The Washington herald., 1920-12-19
INTRODUCES BILL
In HOUSE TO Give
LOCAL RULE HERE
Zihlman Proposes to Put
d. C. on Political Par
With Philippines.

The District of Columbia would be
placed on an equal footing politi-
calIy with the Philippine Islands by
a bill of Representative Frederick
N. Zihlman, Of Maryland, introduced
in the House yesterday providing
local self-goyernment and two dele
gates in the National Congress for
the District.
The local government feature pro-
vides for four District commission
ers, a utilities board OF five and 9
board of education of nine MEM
bers. to be elected by the citizens
of the District every two years un-
der election machinery provided in
the bill Provision is made for one
engineer commissioner to be ap-
pointed by the President from the
army.
Referred to Committee.
The measure, which was referred
to the House District Committee
was drafted by Representative Zihl-
man and Alvin L. Newmyer, local
attorney. assisted by a committee
Including Col. Winfield Jones, pres
ident of the National Press Com
mittee for d. C. Suffrage; Col. John
McElroy, chairman of the veterans
committee for d. c. suffrage; John
b. Colpoys, chairman of the labor
committee for D. C. suffrage; Mrs.
Isabel Worrell Ball, chairman of
the woman's committee for ID. C..
suffrage. and Frank B. Lord, Louis
s. Gottlieb. Capt. w. l.. Mattocks,
Capt. j. Walter Mitchell, Robert L.
Miller. Z. c. r. Humphries and
other suffrage advocates.
All machinery for registration,
nominations by primaries, and final
elections, is provided in the bill,
with severe. penalties for corrup-
ton either in the primaries or final
elections.
Precincts Wanted.
The District would be divided into
voting precincts by the District
Commissioners, each precinct TO
have not more than 1000 qualified
voters.
Qualified voters must be citizens
of the United States, twenty-one
years of age, and residents of the
District one year and in their pre-.
cinct one month. Women would be
on an equal political basis witt
men.
A similar bill will be introduced
in the Senate upon the arrival in
Washington of Senator Lawrence Y.
Sherman, of Illinois. chairman of
the District Committee, it was an
nounced- The House District Com
mittee is expected to begin hearings
on the measure early in January
Committee Statement.
A statement issued by the Ma
tional Press Committee for d. c.
Suffrage. coincident with introduc-
tion of the local suffrage bill in the
House, said:
The National Press Committee
favors not only the constitutional
amendment, but also the fullest To-
cal self-government for the District
OF Columbia. 1t is the only organi-
zation advocating and working for
complete enfranchisement of our
people. As three polls of the House
and Senate taken by the committee
at the last session showed a great
percentage of Senator's and Repre-
sentatives opposed to- the constitu-
tional amendment. which was also
rejected by the recent National Re-
publican and Democratic conyen-
uons, while a large majority of Con-
gressmen have expressed a desire to
give some sort of local seif-govern-
ment to the disfranchised SOC. 600.
we believe it sheer folly to continue
to press for the constitutional
amendment at this time under such
an expression of adverse sentiment
in Congress, and only commonsense
to ask for something that Congress
is willing to grant the voteless peo-
pie of the District. While the COM
mittee-will continue to agitate for a
constitutional amendment Ii believes
1T is the wisest course at this time
to ask Congress for that kind Of
seif-government that Congress Is
willing to grant. and not to continue
10 ask fer the impossible
ANY agitation for the constitu-
tional amendment. now. at tins
time' is based on lack of knowi-
CONTINUED on PAGE EIGHT.