Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-21
Progress Toward the Franchise.


In point Of enthusiast SIN as we'll as
attendance the meeting of the Board
of Trade last night. at which the SUB
tect of national representation for the
District was discussed was not only
q clear demonstra ton of the deter
mination of the people Of Washington
to press vigorously for that right, but
an expression Of confident expectation
that it will he eventually. perhaps
soon. granted by Congress and by the
States. Announcement that this par
ticlllar question was to he especially
considered caused one Of the largest
outturnings of the membership in the
history of the orga MIA ton At bust
ness meeting. For ten years the Board
of Trade has carried the slogan for
national represe ntation on its program
Of Washington's rights and needs, so
there was nothing new in the pledge
that the orga MIA ton in effect gave
last night TO strive for this accom-
plishment. II Is invigorating and
inspiring that the oath of allegiance,
SO to speak, was again taken on this
occasion in such an earnest manner
and in such encouraging circum-
stances.
OF special importance was the as
surance given by Representative Dyer,
ranking member and vice chairman of
the judiciary committee of the House
of ~ hi Oil
cere advocacy Of the Districts cause.
He in effect reported progress to the
people of Washington through the
Board of Trade by his expression of
- hope that the joint resolution pre-
scented by him in the House and now
pending before that committee will be
reported favorably to the House at
the present session
L is not expected that the two
houses will find time to act upon the
Joint resolution before adjournment in
March But much will have been &C
complished by even a favorable re.
port from one of the two committees
now considering 1t. As the record
stands. the resolution has been here
tofore approved only by Senate COM
n1ittee. If Mr.. Dyer's expectation is
realized it will have gained the ap-
prevail of another committee and thus
put in the category of possible en-
actment hereafter.
The procedure of amending the Con-
stitution for any purpose has always
been protracted and dificult Con-
gress must first adopt a joint resolu
ton by two-thirds vote. Committees
to which such proposals are referred
move warily and give their recon-
mendations sparingly. This particular
resolution. which has been pending be-
fore several Congresses, has been
studied with especial thoughtfulness
by the House judiciary committee, be-
fore whom it was urged last April in
a hearing which covered several days
and which. 1t Is known. made a deep
impression upon the minds of an I'M
usually large attendance of committee
members.
Evidences accumulate that the peo-
pie of the States are sympathetic with
the aspiration of the people of the
District for national enfranchisement.
Representative Dyer in his address
before the Board Of Trade last night
declared that the amendment to the
Constitution, If proposed by Congress,
would he ratified by the legislatures
Of more than three-fourths of the
States. A survey of public opinion on
this subject conducted by the local
joint citizens committee on national
representation clearly demonstrat ted
that in the judgment of the people
of the country at large the denial
from the franchise to Washington is
unjustified and should he corrected. In
these circumstances the prospect of
an early favorable report from the
House committee on the judiciary on
the joint resolution proposing the
amendment to the Constitution encour-
ages the belief that the day of liberia
ton is coming for the District.