Evening star., 1926-04-20


stead of putting the burden on Con-
gress" to grant suffrage in it's dis.
cretion. MIR. Noyes explained that
TO secure the limited privilege OF
suffrage as In States II was necessary
| to secure a two.thirds vote from both
| houses and a three.fourths vote Of the
States. This would put the District
on the same footing az Territory. 30
| that a ma iority vote In Congress-
| hood.
He pointed out that these two
stat ges In legislation are necessary he
cause the District is not yet on the
same footing as Territories.
The first draft OF the amendment
did propose admitting the District to
this limited statehood. but 1t was
found that Congress was not willing
to have it's method and system of ad-
mitting new States interfered with.
In other words, Congress did not
want the part OF representation to be
det ermbned in different way from
the established precedent OF making
States from Territories. IL was In
Difference to these views OF the House
and Senate that the form OF the reso-
luton was changed.
Enlightened Despotism."
Mr.. Lesh told the committee that
while the argument is presented that
this method of securing national rep.
resentation is very diff1cult, this should
not deter the judiciary committee
, from acting. IF il is right. please
get it for us, and il il is not right tell
| us why" he said. We think we are
entitled to it,
He quoted Amba ssador Bryce. in his
| American Commonwealth" "a wing
that the District government was
| held up as happy result OF an en-
| lightened despotism."
Mr.. Lesh argued that the right OF
| suffrage had never been affirma lively
denied 10 the District OF Columbia, but
only overlooked and postponed He
told the committee that II they took
affirmative action. denying the peti.
| ton now. IL would be the first affirma
| tive denial.
Mr.. Lesh also quoted President Mad
ison as saying that every ina ina BILE
objection seems To he obviated." He
said that MIR. Madison did not antici.
pate that we would be wholly govern.
ed from outside. Reminded that Mr.,
Madison spoke of local government in
| the District. Mr.. Lesh replied that
that Was on account of the negligible
| number of citizens. 80 that only Iocal
government was then considered.
No Change Since 1878.
In reply TO questions from Repre-
| sentative Montague. Democrat of
| Virginia. Mr.. Lesh reviewed the his.
! tory OF attempts at local self govern
! ment in the District. He empha sized
| that since 1878 there has been no
| change from the commission form
| Of government. then made perma ne mt
after a test period. and no sembla nee
| of any kind of local self-governmerft
Particular attention by the com
mittee was directed TO the fact thai
the proposed constitutional amend.
ment granting national repreSen nta
tion in Congress. with exclusive legis-
! lative authority. is the only way that
| local government can be secured. The
| District is never going TO get away
| from Congress the authority to levy
| taxeS and appropriate money, ne
! point ed out. citing this s one Of the
| principal legislative functions OF Con
gress.
He declared that the Nations CAPT
| tai is or ought TO be part of the
| Nation and We are not seeking 10
! take the Capital away from the Ma.
tion's control"
He explained carefully to the com
| mittee that it will not solve the
| problem to elect District Commissions
ers because the ultimate authority In
| governmental affairs lies with Con
| gress which holds the purse.
Behind Other Places"
! Questioned by MIR. Hersey whether
! the CITY of Washington was not the
hest governed city I'm the world. MIR.
| Lesh replied that from a question of
| permanent legislation for which Con-
gress Ia solely responsible. we are
sadly behind other communities, and
| he cited a number Of pointed Illus.
| trationS.
when you ask regarding items
usually considered In discussions of
| city government such as corruption
| or inefficiency of officials. we have
! an excellent government" Mr.. Lesh
| admitted, but when il comes to a
question regarding d permanent code
| of laws we are not so we'll governed
! that any one can be proud OF the
| job he told the committee.
When Representative Montague of
| Virginia questioned regarding the
number of native.born residents in
| the National Capital Mr.. Moves an
swered that the last decennial census
OF 1920 showed there are between
10000 and 10000 native-born resi-
dents.
Only One ID. &. Justice.
He pointed ont that the Supreme
! Court OF the District of Columbia is
composed of Ave justices from other
| States and only one from the District
Members Of the committee agreed with
him that lawyers with long practice
| before the District bar ought to have
| Il better understanding OF the peculiar
needs of the local court and a better
/ understanding OF the national view
point than those brought in from any
particular State.
Mr.. Lesh made survey of the three
principal functions OF government,
legislative, executive and judicial, on
which the District must continue to
be dependent upon Congress. but in
which it desires to have a voice and
vote.
A laugh was raised when the sug
gestion was made by Il member of the
judiciary committee that the legal pro-
fession in the District Is largely in
state of fiuX, here today and away to-
morrow. Mr.. Lesh stated seriously
that when an administrstio cha nges
a great many officials or members of
Congress stay here to practice law"
He said that to his mind the strong
est appeal for granting national rep.
resentatiOn to residents of the Dis
trict is the national aspect. He point
| ed out that those in the District who
pay internal revenue taxes are just as
| much interested as the people in any
State. whether Congress repeals Fed.
| eral taxes, and more interested than
some States in view Of the figures
presented by Mr.. Brandenburg.
Weakens Peoples Wisdom.
He called attention that Congress
is organized to group the national wis.
dom and will OF the people and that
its wisdom Is just that much weak.
ened If half a million people here i'm
| he District are left out, while at the
same time a RrieVOus wrong is done to