Evening star., 1927-11-23
EARLY ACTION ON D. C.. VOTE
URGED ON STATES BY F1ORSEY
Congress Should Submit
Proposition at Once,
He Declares.
No Infringement of State
Powers Involved, Mary
land Legislator Says.
Y a staff Corre&non,lcnt of The star.

Congress- should submit TO the state :
without further delay, the proposed
amendment TO the Constitution for
national representation for the Dis
trict of Columbia, in the opinion of
J. Ronald Horsev of Baltimore, dele
gate in the Legislature of Maryland.
Mr.. Horscy is a member and the prob
able chairman of a sneCial committee
created this month by the National
Council of State Legislatures to con
slider representation in the Federal
Government for the VotelCss citizens
of Washington.
"If Congress Will adopt the resolu-
tion for this amendment" said Mr..
IIorsey today, Il do not think any
State can consistently refuse to ratify
il. | believe it Will be properly rati-
fed hy three.fourths of the States, and
probably by all of them. The people
of the whole country, as well as the
distranchisod people of the National
Capital. will then be very grateful to
those who made II possible
AS for Maryland, feel certain that
my State Will be happy to approve
such an amendment"
Coming Here Tuesday.
Mr.. Horsey is going to WASHINGTON
next Tuesday to confer with members
Of the executive committee Of the
Joint Citizens Committee for National
Representation for the District of Go.
lumbia. He will offer to cooperate
in every way that he can with the
citizens Of Washington in this matter,
other members of the special commit
tee of the Council of State LeGisla-
lures are also expected to attend this
conference in Washington.
in this proposition" said Mr.. HOrSey,'
was during the recent session of the
Council of State Legislatures at the
Raleigh Hotel in Washington. After
listening to an explanation Of the
plight of voteless Washington became
convinced that a great injustice is be-
ing done to the nearly 500, 600 people
Of the National Capital, who have no
representatives in the House or Sen.
ate and cannot vote for President of
the United States.
Il think it is the duty Of every
member of the Council of State Legis-
latures. regardless of party, to take
a decided stand in. favor Of national
representation for the District |
have a letter from Representative
Frederick y. Zihlman of Maryland,
chairman of the District of Columbia
committee of the House in the last
Congress. and he says he is in favor
of national representation for the
District. | will do everything in
my power to support the movement,
and if Congress passes the resolution.
| will use my influence in the Legis-
lature Of Maryland to have the amend
ment ratified.
Impairs No States Powers.
II do not know exactly what the
sentiment is in other States, but |
do not see how any State can con.
sistently refuse to ratify it. 1t will
not reduce the representation of any
State in Congress. 1t simply adds
to members of the House and Senate,
within the discretion of Congress it
self.
Il am also heartily in favor of
giving the citizens of Washington
voice in the electoral college-the
right to vote for President and Vice
President. To my mind, that is Just
as important as representation in
Congress.
The proposed amendment would
merely give to Congress the right to
extend representation to the District,
If Congress should choose to do so. 1t
adds to the powers of Congress. Our
organization has stood against further
concentration of power in Congress.
but this proposed amendment does not
extend the power of Congress over the
State. The District is not a State and
would not be under this amendment
L have long wondered why the peo-
pie of Washington were not given
representation in Congress. It seems
strange that so many people in our
country should be deprived of the
right to vote for President and Of
voice in the legislative bodies that
raise their taxes and appropriate for
their needs.
Cites Kirby Plea.
Il shall certainly be present at the
meeting with the citizens committee
IN Washington next Tuesday and
snail do everything | can to help to get
the resolution adopted by Congress.
think the fact that John H. Kirby
of Houston, Tex, president of the
Council of State Legislatures, an.
pointed this special committee is a
striking evidence Of the sentiment
among State legislators in favor of
TINS proposal. Mr.. Kirby at the re.
cent meeting made strong plea for
states rights and it was on the
strength Of this plea that he was
elected president. The present plan
IS absolutely in line with our proposed
program. The council was organized
to take an interest in all Federal legis.
lation. We have taken stand
against taxation without representa-
ton. That is the principle upon
which our country was founded. 1t
Is very surprising that the large popu.
iation IN the National Capital should
nave been so long deprived Of the
right 10 be represented in the body
which fixes its taxes. 1t is lust as
much tyranny in 1927 to tax without
representation as it was in 1916.
Ihls matter is of peculiar inter-
est 10 Maryland, first, because the
District Of Columbia was for the
most part carved out Of MARYLAND,
and second, because the great num-
Der Of the people of the Maryland
nave moved over into the District
| do not know Of any State in the
Union that would be more gratified by
the adoption Of this amendment
than Maryland.
Maryland Law Involved.
we have a law in Maryland which
provides that If a citizen leaves the
state, even for a short time. with
the intention of taking up residence
elsewhere, he can never again vote
in Maryland unless he makes n
declaration in the Maryland Court of
an intention to resume residence in
the State. Our people who go 10
Washington cannot vote there and
lose their vote in the State so that
NJ - III