Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-05
D c. VOTE DENIAL
IS CALLED UNJUST.
!Suter Makes Radio Appeal.
Headquarters to Stay Open
Rest of Week.

the DlStrict OF Columbia clearly are
entitled to voting representation in
their lawmaking body on an equal foot
ing with other Americans living in the
States, Jesse c. Suter. vice chairman
of the citizens joint committee on ma
tional representation. declared last
night in an address broadcast by Sta
ton WMAL.
THE address was the third of the
series broadcast during the inaugural
period to inform the thousands of out
of-town visitors of the voteless plight
Of the people of Washington and seek
ing their active support for the move
ment to grant to the District repre-
sentation in the Senate and House and
the right to vote in the presidential
elections.
The headquarters of the national
representation movement on the first
floor Of the National Press Building,
from which educational activities sup
porting the movement are radiating,
Mr. Suter announced. will remain open
during the remainder of the week
Local citizens and visitors to Washing
ton alike are welcome at the headquar-
tiers, where prominent Washington citi-
gems are posted daily to greet all corners
and to tell them of the justice and
practicability of the petition OF Wash
ingtonians.
Explains Resolution.
Explaining the joint resolution intro
duced in Congress which would make
possible representation for Washington.
Mr.. Suter in his challenging address
last night declared:
I'VE believe that what We ask is
simply the recognition of those natural
rights to which, by every possible con-
sideration. we are as justly entitled as
are other Americans. To us there ap-
pears to be no more reason for with
holding or denying our right to voting
representation in the National Govern
ment than there would be to deny that
same right to the Americans living in
other parts of the country"
Listing the many organizations which
are actively engaged in supporting the
petition for the granting of representa-
ton to Washington's half million now
unfinished Americans" Mr.. Suter de-
clared: These various associations as
completely register the sentiment of
organized Washington as it is possible
for civic and business groups in any
community to reflect the community
opinion. or course, there is a small
SIOup dIC SOAlC AlUitIUudlS WIZ up
pose the aims of this joint committee.
but there is nothing surprising or fatal
in that. We remember that our fore
fathers who founded this Republic had
the opposition Of the Tories. Had the
Tories had their way, there would have
been no Declaration of Independence
and. consequently. no United States Of
America"
! Lincoln Is Quoted. Z
Some people. of course, in thinking
Of representative government" the
speaker continued, "are inclined to lose
sight of the fact that it is the citizen
and not the geography which is being
represented. Nevertheless, it was We,
the people, who ordained and eStab-
1shed this great republic OF the people.
by the people. for the people We must
nemember that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
the governed and that according to our
great Lincoln there cannot be free
government without elections OF these
truisn1s We are firmly convinced through
our own experience as voteleSS, UNI
represented people -
These half million of American
sen1i-citizens of the District are seek
ing acknowledgements through the adop-
ton OF a constitutional amendment
that will enable Congress to pass law
to that effect. They are now asking
Congress to adopt a joint resolution to
submit such an amendment to the peo-
pie OF the United States. for ratification
by their legislatures in the various
States. They are confident that the
anomaly and the absurdity and the in
Justice OF their disfranchisement are
recognized and repudiated by the people
Of this Nation.
The question of form of local gov
eminent Is not involved in the proposi-
ton under consideration. The question
at issue Is solely one of giving the vote
less people of the District of Columbia
the right to participate in the councils
OF the Nation as national Americans In
the same manner as the individual
citizen of the several States is privileged
to participate In the National Govern
ment through representation in the
congress and the Electoral College, and
the same rights and privileges enjoyed
by the citizens Of the States before the
Federal Courts.
One Way to Get Vote.
This reform and liberalization of the
people Of Washington from being a SUBJ
Ject people in this great Republic can
only be accomplished by our proposed
constitutional amendment. Under this.
Congress will be clothed with a new
power 1t should possess to round cut its
ability to extend the full privileges of
American citizenship to every worthy
citizen living under the Stars and
Stripes.
"The constitutional amendment which
We urge empowers Congress to correct
this ineQuity existing in the National
Capital without disturbing in the slight
est national control of the Capital or
the present form Of municipal govern
ment. Congress retains every right in
these respects that it now possesses. All
that happens will be that the District
becomes a small fractional part of that
Congress, and politically an integral part
of the Nation which that Congress
represents.
National representation will clothe
the Washingtonian with vital Amer
lean privilege, to which he is undeniably
and in equity entitled; will cleanse him
Of the stigma and stain of un-Amer-
ticanisr, and. curing his political impo-
tency, will arm him with a certain
power.
! 1T will relieve the Nation of the
shame Of un-Americanism at its heart
tand of impotency to cure this evil. 1t
will inflict no injury or hardship upon
teither Nation or Capital TO counteract
these benefits.
I'VE of Washington require the aid
tof every fair-minded American to help
us cure this serious governmental de-
fleet, which Is sure to grow more acute
raS the population increases"