Evening star., 1920-03-17

L
war veterans in the District to work
for the representation In Congress
program. Referring to these men. he
said:
Legion. / understand this question is
now being passed on by each post
which will then. through its repre-
| sentative in the department executive
committee, express oftcially thelr
stand on suffrage in the District OF
erans' committee. as well as com
mander OF the American Legion In the
District. am recommending and urg-
| ing that the 10000 or more veterans
| of our wars who are temporary and
permanent citizens of this District
| that complete recognition be given
them to express their good citizen
ship through the ballot.
Records Bear scrutiny.
"The records of Washingtonians
bear the closest scrutiny. They nave
paid their proportion Of every nation
| al tax from the birth Of the nation
l understand that the District of CO.
| lum bia has oversubscribed every war
| gift and every war loan. In the 1913
comparisons of war taxes made Dy
the internal revenue bureau the Dis
/ trict was shown to have paid, in ma
tional war and miscellaneous taxes.
of the Union. with thirty-two senators
and forty-six representatives. Ihe
| District, as you know, has no senators
and no representatives. Wasnihs
| tonians have responded splendidly 70
the call to arms in every national
war. They have not fought less Wig
| orously for their country because they
have been denied the right given
Americans in all other parts OF tne
| country. They have been and are
good Americans in every sense, anu
| should not that mean that they are
entitled to every right Of citizenship!
Why are they kept on the same foot
| ing as aliens? And. in some in
stances worse than aliens, lor uh-
derstand that foreigners in TINS coun
try have more rights uhoer G.
laws than the true American OF WASH
| Iington.
| Function Is to Pay.
"In regard to national taxes. the
| Washin gtonians sole function IS 10
pay. In regard to national war. ms
/, sole function is to fight in ooeolence
to command. They have no represent
ative in the government which re
quires them. perhaps. to give 'heir
| lives for it.
| "Of course. it is only a question OF
time when this un-American condltlon
| in the District of Columbia VIII Dc
corrected, but why should 1t De pro
! longed? There has never been
time when Washingtonians were in
better position to ask for their rights
This late war has strengthened their
| claims to the full Americanism OF
| national representation. Ihey can
now say to the nation, L am accepted
as part of you for the purpose OF pear
! ing the burden of all national oo,i-
cations; accept me also as part or the
nation for the purpose OF enjoying
all the national rights and privileges.
especially that of representation IN
Congress and the right to the naliot.
| In conclusion. 1 may say that the
citizens of Washington also have an
obligation in this matter in that the!
should have a harmonious munici-
pality and that all should unite In
handling this all-important matter
| with the utmost spirit or harmony.
If tn is done 1 cannot believe that
anything but the best results VIII De
obtained. and those right speeoiiS'
Looks Back Fifty Years.
Fifty years ago, Washington'ans
| enioyed the right to elect chief ex-
scntives of their city. And they look
back with pride on the lives of those
| men who guided them. So 1t is not
an experiment that we want 70 Try.
It has worked successfully. Cannot
the city of Washington have its clti-
| zenship restored. so that it's thou-
| sands Of thinking, patriotic taxpayers
NAV enioy their political rights and
privileges?
| in the District of Columbia 70 oo
their full duty n,otn;ot 6otn 10 - tnsS Gnlnmbis
! in helping bring about this result
without delay"
Letter From Mr.. Edson.
John Joy Edison was scheduled TO TO
sneak. but found it impossible to be
! present In letter to MI. Westlake
| he gave his support to the purpose
of the meeting in the follo"ihs
LAS I grow, older l. am more ear
District of Columbia shah be granted
suffrage through an amendment 10
| the Constitution. and tne sl =.
vote for President and Vice President
and for represen. .ation in Congress;
If ia NV fervent hope that 1t Will
be accomplished at an early date, ano
| that finally l may have the great
privilege of being 19li Anerieaf Am chiaf
! citizen. in then voting for the chiei
executive of the United States and
! for representation in Congress, tnat
enacts the laws for the government
/! Of the District of Columbia ana
makes all appropriations Tor currehe
| District. AS all are federal officers,
there would be no inconsistency WIN
the purpose of full federal control
and Jurisdiction over the District OF
Columbia The federal government
! should have such absolute Jurlsdic-
| tion that it may at all times protect
its records. and also be protected IN
the conduct of government business
Remarks by Mr.. Buler.
! T.. ]. Biller of the National Fedora =
t;on of Federal Employees. told of the
desire of the army of government
workers who live permanently in the
District of Columbia to have voice
] in the affairs of the country.
! "It is claimed" he said. that the
District of Columbia sent more men
lto the war in proportion to popula-
ton than any state in the Union
MANY of these men are sleeping III
Flanders and other battlefields, and
those who came back returned to a
city in which they have no more
rights than If they were men return
ing from prison. Now that the world
has been made safe for democracy
where is the democracy that has been
made safe for the District of Colum-
bia?"
Miss O'ToOle Tells OF Fight.
Miss Mary O'Toole, lawyer and &C
tive member of the Chamber of Com