Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-01

evening Of June II at 6 o'clock, when
radio addresses. arranged by the Citi-
1ens' Joint Committee for National Rep
~resentation, will be delivered at Station
WRC by William Green, president of
the American Federation of Labor, and
Justice Wendell P. Stafford of the ST.
preme Court of the District of Column
bia. These addresses. also will be car
ried over the countrywide network of
the National B~roadcasting Co..
In his address last night, Senator
Jones spoke in part as follows:
Il am talking not to the people OF
the District of Columbia but in their
behalf. 1 am speaking to the people
outside. I hope many will listen in. l
have a message I wish could come to
every citizen of every State in our land.
Washington City is the Capital of
the greatest Nation and the most en-
lightened people in the world. It has
a population of over $780, 900 people
that will compare in intelligence, re-
finement. education. morality. culture
and progressiveness with that of any
city in the Union.
These people, however, are in a con-
dition different from that of the peo-
pie of any other city in this country or
in the world. The capitals of other
Nations are a part politically OF their
respective countries, and their residents
are citizens of these countries. with
all the rights and privileges of all other
citizens. SO it is with the capitals of
our States and their citizens. This is
as it should be.
Moving Capital Proposed.
at is often proposed that the Ma
TONS Capital should be moved away
-. 11.A ofh4r N;fiae mould lilo tn
be made the Capital of this great Coun-
try. and it is often said that their citi-
zens would be willing to furnish sites
and erect the necessary buildings II
they could have the Capital located
in their midst. Do those who propose
this realize what it would mean?
Are the people of Chicago, st. Louis,
San Francisco, or of my own city OF Sc
attic, willing to be made the Capital
of this great country IN the basis of
Washington City? Would the people
of any of these cities, to gain this po-
sition for their city, be willing to fore
the privilege of voting for President
and Vice President of the United States;
to give up their right to vote for. and
have, Senators and Representatives in
Congress; to surrender the right to
vote for governor and officials of their
States, members of their State Legis-
latures, county and even their city Of
fcials? Would they be willing to put
in the hands of outsiders the right to
say to them what taxes they shall pay
and what the money raised shall be
used for?
THAT is the situation In the District
Of Columbia. It's citizens, as a whole,
are denied the national representation
rights of the ordinary citizen. 1t is
true that a comparatively few, who are
filling positions of kind and an
other, retain their citizenship in the
States from whence they come, but
many are unable to avail themselves
of these rights because they. cannot
afford the expense of going home to
exercise them.
Denied Citizens Rights.
"The people of the District Of Co
lumbia must meet the obligations Of
citizens, but they are denied the most
vital of a citizens rights. If we are
at war. its sons must fight and die,
while its citizens and capital must
share in the Nations burdens. In time
of peace, the burdens of government
must be borne by them as by other
citizens, though they have no say what
ever al to what these burdens may be.
It's governing officials are appointed by
the President in whose selection. they
have M voice whatever. The laws
governing and controlling its citizens
and their property. general as well as
of a purely local character, are passed
without even consulting them, and by
those whose interests and homes are
elsewhere.
Its citizens have nothing to say as
to the levying, collecting and spending
of the taxes upon their property and
their income. All they can do is to
pay. The citizens of no other capital
in the world are treated like the citi-
zens of Washington. nor are the citi-
zens OF our State capitals treated like
them in any way.
"'Oh,' 1t is said, the people here get
the benefit of these magnificent Federal
buildings put up with the Nations
money True-but the citizens here
contribute their proportionate part of
this money. Citizens of our State
capitals get the benefit of their bsauti-
full buildings and they do not lose the
priceless heritage of voting citizenship
by reason of these benefits.
In my own State a magnificent
State Capitol building and other fine
buildings have been erected at Olympia;
none of the civil rights of its citizens
have been taken away by reason Of this
and no one ever thought of doing so,
How is it at other capitals whose citi-
zen hear me?
"'Oh,' it is said, too, these people
DO not have to live here and did not
have to locate here OF course. the
$50, 100 native District residents in
l920-more than one-third of the total
population-who we're brought here by
birth. entirely without their consent,
did have to locate here. But If :" in
stead of only a part of the popL-~N
were born outside of the District, VIZ
would this wonderful city of which we
are all so proud be if they were not
here and had not located here? Whence
would come and who would maintain
these wonderful streets, graceful trees,
beautiful parks and other magnificent
municipal improvements? -.
What a cherries city it would be II
there were nothing here but Govern
ment buildings and the homes of its
employees. Who, even, would want to
come here to aid in ~transacting the
Government business If hat were all
hat were here!
Revenue Is Cited.
Consider, too. what the people of
this District, in comparison with others,
are contributing to the Nations fnan-
cial needs. In 1927 the population Of
the District was estimated at $4,000.
These people, in 1925, paid into the
Treasury of the country in which they
live, but under which they were denied
certain vital rights of citizenship, over
SI3,0 900 900, or more than any one of
20 States of the Union whose citizens
have their full share of civil rights,
and who were not only consulted about
the levying of their taxes but also had
equal representation in the Senate with
any other State in the Union and a
proportionate say in the House how
this money should be spent. A0on't you
y.,bo are 1ictppipu IN mo tbR1E this iS