Evening star., 1928-11-17

American sympathy is extended tc
those citizens of Washington, the Ma
tional Capital, who have neither the
right to vote In States nor the privilege
of casting their ballots at home. The
observance Of Humiliation day" in that
city while the rest Of the country was
electing President turned attention to
their situation as citizens.
Indorsing the demands of the Capt.
tai, the Milwaukee Journal argues
Politically, they are serfs of the Ma
ton. In numbers they total twice the
voting strength of Delaware or wyoming
and six times the voting power Of Ne
vada. A constitutional amendment will
be necessary to admit the residents OF
the District to the status of citizens for
the purpose of representation in Con-
gress and the electoral college Such
an amendment has been proposed but
it has received scant attention. 1t
should be revived in the next Congress
and submitted for ratification. We do
not believe the people of the States
would refuse the privilege of voting to
the people of the National Capital If
the question came to the States as the
twentieth amendment to the Constitu-
ton
IF Congress would only submit the
proposal the chances are that every
one of the 48 States would approve it
without question" contends the Kala-
mazoo Gazette, with the comment that
every one knows that the situation Is
wrong" The st. Paul Daily News
points out that the people Of Washing
ton ARE the only persons In the United
States who in truth experience tax
alton without representation. for they
are merely the wards of the Govern
ment.'
This lust fight should not be left 10
Washington alone" protests the Long
Beach Press-Telegram, which adds
THE whole country should join in the
fight to give the franchise to citizens
of the District of Columbia. 1t is
thoroughly un-American to deny them
this right and privilege" The Trenton
Evening Times argues: Citizens of the
Capital pay taxes They should be al
than that taxation without representa-
ton is tyranny"
1.-The opinion of the fathers OF the
Republic" according to the Columbia
Record Originally was that the Ma
tional Capital should always remain
free from partisanship divisions, so far
as elections are concerned. They prob
ably took this view of it for the reason
that there would always be plenty OF
politics in the Capitol and White
House, not to say the executive depart
ments there, to answer all purposes.
But Washington has become quite as
much of commercial center as any OF
the other metropolitan cities OF the
country. and. naturally, the people who
are engaged In all the arts and profess
sjons extant have been desiring all the
rights prevailing In the remainder or
the United States"
I'VE weep with Washington. de-
clares the Kansas City Times. with the
statement Washington probably has
a inst grievance. or. at least, that part
of II that doesn't work for the Govern
ment. If there are any Washng.
tonians who don't, we think they should
be allowed to vote. provided they have
the qualifications the rest OF us nave
intelligence. Judgment, reason ana com,
plets absence of partisanship. ana
prejudice. They ought to be anle 10 y,
meet those reouirements-the resi- OF OF
us do But, as for those residents OF
the District of Columbia who work Tor
the Government, we are not so sure.
"Of course" remarks the Asbury Park
Pres, there's nothing to prevent thess
sen,i-citizens from conducting all ths
straw votes they want. Still, that
would no doubt. pail in time. why
not let them in on the great national
event?"
washington is an attractive city and
great many persons would Ike 10 nVe
there" suggests the Flint Daily journal
"But It is a rather curious state OF al
fairs that the peOple who live in the
Nations Capital have nothing to say
about who their chief is to be. Con-
sress has been asked many times to
rer1sdy this condition, but 1t never gets
/ ground to It. Perhaps the members
figure that inasmuch as the residents OF
the District do not have the vote, they
haNe r1nthinr Ia worry about