Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-26
Rate by MaiI-Payable in Advance.
All Other States and Canada.
How Many District Non. votersG


the census questions put to District resi-
dents the query whether the individual
District resident has or has not the
legal residence which entities him or
her to vote in national elections In a
state; and whether he or she in fact
exercises this right to vote.
These questions are pertinent and
the answers will furnish to Congress
information which is necessary to in
telligent and just legislation concern
ing the political status of residents Of
what remains of THE Ten Miles
Square" In classifying population. the
census ascertains the number of aliens
by foreign birth. 1t will be logical and
consistent If the census ascertains also
the number of political aliens who are
such only through residence in the
District of Columbia.
Census Director Steuart was credited
by the newspapers last Spring as reply
ing, in response to a question from
Senator Vandenberg. that there was
no insuperable objection to the addition
of this question to the list of census
queries. This answer gives confidence
that the reply of the Commerce Sec
rotary to the Board of Trade will be
favorable.
In the absence of definite, author
itative information on the subject, we
have all been ,timating.
According to the census of 1920, there
were in the District in that year 305,255
persons lover 21) of voting age. num-
Der Of potential voters exceeding those
Of nine of the States.
Until the vicious apportionment Of
offices law is modified or repealed there
must be deducted from this number
District residents in the national clas-
sified service who hold office as voting
citizens of their respective States.
If every worker in the United States
classified service in the District were
counted as possessing and retaining
permanently his voting residence in a
State, and the entire number Of these
workers (including those from the Dis
trict) were subtracted from the Dis
tricts population Of voting age. the
Districts voting constituency would
after the deduction, be greater than
those of eight States.
The United States workers IN the
classified service in the District on
December 81, 1927, were $4,000. II
without deducting the men and women
in the classified service who are credited
to the District we cut out this en-
tire number from the total District
population over II years Of age, this
population will still exceed the voting
age population of Idaho by 10,51s, Utah
by 1913, Vermont By 27,553, Arizona
by 56,666. New Mexico by 5s,4oe. Della
ware by 1os,O74, wyoming by l2s,1S6
and Nevada by 1887.
The maximum public estimate Of the
residents of the District OF Columbia
entitled to vote in the States, made by
agsregating the maximum figures OF
the rival campaign managers, was, In
1920, 5000.
It is estimated that In 1920 there
were about a quarter million of COM
pulsory non-voters in the District. This
number is today largely increased, since
the total population, the census esti-
mates, has increased over one hundred
thousand and the State voters in the
classified service have decreased about
10000.
This District quarter million of poten-
tial voters exceeds the total votes act
ually cast in the presidential election OF
1924 in any one Of % States Of the
Union.
1t exceeds the total vote actually cast
in neighboring Virginia in 1924 by the
Democrats. Republicans and Progress
sives combined (223.535). Virginia has
IL electoral votes.
It exceeds the combined total vott
cast by all parties in the 1924 election
in Delaware, South Carolina, Wyoming
and Nevada Gas, 437). These foul
States have 10 electoral votes.
Do not the Districts quarter million
of potential voters. steadily increasing
indicate a political strength worthy o
consideration?
But If our voting population wer
viewed today as inadequate in quantit.
to entitle us to national representation
no reason would thereby be found Il
oppose the pending constitutions
amendment or to delay its consideration
until after the 1880 census. For thi
amendment does not directly and i'm
mediately admit the Washington defec
tives and delinquents to national repre-
sentation. 1t merely empowers Congress
in its discretion at some future time Il
admit District residents to the statu
of citizens of State for the purpose o
national representation and also pro
vides the machinery to be utilized whe
Congress wishes to exercise this power
Adoption of the amendment does nc
mean a decision that the quantity an
quality of the population are now sum
Gent TO entitle the Districts voting con
stituency to representation in its Hous
and Senate. Rejection of the amend
ment does not merely decide that tn
Districts population is UNIT for ma
tional representation now, but that
never can be At.
Horse Drawn Traffic.