Evening star., 1928-02-16
NATIONAL REPRESENTATION
FOR THE DISTRICT.

/ merCe Tor many years past HAS utt'
firmly committed to the movement t
secure an amendment to the Constitu
ton of the United States AUTHORIZING
CONGRESS to extend to District citizen
the right of representation in boil
| houses of Congress and in tho electors
| college. and to grant them the status
OF citizens so that they may sue ant
be sued in the courts of the Unltct
! States
In furtherance of this object Tx
! chamber has permanent standing
| committee on national representation
| and participates in the activities of tht
! citizens Joint committee on nationa
/ representation in cooperation with tht
! other civic and trade bodies Of Wash
! ington. Every letter sent out by tn
| chamber carries the following printed
. statement:
since the 100000 Americans of the
District of Columbia pay national taxes
! obey national laws and go to war il
! the Nations defense. they arc entitled
on American principles to be repre-
sented in the National Government
which taxes them, which makes Al,
laws for them and which sends thci''
to war The inhabitants of the Dis
tr:ct should not be the only American>
in the Republic denied the rights and
privileges of American citizenshir3
| Will YOU help? Write us and We VII
tell you hove"
The members Of the Washington
Chamber of Commerce are committed
in favor of the movement to secure
national representation on moral as
we'll as on political grounds. We believe
that numerous congressional reports is
sued on this subject prove that what
We ask for is clearly within the intent
OF the Constitution OF the UNITE
States and that il may be secured by
, methods which have been definitely m
| dicated by important decisions OF tle
Federal courts
Or purely political grounds national
representation. we believe. will prove
an asset both to Congress and to Dis
trict citizens, by giving TO the latter
| a voice in the National Legislature an ;
by enabling the former to profit by IN
formation furnished by one OF their
own number when engaged in acting
uDon matters affecting the government
Of the District of Columbia.
On moral grounds We believe that na-
tional representation is necessary IN Or
der that residents of the District ..
Columbia may feel themselves to b.
American citizens in the fullest sense
of the term, with all the rights and oo-
legations so intimately bound UP with
the American conception of citizenship
The present underlined status OF the
residents of the National Capltal NIL
itates against the full Towering OF loco
and national civic consciousness: II Is
; a situation which is essentially nn-
American and repulsive TO all wro
yererate American customs ana Amerl-
NTA
our fellow citizens in other States. when
the facts are fully known to them. VII
agree with our conclusions and stan1i
ready to urge upon their State Legls-
latures favorable action on the constr. .
tutional amendment when submitted
10 such bodies for their ratification.
WHY WASHINGTON WANTS
TO VOTE.
~ ROBERT \. HARPER.
Fast President Washington Chamber OF
Commerce.
The cardinal principle OF America.l
| citizenship since the days OF Patrick
Henry and the Declaration OF 1nde-
pendence has been the right OF every
| citizen to exercise the franchiSe-morc
| particularly that there shall be no tax
| alton without representation In the
{. legislative bodies which frame our law !
! and appropriate public funds Tor pubic
| use.
| Those things which the fathers .!
our country held to be Self-evioent To-
day are accepted throughout the United
States. except in the District OF Column
b.a. and Investigation fails TO reveal
any great modern capital cities IN civil
lied countries where the citizens are s'i
entirely deprived of political personality
as are the residents OF the District
of Columbia.
The population Of Washington has
increased until now the city RANKS
thirteenth among the cities OF tnc
country Statistics show that wash
inrton had an enviable record In war
service in the number OF her sons VINO
/, participated and in the sale OF Lincrts
bonds. The people OF Washington pas
taxes in great volume for both Federal
and local purposes As citizens they
are above the average in education and
intelligence and they have proved In
instances too numerous TO mention tina.
| they are good citizens, ever ready Ia
| respond TO the cali TO public service.
/ For over SO years the people OF WASH
! ington have been deprived OF voice
| in the Government which taxes them
which makes all laws for them. and
| which sends them TO war. We urgent
| " protest that these people should not
| be the only Americans denied the rights
and privileges OF American citizenship
| that they should be accorded representa-.
! ton In Congress and In the electoral col
| lege and the right 10 sue and TO be
| sued in the courts Of the United States
This proposal has been before Con-
gress for number Of years. It has
| been examined investigated. and teFteti