Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-06

Stamping the plight OF voteless
Neutrality-suspicious. as q situation ''for
which there is no real justification, =
! REPRESENTATIVE Henry r. Rathbone
of Illinois, in the course OF q stirring
speech on the east front OF the Capt.
toll last night. voiced the conviction
before visible AUDIENCE Of approx
mafeiy $4,000 and an Invisible radio
audience OF thousands that he had
not the slightest doubt If the trainers
Of the Constitution were alive today
they would approve Of national SUIT
frage and representation for the
people of the District Of Columbia =
Our Government, continued Mr..
Rathboue, who was the lone speaker
on the program of the celebration
here Of the 150th anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence. was
intended by its trainers to be a rep
resentative one. as distinguished from
the rule Of the mob on one hand and
that OF monarchy and Of caste and
class on the other. No taxation
without representation was one OF
the great battle cries Of the men OF
the Revolution.
Statehood Given Early.
ut has been our policy from the
beginning to grant statehood and
national representation to the terri
tories at the earliest possible moment.
It has always been clearly recognized
that q territorial form of government
was exceptional tentative and mark
ed q mere transition stage to final
statehood. Lack Of sufficiently large
population has been the only reason
for denying to any territory the right
OF self-government and OF national
Ysav,vNaaavr "a fiN1
.Unrestricted suffrage has also
been steadily gaining ground until It
is practically universal In our
country. It is generally felt that
every adult citizen should be entitled
to the right TO vote for President and
Vice President and for members Of
Congress-.
.sThe District OF Columbia, judged
IN the light OF these facts, presents
an anomalous condition for which
there Is no real Justification.
Contains Half-NflIion.
within the District now live. It IL
estimated. 100000 people. These
people are in no wise inferior to their
feIlow-citizens either in education,
fitness for citizenship or devotion TO
their country. Why should the fact
that they happen to live on one side
OF an arbitrary boundary line deprive
them of the rights which they desire
to possess. and which are enjoyed by
the people OF all. parts Of the
country? The trainers Of the Consti-
tuition could not have been expected
to Soresee the future Of the Nations
Capital-its development and the ex-
tent of its population. But they were
men OF the greatest wisdom, and they
realized fully that the Constitution
was not fina1ity. They were care
full, therefore, to incorporate In the
Constitution an amending clause pro-
viding for q method by which that
great document might be kept abreast
Of the march Of progress and adapted
from time TO time to meet the chang
ing requirements OF civilization and
human needs.
Il have not the slightest doubt that
IL these champions Of liberty, equal
ity and human sights were alive
today they would approve Of national
suffrage and representation for the
people OF the District Of Columbia"
The Capitol celebration was opened
with S0-minute concert by the mass
ed United States Marine and Army
Bands. The concert was followed by
the award Of prizes to winners in the
Declaration Of Independence Essay