Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-03
An Encouraging Disappointment.

An Encouraging Disappointment.
While the decision of the House
committee on the judiciary yesterday
to postpone until next session
consideration of the specific shaping Of
the form which should be given to the
proposed constitutional amendment
enabling Congress to grant national
representation to the District is cause
for disappointment, there are grounds
for encouragement in the situation.
1t was conceded in the discussion
that on basic American principles the
people of the District are entitled to
national representation, but it was
insisted that such representation
should be granted IN such way as
not to diminish in any respect the eX-
elusive legislation power of Congress
and full national sovereignty in the
District. And the delay until next De-
cember was indicated to be primarily
III bll6 pun DOSt vi dSS III AEiE W a CCl
tainty that the joint resolution and the
proposed amendment were so worded
as to remove all doubt of possible
disturbance of national jurisdiction at
the seat of government. Organized
Washington is encouraged to believe
that the end desired can be readily
accomplished. since its proposed
amendment was framed with the very
purpose of obtaining that result.
The proposed amendment to the
Constitution does not propose state
hood for the District or any SEM
blance of statehood, beyond national
representation in the two houses of
Congress and in the electoral college.
1t does not in any respect lessen the
exclusive legislation power of Congress
provided by the Constitution. 1t
merely admits to a participation by
the District in that exclusive legisla-
ton power through admittance of it's
representatives to the two houses.
This question was effectively an.
swered by the report of the Senate
District committee fin the Sixty-sev-
enth Congress, second session, on the
Joint resolution proposing a national
representation amendment in the iden-
teal terms Of those of the now pend
ing resolution. In that report the
Senate committee set forth that the
power of exclusive legislation may not
he dalaSafad hN CaporoCc ,,ar nap a.
destroy it or surrender it. 1t pointed
out that the problem is to find a way
to give the people of the District the
representation to which they are en-
titled as national Americans in Con-
gress and the electoral college with
out depriving Congress of the exclu-
sive legislation control. 1t reported
that the joint resolution solved this
problem by granting to District resi-
dents representation in Congress and
the electoral college on the same basis
as citizens of a State, but with no 9TH
er powers and attributes of statehood
than those specifically named.
The full text bf the Senate District
far as it relates to this question, APP
pears in another column of The Star
today, accompanied by extracts from
the "Washingtonian Americanization
Catechism," which, In the form of
question and answer, sets forth what
the District seeks through national
representation, and also that which is
not sought. In that it is stated: I'VE
do not seek to disturb in any way ma
tional control of the Capital through
Congress Tt is moreover explicitly
stated that the District does not seek
for statehood, not only because there
is not the slightest possibility of Sc
curing it, but because it is not for
the welfare either of the District or
the Nation to propose it unless ma
tional representation for the District
cannot be obtained in any other way"
The constitutional amendment pro-
posed by the pending resolution
merely empowers Congress to grant
national representation to the District
at it's discretion and in it's own time.
Inasmuch as the courts have held, as
set forth in the Senate committees re.
port in the Sixty-seventh Congress
that Congress may not even delegate
this constitutional power, much less
destroy it or surrender it completely
there is no ground for apprehension
on the score of any impairment OF
that power.
1t is therefore confidently believed
that the doubts expressed concern
ing the effect on this point of the
adoption of the proposed amend
ment can be met and fully satisfied
when the committee in the next Con
gress resumes its consideration. The
right of the District Americans to vot
ing representation is not denied. The
trend of the national development is
toward the acknowledgements of al
citizens of the United States. The
continental territories have all beer
admitted to statehood and their PEG
pie enfranchised. The women have
been given the vote. Washington
alone is denied it. Washington, a com
munity of more than half a million
with 800, 900 potential voters, with re
sponsibility for service in war, will
it's heavy burden of national taxation
and with its high percentage of intelll
gence and citizenship fitness, is TIN