Evening star., 1928-03-13
Vain to Try to Check Trend
Toward EnfranChiSement
of Fit Americans.
A VITAL HURT TO BOTH
CAPITAL AND NATION
Power. Prestige and Vast Increase
of Influence to Small States From
National Representation.
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.
THEODORE w. MOVES.

1nI00O0L w nv L L0.
No more glaring inconsistency In
treatment of the District can be noted
than that OF political leaders who every
where else have recognized the trend
toward liberality in extending fran
chise as TO women and In admitting
territories to statehood and who. with
far-seeing policy or wise prudence. have
competed for recognition as the special
champions of the newly eufranchised
and smoothed the way for extension of
enfranchisement but who neglect. slur
and humiliate the potential 100000 vct-
ers of the District who are increasing
wonderfully every year and who are
certain TO vote some day.
Are our practical but inconsistent
politicians deaf and blind? Do they
not zee that American opinion favors
the troadest national enfranchisement?
That in recent years national repre-
sentation has been rightfully extended
to millions of women and to all the ter
ritor!es In continental and contiguous
America so that from ocean TO ocean
and from Canada to Mexico every Ter
ritory has been exalted into statehood.
that the District OF Columbia Is the
only remaining American community
in this ARA whose people are s:ill COM
puisory occupants Of the National Hos
pital for Politically Defective and De-
linquent Americans?
Do they not realize that those who
have opposed themselves to the rising
swelling tide OF national enfranchise-
ment have politically suffered ard that
those who have sympatheticaliy and
Fundamentally aided have been po.its-
cally rewarded as result Of the grate-
full appreciation OF the recently en-
franchised?
Listening and hearing, do not the pol
iticians recognize In the demand OF
| the three hundred thousand potential
voters of the District tpersons over 2i
years OF age) the same kind Of warning
as well as appeal that they heard when
the women Of America (outside OF the
District of Columbia) and the men and
women OF the Territories made urgent
and successful claims for their political
rights as Americana
"voteiess League of Women Voters
DO they not understand that The
women OF the Nation. including those
OF the District who have won franchise
tor themselves everywhere except in
the District. will never permit this ex-
ception and this discrimination TO con-
tinue 10 exist? The hidenils nockery
OF a "Voteless League Of Women Voters"
In the District OF Columbia Will not
be perpetuated. The women of Amer
tea viii never permit this slurring in
consistency 10 endure.
DO they not realize that the National
Federation OF Labor will not forever
assent TO the reputation as vottn.
Americans Of It's strong. intelligent,
anti-communistic membership In the
| District?
Do they not recognize that the ex-
soldier and patriotic organizations. civil
/ ian associations and clubs OF the Dis
/ trict with strong national Affiliations
will successfully send out an 8 o S
call 10 their voting associates 10 rescue
them from shameful political ISOLATION?
DO they not recognize that outside
| OF and greater even than all OF the
| influential national organizations IN
dicatcd Is the combined sympathetic
| support OF rcd-blooded, patriotic Am: r.
leans. individually and collectively, OF
| both sexes, Of all classes. all races and
all religions.
The District has greater population
! and resources than any Territory at tn"
| time Of admission 10 The Union except
| Oklahoma. In intelligen ence. public splr-
IT, loyal WhOic-hcarted Amercaniam
and III readiness 10 make patriotic sEc~
fiflces of money and life on The altar
of national welfare no other American
community Of half million anywhere
surpasses IT,
Is IT wise 10 slur as UNIT the three
hundred thousand potential voters of
The District men and women over 2D
BECAUSE as result mainly Of The per-
nlclots pp0iti0nment~Of-o offices law a
| small traction Of these three hundred
thousand potential voters maintain. usi~
dtf ebnipttlbl0n, an expensive voting
residence IN outside 6taLea1 The APP
portionment of offices law. relic ~ The
pld Spolis system (which divides offlccs
~ The claastina service among the
States according 10 population like ban =
strength, h Al hurtiul to the Nation
as u III unluht 10 The District ana Ii
sure some day 10 be repealed or fadl~
caily modified
After suffering all reasonable, care
fhiiy calculated reductions the potential
voters of the District constitute u great
army f0f whose favor the worldly wiss,
far seeing politicians will some day
compete with sincere display Of sym
pathetic. helpful confederation instead
VI siurrlngiy ana epntemptuOusty In,
putting incurabie political uniitness 10
tbf community and impotence 10 cure
This EVIL Ia the kati0n.
The imp0ient Washibgt0nian threat
rms nobody, But he ~ not an ,naFats,
he appreciates friendly sympathy. IuAv
lice and taif play. lie notes ana viii
remember,
Why Wary About Nan .JtuTtfni
tnT0nhistenctes2
But says some one Why worry
about verbal, nonehuritII inconsistent
oiehP Who cares nowadays about alb
Aract principles and ideals? Why