Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-12

except the requirement to vote. These
splendid, loyal American citizens have
no other home except the home they
established and built in the District OF
Columbia. Their personal interests are
here, their property values are here and
they are called upon to pay all taxes
levied by the civic authorities and by
! the Congress of the United States.
Remedy Has Been Proposed.
"a remedy for this indefensible and
| undemocratic state of affairs has been
proposed to the Congress of the United
States.
"A constitutional amendment which
provides that the residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia shall be entitled to
elect Representatives to Congress and
| shall be accorded the right to vote for
| presidential electors upon the same
| basis as the different States of the
Union has been offered for considera-
ton and action. This amendment, If
adopted by Congress, will be submitted
to the different States for ratification.
This Is most reasonable proposal. No
demand Is made upon Congress for the
right to vote for municipal officers or
for the exercise of the right of self
| government in the administration of
the affairs of the City of Washington
The people are quite willing to allow
| the exercise of this power to remain in
the hands of Congress, as provided for
| originally in the Constitution of the
United States. In this way the interests
| Of the Federal Government will be fully
protected against local control or him
drance.
The potential voters of the District
OF Columbia are sincerely and actively
interested in securing for themselves
the right to vote. They are not indif-
ferent, but they are so thoroughly
aroused that they will continue to APP
peal to their fellow citizens through
out the land until they are made po-
litically equal with them.
THE Central Labor Union of Wash
ington, representing more than $1,000
workers. is intensely interested and in
their behalf 1 appeal to the working
people and their friends throughout
the United States to actively interest
themselves to help their fellow-workerS
here and to demand that they be given
the right to vote. Most effective work
can be done in behalf of this great
movement If you will call upon the
members of Congress who represent you
to give force to your wish that the con-
stitutional amendment providing for the
enfranchisement of the citizenry of the
District of Columbia be adopted"
Justice Stafford Speaks.
Justice Stafford spoke. in part, as fol-
lows:
THE right to be represented is gen.
orally recognized as a political right
belonging to other citizens of the
United States. OF course, it cannot
be said to be legal right unless it is
recognized by law. If the right Is not
to be recognized in the case of citizens
of the United States residing here, those
who would withhold the right are in
all fairness bound to show cause why
1t should be withheld. There Is nothing
forbids 1t and certainly nothing in the
spirit Of that broad and humane docu-
ment.
Nobody pretends that the citizens Of
the United States residing here are diff
ferent in any respect from those resid-
ing in other parts of the country unless
1t be in the bare facts that they do
reside In the District. The proposition
then must be that If citizen resides
in the District of Columbia he ought to
| lose all right to be represented either
in the electoral college or in Congress.
Now on the face of 1t that strikes one
as rather remarkable proposition.
What harm would come from allow
| ing them to vote here although they do
| happen 10 reside here? 1t has never
been seriously contended that the ma
tional tranquility would be disturbed
II citizens residing here should be per-
mitted to drop their ballots into a box
| in the District of Columbia. It Is not
suggested that riots would follow or that
blood would flow, nor that the President
| or Congress might be overawed by the
| fact that citizens here were quietly ex-
ercising the same right exercised by
other citizens elsewhere At present
there are over a half million citizens
Of the United States residing here If
they should be accorded representation
in the HnlIsa nf % fi.rnc ma.