Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
CAMPAIGN FOR ID. C.. SUFFRAGE
RENEWED BY CITIZEN FEDERATION
Body Acts After Report on Survey of Present
Status-Five Steps Outlined for Pressing
Battle for Vote

! two main divisions of the great or
ganized army which fights as the
Citizens Joint Committee for national
representation:
First, those to whom representa-
ton in Congress and the electoral col
lege and equality in access 10 the
Federal courts constitute the maxi
mum of desirable change In our point
ical status. They wish to retain In
substance the present form OF local
government, and
Second, those who strongly desire,
in addition to national representation.
a radical revision of our form of local
government, giving to the community
in it's municipal government also dis
tinct representative power.
Leaders i'm Two Groups.
THE Board of Trade, which has
been so traditionally and consistently
opposed to disturbing Federal control
Of the District that until a few years
ago it would not even permit discus
sion of the subject, may be viewed as
typical of the first division; and, as
representative of the second, the Cen
trail Labor Union, which has consist
emily and undiscriminatingly favored
every proposition to give to the com
munity participation in Its govern
ment, whether that government was
national or local. Organized labor has
tended to favor every kind of voting
whatsoever suggested by anybody for
the District.
THE national representation move
ment has captured Washington local
ly and has won Its victory before the
Senate District committee because it
had the hearty support of both these
army divisions, that which favored
a minimum and that which favored
a maximum of District voting. The
movement will be pushed to final vic
tory only by the combined and hearty
support of these two cooperating
armies. Desertion of the cause by
either will be fatal to project which
requires for success a two-thirds vote
in each house of Congress and q
three-fourths vote of the State legis-
latures.
Fear Radical Changes.
The army which the Central Labor
Union represents has in recent
months emphasized vigorously it's
we'll known views concerning local
government and has pushed some
what into the background national
representation. Some in the con
sentative army, which the Board OF
lukewarm temporarily in the national
represe cause by their appre-
tensions of radical changes in the
local government which they oppose
We think that the national repre-
sentation constitutional amendment Is
the immediate vital essential and to
that end we believe that every posi-
BILE effort should be made to bring
together again in the previous spirit
of hearty cooperation in the common
interest the two armies which hold
contradictory views concerning local
government, but which agree con-
When the appeal is made before Con
gress and its committees 1t must be
made with a united front.
There has been no disintegration
of the forces and organization sup
porting the movement; on the con-
trary. in view of the apparently grow
ing disposition on the part of those
who control the levying and ccllec-
ton of the taxes of the District. the
disbursement of it's moneys and the
general activities of its municipal gov
eminent, to impose increasing bur
dens on the helpless people Of Wash
ington, and to disregard their wishes
and desires, there has been a general
reawakening to the necessity of the
adoption of measures which will In
sure such proper and legitimate safe
guards for the people Of the District
as are accorded to the people Of the
smallest community in the most
sparsely settled and neglected portion
of the United States. This sentiment,
however, needs strong, alert, and ac-
tive leadership to give it expression.
All that is required to maj shall in
formidable array the at present some
what inactive hosts which have en-
listed for life under the banner of ma
tional representation is to have the
tocsin sounded. the .rallying point des-
ignated. and the leadership made
known.
Should Maintain Committee.
The Citizens Joint Committees or
ganization should be maintained in