Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-04
NO STATEHOOD POSSIBILITY
IN NATIONAL REPRESENTATION
Proposed Constitutional Amendment Does Not AT.
feet the Exclusive Legislation Power
of Congress.

| tional amendment we ask the people
of the United States to empower Con
| sress i'm its discretion to grant us this
| representation. When this power is
! given to Congress by a two-thirds
vote of Congress and a three-fourths
! vote of the State Legislatures we shall
seek to persuade a majority of Con
gress of the justice and wisdom of
the speedy exercise of this power. BY
| the constitutional amendment national
representation is taken from mac
feasibility and made possible. BY the
subsequent action of Congress Dis
trict representation will BE- made a
reality.
"(3l What do you omit to seek?
1--WE do not seek to disturb in any
way national control of the Capital
through Congress. We seek merely
| to participate like Americans of the
| States in the Congress which exer-
E, cises this control, and in the National
Government which makes and exc
cutes laws for the whole United
States, the District of Columbia in
| cluded.
Statehood Not Expected.
''QD If you are thus entitled to full
statehood why do you not ask for
admission rs a full-fledged State?
Because there is not the slightest
possibility of securing it. Because it
is not for the welfare either of the
District or the Nation to propose it,
unless national representation for the
District cannot be obtained i'm any
other way.
The mere suggestion of full state
hood for the District and surrender
by the Nation of municipal and State
control of its Capital brings upon US
threats of reputation by the Nation
of financial equity in dealing with a
self-governing Capital and even of re-
moval from Washington of the seat
of Government.
I'VE assume that national control OF
the Capital through Congress will not
be surrendered, and as long as this
control is retained the District cannot
be a sovereign State. We do not seek
TO wrest control of the Capital from
Congress or to reduce the powers of
Congress in any particular. We ask
only to be made a small fractional
part OF the National Government,
which represents the whole Nation.
the District included, in exercising
power of exclusive legislation over
the 10 miles square.
Our present attitude is unassaiIable
We show convincingly the conditions
which entitle us to all the rights,
privileges and powers of the citizens
OF State. In order, however, that in
the national interest the Nation NAV
retain full control of Its Capital we
waive those rights and powers which
are inconsistent with that control.
And we petition Congress to empower
itself to grant to us when we are fit
such of those rights and powers of the
citizens of State as are consistent
with national control of the seat of
Government.
Entitled to all, we ask patrioticaIlv
and self-sacriticingly only for part.
How can any American, in or out
OF Congress, reject this equitable petit
ton? What national legislator can
be imagined as STOPPING so low as to
threaten reputation by the Nation of
its financial obligation toward the
Capital, or violation of the Nations
pledge that Washington should be the
permanent Capital, merely because
Washingtonians dare to present and
push this just amendment?
Not vote in either house of Con-
gress should deny this degree of
characterization to the people of the
District of Columbia -