Evening star., 1927-11-08
LEGISLATORS BACK
SUFFRAGE FOR D. c.
Vile Presents Citizens Plea
to Convention-ReS0Iu-
ton Drawn Up.

session at the Ralelgh Hotel. Delore
its adjournment tomorrow evening.
The subject was presented to the
council at a meeting at / o'clock this
afternoon by Frederic William Vile.
speaking in behalf of the Citizens
Committee on National Representa-
Il. for the District.
A formal resolution along lines sug-
gested by Mr.. Vile will be considered
by the resolutions committee OF the
council and may be reported at the
session tonight or tomorrow morning
Aid is Pledged.
After Mr.. Vile had explained the
political status of the District many
of the 40 representatives OF state Leg
is,atures at the meeting expressed
sympathy for the disfranchised people
of Washington and promised to ald IN
bringing abo.t adoption of a constl-
tutional amendment to give them ma
tioual representation. Mr.. Vile then
suggested that a resolution, such as
she had drafted, be adopted.
The resolution reads as follows:
THAT the demand of the District OF
Columbia for national representation
in Congress. the Electoral College and
the Federal Courts is entitled to the
sympathetic consideration Of the legls-
latures and enfranchised citizens OF
the Republic
Colonies Have More Rights.
at is exceedingly good Of you" said
Mr.. Vile, ''to assign time in your fun
program to a spokesman of voteless
Washington. The disfranchised, de-
Americanized citizens of the Republic
feel that this forum of yours. created
for the airing of grievances against
Federal encroachment upon sovereign
State rights, is an appropriate one In
which to bring the District of Column
bias wrongs to national attention.
"Our grievances differ from yours
in one vital respect. You protest
against encroachment upon rights.
We protest against rights withheld.
AS state legislators familiar with
national legislation. / assume it is
known practically to all here assem-
bled that the District of Columbia
since time immemorial has occupied
the humiliating position of being de-
MED suffrage rights. You are meeting.
Mr. President in the midst of an
intelligent patriotic, liberty.loving,
law-abiding community Of 100000
Americans who must fulfill all the
obligations of American citizenship.
yet who are deprived of its most price
less heritage. the ballot
"You are meeting among socalled
American citizens who have not the
suffrage privilege enjoyed by Filipinos.
Hawaians or Porto Ricans. A Jap
anese born in Honolulu has a greater
voice in the government of the United
States than an American born and
still resident in Washington. We pay
taxes into the Federal Treasury. We
send our sons into the Federal Army
and Navy. We are governed by the
Federal Congress. Yet we have not
the ScIntilla of a voice in the raising
or disposition of those taxes, or in the
question of whether our sons shall
fight in war or survive in peace. or in
the laws that the Federal Congress in
It's wisdom passes or rejects.
New System Demanded.
I'VE call this unjust. We pillory it
as .un-American. We resent 1t as hu.
initiating. We demand the abolition
Of the system under which we thus
suffer. We are helpless without the
aid of you people in the enfranchised
States, and, in particular. without the
support of the State Legislatures, be.
fore which constitutional amend
M 2nt eventually remedying our wrongs
must come.
There is pending before the Con.
gress and has been pending for sew
eral years a constitutional amendment
providing for national representation
for the District of Columbia. The
amendment has been the subject Of
exhaustive hearings before the Senate
committee on District affairs and has
twice merited that committees favor
able report. Hearings before the
House judiciary committee have
hot 90;
believing that that able body of law
yers and lawmakers will also approve
our plea.
The District of Columbia does not
ask Statehood or State status. BY
national representation we mean
three simple, fundamental things
first, the right to have Oar own mem.
hers in House and Senate; secondly,
the right to a proportionate vote in
the Electoral College for choice of
President ard VIC President, and,
thirdly. to be placed upon footing
with other citizens In the courts of the
United states.
Ask No Government Change.
I'VE do not ask any change what.
ever In the system OF local govern.
nlent now prevailing in Washington,
whereby. AZ .ou know, Congress rules
through board Of Commissioners ap.
pointed by the President.
But we do demand that section
OF the Republic outrivaled by no other
in culture, intelligence. wealth and
love of country numbers considered
shall not be branded any longer
pariah among the American people.
The District of Columbia outnumbers
in population each % nearly half q
dozen States. 1t customarily paws in
Federal taxes more than any one of
nVe or six States. It's quota Of men
ana women sent 10 the World War
was in similar proportion. It's pur.
chase Of war bonds kept the same
pace. We are confident that the
founding father, in determining that
these 10 Federal square miles should
not have voting right, would not have
condemned modern Washington, with
It's vast population, 10 suffrage scryi.
tude in perpetuiiy.
We seek no SI4D Judgment on this
lsSue so vital 10 our welfare. But may
we not hope that this influential body.
destined 10 exercise so potent infiu.nt G
upon national legislation in the days
10 come. viii go on record this week
as saying that taxation without rep.
fesentation is tyranny in 1927 just as
surely as Il was SO declared to be in
177G.
Il heard your eloquent presiden,
quote last night prescient passage
reading that Resistance to tyranny il
obedience to God Gentlemen. We ash
YOU to join us Of Washington In effect
I've resistance 10 the suffrage tyranny
under the yoke Of which we stand
politically helpless.
High School Foot Ball Postponed
Because Of the rain this afternoon,
public high school foot ball champion
ship game between Eastern and West
ern was postponed. A new date viii
la