Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-03-01


fourths of the postal matter handled
by the local post office officials is gov
ernmental matter from which no rev.
enue H. derived. the records disclose the
fact that the receipts of the local post
Office ending June 30. 1918, were 3d.
OS5. 1912, which was greater than the
receipts Of all the post offices in any one
Of the following states: Arizona, Arkan-
sas, Delaware. Florida, Idaho, Maine.
Mississippi. Montana. New Hampshire.
New Mexico. Nevada. North Dakota,
Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
South Dakota. Utah. Vermont, West
! Virginia, Wyoming.
1t also appears that these receipts
, exceeded the aggregate receipts Of all
the post offices in Delaware, Nevada,
which amounted to the sum of $2,9S7,
O47.05.
The census for the year 1910 shows
| that the average percentage Of il
literacy for all classes of it's popula-
ton combined was ~ for the United
States, while for the District of Co
| lumbia it was 40. The Districts per-
! centage of illiterates as shown by
| this census was less than any one
of the following twenty-five states
! Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con-
! necticut. New York. New Jersey.
! Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland
Virginia, West Virginia, North Caro-
INA. South Carolina, Florida, Georgia,
kentucky. Tennessee, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, Arkansas. Louisiana, Okla
korla. Texas. New Mexico, Arizona
and Nevada
| OF the native whites of native par
cntage. the percentage was SiX-tenths
| OF l per cent. for the District, while
! me average percentage for the United
District in this respect with the in
dividual states shows that it's per-
centage of illiteracy of this class of
people was less than half Of any one
Of the following thirty-three states:
Rhode Island. New York. New Jersey,
| pennsylvania. Ohio. Indiana. Illinois,
Michigan, Iowa. Missouri. Kansas
! Delaware, Maryland. Virginia. West
Virginia. North Carolina. South Caro-
| lima, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ten
| nessee, Alabama. Mississippi. Arkan-
sas. Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Colo
rado. New Mexico, Arizona.
| The same census shows that in the
among the colored population was
l35, or less than one-half the corre-
/ spending figures for the United States
which was 30.4. and less than the
same percentage for any one of the
following nineteen states: Indiana.
| Missouri. Delaware, Maryland, Nir-
ginia, West Virginia. North Carolina.
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ken
lucky, Tennessee. Alabama. Missis-
sippi. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklaho-
! ma, New Mexico.
A comparison of the 1910 census
| with that of 1870. as well as the sue
| ceSsive decennial censuses. shows a
remarkable increase in school attend
| ance and decrease in illiteracy among
i the colored population. The percent
! age of illiteracy among colored per
| sons or ten years of age and over de-
| creased from 70.5 per cent in 1870 to
1875 per cent in 1910. the latter per-
| cen,age being one-tifth as great as
the former
A Denomination Of Fitness.
The foregoing statistics constitute
an unanswerable argument in support
| of the legislation which we now rec
ommend. They show that $4,000
people. to whom the elective franchise
is entirely denied, have been and are
now supporting the United States
| with a remarkable spirit of loyalty
| and devotion; In peace and in war
they have AVE always acquitted them
Of illiteracy among them is but six
| tentils of l per cent. and intellectual
| ly the District of Columbia holds a
place above thirty-three states of the
Union: The people of the District are
therefore. both morally and mentally
fit to exercise the right which they
SO earnestly seek as American citi-
zens. Your committee believe that
their appeal should no longer remain
unheeded. and that now is the time to
| participate in the councils of the ma
| tion through their chosen representa-.
tives.
The Right Of Citizens Of the District
Of Columbia to Sue in the United
| states Courts
| By article III, section >, of the
Constitution. it is provided that the
| judicial power Of the United States
shall extend to all cases. in law and
equity, arising under this Constitu-
! ton, the laws of the United States
and treaties made. or which shall be
made. under their authority
to controversies between two OF
more states: between a state and the
citizen Of another state; between cit.
| iZens of different states; be.
tween state. or the citizens thereof
| and foreign states, citizens or sub.
| jects."
| The judiciary act of 1890 creating
J the United States courts and provid.
ing for their jurisdiction recognized
and conferred Jurisdiction upon the
| federal courts in cases where d.
versity of citizenship existed. This
! is most important branch of fed.
eral jurisdiction and has consistently
! been maintained.
| Although there can be no doubt
| that the trainers of the Constitution
| never intended to discriminate in this
-
District and those of the states, the
fact remains that the District of Co.
lumbia is not state within the
meaning of the constitutional pro.
vision authorizing citizens of one
state to sue and be sued by citizens
United States Hepburn v. Ellzey.
Cranch. 445. 452: Geofrey V. Riggs
| 1873 L. s.. 258, 269). although it has
been held by the Supreme Court te
be state for the purpose Of direct
! Attention was called to this anon
[ ally by Chief Justice Marshall in his
! opinion delivered in the case of Hep
burn V. Ellzey just referred to, in
which he stated:
ut is extraordinary that the courts
of the United States which are open to
1 aliens and to the citizens Of other
| states in the Union should be closed
upon them District residents). But
this is subject for legislative, not
for judicial. consideration"
| No sound argument can be presented
for the existing discrimination be.
tween citizens of the District and
| those of the states when it comes to
the question of affording relief so far
as suits in United States courts are
concerned This right is even granted
an alien. but denied under the Con-
! stitution to a citizen of the District
| The right is q valuable one, and has