Evening star., 1924-11-04
Votes With Power Wanted.

humiliation for the Washingtonian
though the day of pride for other
Americans. On this day other Ameri-
cans than those Of the District exer-
else as American sovereigns each his
share of American sovereignty by vot-
ing for the executive and legislative
public servants through whom his
will as to national and international
issues shall be expressed. Without d
constitutional amendment Americans
of the District may not exercise their
share Of this sovereignty.
The vital feature of the Districts
plea is the demand for its share OF
American sovereignty. and for voting
representation in Congress and the
electoral college through which this
right and this power are expressed.
If this voting power in the Nation 5
councils is given or authorized, as
proposed by our pending constitu-
tional amendment. it is not necessary
to make the District a sovereign
State. But the District in one way or
the other must have at least the
opportunity to secure by majority
vote of Congress this vital power and
right, and will not be bamboozled into
acceptance Of any substitute conces-
sion which involves refusal of this
power.
To suggest voteless territorial
delegate for the District, unless stimuli
taneously by constitutional amend
Inent the power is given to Congress
in its discretion to convert the terri
torial status into that of statehood, is
Of dubious benefit. Representation
without voting power is not real
American representation at all. Terri
torial delegates are merely legislative
agents of the territories in the transi-
tion period to statehood, whose main
function is to expedite statehood
out of official existence.
To suggest as a substitute for ma
tonal 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 II we are
convinced that campaigning for
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
pushed simultaneously. But activity
in behalf Of changes IN form of local
government should increase and not
abate enthusiasm in pushing for vot-
ing representation in Congress and
electoral college. If we permit the
former to put aside, and substitute it.
self for the latter, we swap what is
vital for what comparatively speak
ing is worthless.
After changes in the local govern
lnent are secured the Washingtonian
will find that he is not a sovereign
American citizen; that without repre-.
Sentation in Congress- and without
control 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
ulct Commissioners or any other mu-
nicipal officials if the exclusive power
OF legislation under the constitutional
provision still remains in a Congress
not elected by them and in which
they are not represented Their chains
may be made little lighter and may
not clank so loudly; they may be
granted by kind masters a little
greater freedom Of movement, but
they are not free. The power to take
away their property, their freedom
and life itself is in others not chosen
by them, and to whose rule they have
not assented. There is no self-govern-
Inent, when the power TO tax one, to
1mprison one and to send one to war
is not in ones self or in those to
whom one has voluntarily confided 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 still "voteless" Wash
ingtonians, though we vote for dele
gates to presidential nominating con.
ventions, il we cannot vote for the
President whom We help to nominate.
We are still "voteless'' Washingto-
mans, even though we shall be given
the power to vote for a voteless terri.
torial delegate, who is himself i'm
potent. We are still "voteless'' Wash
ingtonians, though we vote for a
board of education, or even for some
of the District Commissioners. unless
to the latter Congress delegates legis.
lative power to a degree now clearly
denied by the highest court Of the Dis,
trict and apparently forbidden by the
United States Supreme Court.
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 our share as Americans in
American sovereignty.
We ssl. for the same kind Of votes