Evening star., 1928-03-16

enough to sit in swivel chair long
enough to have his picture taken that
did not get commission III the Army.
when the boys from the Sunflowcr
State and the West and the Mid
west and the East were over in the
trenches"
We of the District of Columbia are
rather used to being unjustly maligned.
but I do not believe that any WASH
ington organization. not even the Du-
pont Citizens Association. would spon-
sor or Intentionally permit such n
statement TO be made rs an argument
against giving the residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia their proportionatc
control. according to numbers, In the
decisions made by the Nation. Such
a statement needs. of course. no refu-
tation before this committee, but 1t is
convenient here TO remind the COM
mittee that there arc a number Of sons
of District of Columbia parents and
men who we're The husbands Of Dis
trict of Columbia widows who remain
In or near the trenches of war which
was declared by this free people with
out any representative from the Dis
trict having opportunity to concur IN
the decision to make war.
An Intcrnationalist Opponent.
1t seems almost impossible to keep
our opponents close to the matter at
issue. Mr.. Demarest Lloyd, another
internationalist. who has been with us
about two years. and whose lack OF
location with regard to occupation
makes us doubtful whether he Is really
a permanent Washingtonian. sees in
the grant of national representation
Sr NfZfW fef sfhFnnfF I
again using an opponents words) ito
the dignity and orderly development
of the District of Columbia"
If the participation by the people
In national elections and politics gen.
orally In the American sense are un-
dignified, so undignitied as to be UNI
desirable. MFR. Lloyd is right about the
threat to the dignity of the National
Capital. His statement that 1t would
interfere with the orderly development
of the District of Columbia rests solely
for its support upon the fact that he
said It, We are not enlightened as to
how this step which We consider to be
part of the orderly development OF
the District of Columbia will interfere
with anything that Is good for the
Nations interest in the Capital.
Following a lead given him by a
member of the committee. which does
not. hope. represent any settled con-
viction on the part of the member OF
the committee. he stated that the con-
trary system in force in the other great
capitals of the world had proven less
desirable than our system. He said. In
effect. that the government OF France
had been interfered with by the self
government of Paris. Whether the
speaker had in mind the disorders In
Paris during the French Revolution. or
some other incidents. We are not in
formed. 1t is fact. Of course. that
Paris has a municipal council with au-
thority over taxation and loans, and
the nations control Is asserted prin-
cipally by the appointment OF the
mayor and the official corresponding
to the superintendent OF police. Also.
of course, in common with the practice
of all great nations excepting the
United States. Paris has its proportion
ate representation In the national
government.
All that we are asking is our pro-
portionate representation In the Ma
tional Government. Local autonomy Is
not under discussion.
Federal Power Not Affected.
BY no possible stretch Of the imag-
ination could the physical safety of
the Federal Government or its power
over its Capital be i'm the least impaired
or affected by what we are proposing.
Yet an apparently learned man. and
certainly a much Travelled one. stood
before this committee and with the
apparent encouragement of member
Of the committee urged interference
between Paris and the national gov
eminent Of France IS an argument
against permitting the residents Of
Washington TO eject members to the
National House OF Representatives and
Senate.
IT seems to us that to state plainly
such an argument Is to answer 1t.
The only other example of dis
enfranchised capital of an enfranchised
nation Is Canberra. Australia. which Is
cited with approval by our opponents:
and even that capital Is In the situation
In which this amendment would put
Us. There is no constitutional or other
bar to the granting of the franchise
TO the future inhabitants OF Canberra
There are as yet no permanent in
habitants. At present the government
Is retaining not only political do
minion. but also ownership of the land
itself within the federal district. Ex-
cept for these differences Canberra is
comparable to Washington OF 1901.
II and when the city shall be butt
and there shall be in 1t substantial
number OF permanent inhabitants. I
have every faith that free people
there will demand. as we demand here.
participation In their government. And
all that the proposed amendment will
do will be TO put us In the favorable
position In which Canberra already ia,
that Is, capable of being cnfranchiscd
by a simple legislative enactment.
Answers Opponent Ayers.
The speaker against us who occupied
the most time, Mr., Ayers, put into the
record Of the last hearing without read
Ing much material we have not read.
But from what he said TO you. and
what he has said In previous hearings,
his contentious are these:
First. We are insincere because We
pretend allegiance tn such canons OF
free government as that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent Of the governed. and that taxation
without representation In tyranny. yet,
he says. vie are most Of us opposed to
local self government. His premise is
not true Of all Of us, but IL Is true Of
me. / do not advocate the transfer
OF the legislative and taxing power In
local matters To local elected as
sembly. And why2 Because / VIII not
be 70 insinccre. merely In get approval,
al 10 advocate what | know We cannot
get, and because. M a citizen OF the
Nation, | am not willing that the
Nation should surrender control Of a
capital which II established for the ex-
press purpose OF having place In
which IL should be supreme, A. practi~
cal ldeaiists. We are advocating the APP
plication of those cardinal principles
VI free government to the extent. and
no more, 10 which they are practically
applicable To this Nations Capital We
see no Inconsistency, despite Mr.. Ayers
attack on our sincerity and consistency.
IN making the nenlie of the CnnIlaI