Evening star., 1925-02-01
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

bh FREDERIC WILLIAM " lie.
The country is ready to consider
giving the District OF Columbia a
square deal 1t is prepared to have
Congress discuss. with a view to ia
vorable action. the long delayed
question of suffrage and national
representation for the 100000 dis
franchised residents of the Federal
Capital Coast-to- coast symposium
conducted among leading editors by
this writer, reveals almost unquan-
fed readiness TO clothe the people OF
the District with the fundamental
rights enjoyed by other American
citizens. It is evident that nothing
but campaign of education is re-
quired to create nationwide senti-
ment in favor OF political justice for
the men and women domiciled at the
seat of Federal Government
What the District of Columbia
wants is not local self-government,
but national representation. 1t asks
for full representation in the House
OF Representatives; that is, its proper
proportionate representation, accord
ing to population. the same as a State.
In addition. the District demands one
or two seats in the United States
Senate, as Congress may determine.
Finally, the District claims proper
tional representation IN the electoral
college. 1t asks these elementary
rights on the basis of it's thorough
going Americanism, its population, its
wealth. and its conscious pride as
the citadel of the worlds greatest
republic.
Backed in Senate Report.
During the second session of the
Sixty-seventh Congress 1s21-22) the
Senate committee on the District of Co
lumbta submitted a strong report in ia
vor of granting suffrage to District resi-
dents. The report was ordered to be
printed in February, 1922. It presents
terse and telling arguments on behalf
of national representation for the cit
izens of Washington, a representation
which the committee terms "a dis
tInCtive. basic right of American citi
zenship." The report recommends the
passage of Senate Joint resolution
1873. proposing an amendment Of the
Constitution of the United States by
inserting at the end OF section 8, ar
ttcle ", the following words:
"The Congress shall have power TO
admit to the status of citizens of
state the residents of the District
constituting the seat OF the Govern
ment of the United states, created by
article 1, section g, for the purpose of
representation In the Congress and
among the electors of President and
Vice President. and for the purpose OF
suing and being sued In the courts of
the United States under the provf-
sions of article III, section =.
when the Congress shall exercise
this power, the residents OF such Dis
trtct shall be entitled to elect one or
two Senator'S, as determined by the
Congress; Representatives fin the
House, according to their numbers as
determined by the decenniaI enumer-
alton, and Presid entail electors equnI
In number to their aggregate repre-
sentatfon In the House and Senate.
"The Congress shall provide by law
the qualifications of voters and the
Senator or Senators, the Representa-
tive or Representatives and the eIec-
tors herein authorized.
"Che Congress shall have power to
make all laws which shall be neces-
5ary and proper for carrying into
execution the foregoing power"
The report was submitted by Sena-
tor Wesley L Jones, Republican, of
Washington.
Larger Than Seven States.
The census of 1920 showed that the
District, with q population Of 437, ,571,
one OF the following seven States:
Nevada ..s..s................. II ,4oT
wyoming '.'...-..'s-.......... l94, 402
delaware ss.'.s.s.ss.......ss... 223,OO3
5rl1ohh '-''S''s..'.' ..s'sssst'sssss $50 Ii3
Vermont ..........,.-s,.......ss 352 42l
New Mexico. 5000. ss....ssss.ssss- 36O.2i1
Luaho '....''''.-'s .-s.ss...s.s.ss. f3l SO
The records for the fiscal year
ended June 80. 1919, disclose that the
citizens of the District OF Columbia
paid TO the Federal Government in
taxes s1S,645.053, which was more
than the United States Treasury re-
ceived from Alabama, Florida New
Hampshire, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Utah, Montana, Vermont, South Da-
kota, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, North
Dakota, New Mexico or Nevada.
Alabama, Florida and New Hamp-
shire were the only three of this
group which approximated the Dis
trict's contribution In Federal taxa
tion.
Stands Alone in Position.
The Americans OF the District of
Columbia constitute the only com
munity IN the whole expanse of the
continental United States which Is
denied representation in the National
Government. In access to the Federal
courts their standing, the Supreme
court mas 6dlu, Is lower IHdu InaL Oh
aliens. In relation to national laws,
the sole function of District residents
is to obey. They have no part in
making the laws to which they must
yield submission. In relation to ma
tional taxes, their sole function is to
pay. Unlike other taxpayers, they
have nothing to say. either concern
ing the amount and kind of taxes
they shall pay or how tax money
shall be spent. In relation to war,
their sole function is to fight. They
have no voice in the councils which
determine war or peace.
In order to ascertain what the coun-
try thinks about this grotesquely un-
American state of affairs, editors of
prominent newspapers In many States
have been asked to say whether, in
their opinion, the Legislatures of
those States would ratify consti
tutional amendment now before Con-
gress. This amendment blouse Joint
Resolution No. "a and Senate Joint