Evening star., 1926-10-06
District Day at Philadelphia.

Today is District day at the Sesqul-
centennial Several thousa nd Wash
tnstonians are in Philadelphia to pay
their respects to the Liberty Bell ana
to visit the great exhibition that has
been established in commemoration of
the one hundred and fftieth anniVer-
sary of The signing of the Declaration
Of independence. They go with hope
in their hearts that they may impress
upon some ot her thousa nds of Amerl-
can citizens the iustire Of their plea
t. be- made "one hundred per cent
America ms" by the gra nting to them
Of the franchise. which Is the funda-
mental right Of citizens Of the United
States
In some respects the observance of
District day At the Secuuicentennial
ia almost the same as the observance
of a "dav" for foreign nation. Yet
Washington does not observe the rite
Of respect for the basic Declaration
which forms the foundation OF the
American Republic in any other spirit
than that Of America nism. For 1t Is
fully and sincerely American. 1t is
the National Capital, the seat of Gov
ernment. the scene of all the major
activities Of administration and of all
the activities Of legislatlon.' 1t is the
heart of the Nation.
The denial of full American rights
do iS n
he attributed to any design on the
part of those who signed the Declara-
tion. They had no concept of the pos
sibility of failure on the part of
their immediate successors or of pos
terity to apply to the last degree the
principles which they proclaimed in
the immortal pionouncement that eS-
tahished the free union of the colo
nies. 1t remained for a subsequent
adjustment in the establishment Of a
seat Of government, to create the
anomaly of a disfranchiSed group of
people. denied all the rights of repre-
sentation and participation in the
making of laws and the imposition of
taxes. in contravention of the doctrine
TO which the declaration gave express
sion
The long lapse of time between the
signing Of the Declaration and the
present, with it's spectacle of the dis
fra nchisement of half million Ameri-
can citizens, does not lessen the JUS
tIre or the force of the plea of Wash
inEton to be given those rights. Tardi-
ness Of correction does not Justify an
tniustice Difficulties that have re
suited from the many years of depar-
iure from the fundamental principle
Cf American Government do not make
that correction impossible or inadVis
able
The disfra nchispd District asks to
he given his right now, by the adop
fion by Congress of an amendment tC
the Constitution which permits that
body 10 grant to the National Capital
the right of representation in the Ma
tional Legislature and in the Electoral
College. II asks that the people OF
fhe United States he given the oppor
tunity to pass judgment upon Its
claim for fun America MIA ton. through
their State legislatures. 1t TODAY
voices that appeal At Philadelphia, il
terms which should arouse a response
from the country. Recently assured
Indications have been given of a warn
and sincere sympathy on the part ol
the people of the States for the Dis
frict's plea There can be little if any
doubt that If the joint resolution now
pending before Congress is adopted by
the necessary twothirds vote it vii
he approved by the requisite ratitica
tions by three fourths of the legisla
lures.
District day AT Philadelphia will he
a red.letter day in the history o
Washington IL the appeal which is
there being this day sounded arouse:
the people Of the country TO a sense
Of the indignity that has been Nisite eo
upon the half million Americans wht
constitute the citiZenry of the Ma
ttonal Capital and the anomaly tina
THAR disfranchiSement constitutes IL
the face Of the immortal principles tn,
anunciation Of which is celebrated by
thu great exhibition at which Wash
ington Is today the guest.