of
| Columbia had been organized at the
time of the drafting of the constitu-
ton as it is now it would have been
the most important political body of
: them all, and would have dema nded
and received full representa- ton in
congress"
Trade bodies and citizens commit
$ tees and assoc atoms of the national
ca pita1 have unanimously endorsed
Mr.. Kaufman's scheme of interesting
those outside the city in the question
of suffrage for the District of Column
I bia.
At present the majority" of the large
, business houses of Wasllin gton print
the Votes for the District slogan at
= the close of all of their private and
= business correspondence, and advo-
j. Gates of the scheme believe that be-
fore long every letter and package
a leaving the district will carry the mes
= sage. The slogan Ms printed on the
letterheads of numerous firms outside
the city, concerns that have consented
q in this way to help the people of the
Y District.