Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-12
MAKE RADIO PLEA
FOR vOTELESS c.
Working People of Country
Urged to Call on Congress
to Support Measure.

Millions of enfranchised citizens
throughout the United States again las
night were petitioned to lend their ac-
tive support to the movement to grant
| to the half-million voteleSS residents OF
| the District of Columbia the right to 6
voice in their Government when VII
| liam Green, president of the American
Federation of Labor, and Justice Wen.
! dell P. Stafford of the District Supreme
| Court told of Washington's plight in ad'
! dresses broadcast from WRC over 6
coast-to-coast network Of the Nationa
| Broadcasting Co. stations.
| Speaking in another of the series ar
ranged by the Citizens Joint Committee
on National Representation for Wash
| ington. President Green urged the work
/ ing people Of the country to call upon
members Of Congress to lend their sup
port to resolutions now pending In Con-
greSs providing for q constitutional
amendment which would enable resi-
dents of the National Capital to have
representation IN Congress and to vote
in presidential elections.
Violation of Principles.
Justice Stafford, who followed the
Labor Federation head in the series,
declared that the withholding of repre-
sentation from the residents of the Dis
trict was so clearly violation Of the
spirit of American principles that the
burden of proof in the matter rested
with DIRECTORS to the movement to
show that Washingtonians should not
be granted these American rights. The
present voteless condition in Washing
ton, he asserted. sis reputation OF
American principles not tolerated else
where" He emphasized the fact that
he fott
turb the present control which Con-
gress has, and should have, over the
National Capital.
President Green in opening declared
that the deprivation of representation
to nearly a half-million citizens here
simply because they happen to reside
in the National Capital, to be contra
dictory to the spirit of American in
situations, and added:
This condition will not continue
when the citizens of the United States
become aroused. when a sense of JUS
tice pervades the Nation so that a
tered on the Congress of the United
States"
Increase in Population.
Mr.. Green spoke, in part, as follows
1.-The seriousness of the question may
be fully appreciated when we consider
the fact that the City of Washington
has grown from small town Of about
5000 In 1900 to a population approx
District of Columbia Is thus increased.
In like proportions there has been an
increase in wealth, in home ownership,
In the imposition of taxation and in
the great responsibilities which come to
such growing city and community.
eff there were any justification IN
the early days for the denial of the
right of the people who resided In the
District of Columbia to vote the reasons
therefore have long been removed and
the righteousness OF the demand OF the
residents of the District has increased.
Perhaps those who dwell in the
cities, towns and agricultural districts
of the Nation can better understand
this unjust state of affairs which pre-
walls in the District of Columbia by
drawing an imaginative parallel or COM
parison. Suppose, in the large cities in
the different States, voters were de-
prived, by act of Congress, of the right
to vote. in municipal. State or NaticSel
elections What would happen? W4%d
the people thus deprived of the right
to vote meekly submit and willingly be
governed by others in all matters
affecting taxation, administration and
representation? Would those affected
by the enactment of such legislation
remain inactive or complacent? 1t is
safe to assume that no such condition
would long be tolerated. Smarting
under a keen sense of injustice. the
people would protest and no doubt the
Congress would heed such protest and
would quickly apply remedy. Through
contemplation of the existence of such
an undemocratic condition the sover-
eign citizens of our great country may
appreciate the state of mind prevailing
among all those who dwell in the Dis
trict of Columbia.