The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-30

| and in favoring the Zihlman bill which would confer suffrage on the residents of the District of Columbia.
 Representative Bankhead of the Tenth Alabama district sometime ago was rep resented by the Washington Times as having issued an address to the people of Washington supporting them in their efforts to obtain the vote. Subsequent to that publication, he was subjected to certain criticism. In a statement today, he makes it plain that he could not sup port the Zihlman bill.
 Under the provisions of that bill, any resident of the district could vote pro- vded he was 2i years of age. and had sufficient learning to sign his name. This would, of course, confer an infinite boon on the negro population of the district which is already aggressive, and which, if properly armed with suffrage rights. would constitute more than a balance of power between the democrats and re- publicans of the district. It is not un- reasonable to suppose that by shrewd trading, the negroes could elect white republican and a black republican to Congress.
 
 The people of Washington are conduct ing a we'll sustained and very intelligent propaganda having for it's object the securing of the right of suffrage. On the surface of things. their argument is plausible. They declare that they should be treated as fairly as Hawaii, the Phil ippines, and Porto Rico are treated. Un- derneath the surface, however, are many contemporaneous problems which give democrats n Congress pause They feel, fn the first place, that 1t was the inten- tion of the fathers to set aside a terri tory which would belong neither to dem- ocrats nor republicans, but which would be the property of everybody. In tn" second place. democrats are deterred on account of the fact that Washington ne- groes are very populous, very aggressive and very insistent that they be per mitted to enjoy on terms of equality every enjoyable advantage.
 NO CRISIS EXISTS
 There is no crisis in Congress. The Zlhlman bill, like many others which have preceded. is sleeping soundly. But the time approaches when the fight must be fought to a finish. Every civic or. ganization, every newspaper. every cit izen who delights in occupying street corner lmelight, is an advocate of sui l frage for the district. Congress, on the 1 part of the two great parties. seems in clined to permit the matter to rest. Tho the district was carved from norTnall! democratic states. it would go democratic l iii the national elections. The democrats hesitate because of their knowledge thA | the already heavy negro vote, always republican, would be increased by am. bilious negroes in nearby states rolling into Washington for the purpose of talk l ing position beneath the plum tree The Alabama delegation to the man Is opposed to the Washington propaganda Representative Bankhead, to make clear his position, has issued formal state ment as follows:
 THE STATEMENT
 ''The statement recently published 1T the Washington Times concerning my alleged attitude on the question of the District of Columbia having representa- ton in Congress, and giving the right cc vote to the residents of the district, did not correctly state by any means my attitude on this question.
 | Some weeks ago representative ol | the Washington Times called at my office and inquired what my attitude was on the passage of the Zihlman bill which proposes to give the District oi | Columbia two delegates in the House and also to bestow suffrage on al l residents of the District of Columbia | I stated to him that I had never reat | the said bill; was not acquainted witt l it's provisions and did not care to com init myself upon it. He stated to mt ] that it provided for the election O. ] two delegates to Congress from thu | district who shoud have no vote il l the House, but should be on the sam l basis as delegates from Porto Rico, th' Philippines and other possessions. 4 stated to him that on general principle 1 could ee how the residents of tn l district would be justified in bein, Il placed upon the same basis, but tha there were also good arguments wh! the district should not have delegate
 in Congress and the right to vote.
 q had especially in mind in thi connection the question of giving suf frage without restriction to the larg 1, negro population in this city. Sine this matter has been given publicity, have taken occasion to examine tn so-called Zihlman bill and find that contains many provisions that I canno
 indorse If had thought the state
 ment in the Times would have beeI
 the vehicle for censure upon my allege,
 position on this question, should hay
 asked correction of the statement
 contained, but only gave it passinl
 notice as a local item.
 My only purpose in giving thi
 statement to the correspondent of Tn ! Age Herald is to prevent any fals :! impression as to my attitude on thi
 question among my friends in Ala ' baman