Evening star., 1921-11-08
SPURN NON-V0T|NG
REPRESENTATION
Board Of Trade and Group
From Civic Club Demand
Genuine Suffrage.

Genuine Suffrage.
Representatives Of two of Washing
tons largest civic 'organizations-th
Board Of Trade and the City Club--yes-
terday disapproved the bills now before
Congress providing for non-voting ma
tional representation and reanrmed
their stand for voting representation in
both houses OF Congress and in the
electoral college
Would Defsat Desired Action.
The directors Of the Board Of Trade
G.. Brandenburg, former president Of
the board. and unanimously adopted.
assert that the grant to the District
Of q voteless territorial delegate In adj
vance Of a constitutional amendment
providing for voting representation
would postpone indefinitely and tend to
defeat the securing Of genuine national
representation.
The Board Of Trade, as well az the
Chamber Of Commerce and other civic
organizations, has repeatedly gone on
record as favoring this kind of national
representation for the District OF CO.
Iumhia. Change OF local government 10
not, and has not been contemplated In
any Of the resolutions adopted by the
local organizations.
Members Of the board feel that inas-
much as the District Of Columbia has
greater population than several Of the
states, pays more taxes than many, and
10 urgently in need Of national repre-
sentation. nothing short Of representa-.
ton In tho House and Senate and In the
electoral college will definitely settle the
issue.
Resolution Adopted.
The resolution adopted by the di-
restSrs :.tss fSi'oW.; 1n eS;...., n,,rd a, Trad.
on April -, 1916, unanimously ap.
proved amendment of the Constitu-
ton to provide voting representation
for residents of the District in both
houses Of Congress and in the elec-
torial college, and directed Its officers
and appropriate committees to work
to secure the adoption Of this con
pending in Congress and under con
sideration by the House judiciary
committee.
"The mandate to fight for adop-
tiOn Of the constitutional amendment
includes authority to oppose any other
legislative proposition which defeatt
or threatens to defeat that in support
Of which we are thus united.
Bills now before the Senate Dis
trict committee propose for the Dis
trict a voteless delegate or delegater
In the House. a small and negligible
fraction Of q territory's powers ant
privileges. conveying to the people
participation In their government OF
of genuine national representation.
THE directors of the Board o.
Trade, therefore, record their convic-
tion that the grant to the District OF
voteless territorial delegate In ad
vance Of our constitutional amend.
ment would indefinitely postpone and
national representation. Adoption o!
the territorial delegate project would
in the opinion of the directors. ex.
pose the District to the risk thai
many legislators will treat it as sub.
stitute or alternative legislation alonf
the line of national representation
and as satisfaction in full of the
Districts claim to real national rep
resentation: and will use assent to il
as reason for shelving or rejecting
genuine voting national representa-.
ton through constitutional amend
ment or will treat this grant OF
something son, almost x9rshlsss as pre- Pre-.
islative responsibility in respect to
the capital: and that as a natural re-
suit Of this procedure the constitu-
tional amendment would be pushed
aside and q voteless delegate in one
house would become the permanent
resentation in both houses.
The directors Of the Board of Trade
also record the opinion that the duty
Of the Boards officers and appropriate
committees to fight for adoption Of
the constitutional amendment includes
authority to oppose the voteless dele
gate projects which thus threaten to
real national representation through
constitutional amendment which we
seek"
Members of the board of directors
expresse dthe opinion that adoption OF
either one Of the two bills would tend
sentation in Congress and in the cleo
toral college, and would prove moth
ing more than makeshift.
City Clab Group Action.
The suffrage group Of the City Club
at a meeting last night, voted unani-
mously to push the fight for full ma,
including the right to elect member:
to tho House and Senate and to tn,
electoral college.
Because of the fact that both bill
now before Congress. one for terrific
rial delegates in the House with NJ
vote, and the other for such a delegat,
and the right to elect District Com
missioners. the school board and 1
utilities commission, are inconsisten
with the platform adopted by tn,
group, disapprova1 OF both bills wa!
voiced At the meeting.
Paul e. Lesh. member OF the brie
committee Of the joint citizens com
mittee for national Representation 70
the District Of Columbia, was electe,
chairman of the group. to succeed Ro!
lNewhauser, who declined reelection
tion.
Favor Groups Platform.
More than 900 members of the Cit,
Club last year approved the stant
taken by the group in regard to ma
The nsaInaa nreaa nle$ioetIon