Evening star., 1920-11-02
Votes With Power Wanted.

l EiSht anu tNIS pOWST are cApi SSsceA'
II this voting power in the nation!
councils is given, it is comparativel.
| immaterial whether or not the Dis
trict is r.,ade sovereign state. Bu
the District IN one way or the othel
must have at least the opportunity t.
secure by majority vote Of Congress!
this vital power and right: and will
1 not be bamboozled into acceptance o.
any substitute concession which in
wolves refusal Of this power.
To suggest a voteless territoria
delegate for the District. unless stimuli
taneously by constitutional amend
ment the power is given to Congress
in it's discretion to convert the terri
torial status into that of statehood, is
of dubious benefit. Representation
without voting power is not real Amer
lean representation at all. Territorial
delegates are merely legislative agents
Of the territories in the transition
period to statehood. whose main func
ton is to expedite statehood through
legislation which puts them out OF
official existence.
To suggest as a substitute for ma
tional representation any concession
In respect to the form Of local govern
ment which leaves all power in Con-
gress and fails to give the District
voting representation in that Con-
gress is a form of bunco. If We are
convinced that campaigning Tor
changes in local government can be
conducted without interfering with
the campaign for national representa-
ton there is no reason why the two
campaigns before different congress
sional committees should not be push
ed simultaneously. But activity in
behalf of changes in form of local gov
ernment should increase and not
abate enthusiasm in pushing for voting
representation in Congress and elec-
toral college. If we permit the former
to put aside, and substitute itself for
the latter, we swap what is vital for
what comparatively speaking is worth
less.
After changes in the local govern
ment are secured the Washingtonian
will find that he is not a sovereign
American citizen; that without repre-
sentation in Congress and without con-
troll over the municipal taxing power
he has not American political rights
and privileges and he is not free.
II Washingtonians are political
slaves now they will still be political
slaves after they have the power to
elect a voteless delegate, or even Dis
trict Commissioners or any other mu-
nicipal officials if the exclusive power
Of legislation under the constitutional
provision still remains in a Congress
hot elected by them and in which they
are not represented. Their chains may
be made q little lighter and may not
clank so loudly; they may be granted
by kind masters little greater free
dom of movement, but they are not
free. The power TO take away their
their freedom and life itself
IL in others not chosen by them, and
to whose rule they have not assented.
There is no self-government. when the
power to tax one. to imprison one
and to send one to war is not in ones
self or in those to whom one has vol.
conhded it as ones representa-
tives. Our appeal for suffrage is
not an appeal that is satisfied by the
grant of any kind Of votes. We are
stin ''voteless" Washingtonians,
though we vote for delegates to presi.
dental nominating conventions, if we
cannot vote for the President whom
we help to nominate. We are still
''voteless'' Washingtonians, even
though we shall be given the power
to vote for a voteless territorial dele
gate, who is himself impetent. We
are still "voteless" Washingtonians,
though we vote for a board Of educa-
tion, or even for some Of the District
Commissioners. unless to the latter
Congress delegates legislative power
to degree now apparently forbid.
den by the United States Supreme
Court in the Stoutenburg case.
We do not ask for votes that are
meaningless. impotent shams. We
ask for votes that stand for legislative
power, for an American right or birth
right, for votes that represent the ex-
ercise Of ouV share as Americans in
American sovereignty.
We ask for tho same kind Of votes
with power that are being cast all
over the republic BY our fellow Ameri-
cans today and We should be satisfied
with nothing less.