Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21

own seat Of government. But will tn.
Federal Government be any the less su.
preme when representatives of the Dis.
trtct sit in the national legislature:
There will still be but one sovereignty
in the District; one law, one source Of
power and authority.
The exclusive jurisdiction of Con.
gress over the District is one thing: the
composition of the membership of Con.
gress is another thing. We agree
hmeartily with those members who wish
to prevent anything that would impair
in the slightest degree the sovereignty
OF the National Government.
Vote Planned for District.
"It is easy to prove that the father,
never had 1t in their minds that the
people of the District of Columbis
should be a species Of voteless political
animals devoid Of all organs for the ex.
preston Of their social will. When they
established the District not only die
they leave the two municipal govern
ments OF Alexandria and Georgetown
In full blast, but they set up a brand
new one for the City Of Washington
also based on popular suffrage. That
these municipalities, with only occa.
sional help from Congress. struggled un.
successfully to maintain q city planned
for the capital of an empire is not tc
the point. The point Is that this people
was not, and was never intended to be
voteleSs.
When We come down to modern times
and draw attention to our present
population, our contribution in Federal
taxes, our contribution in men and In
money in the Great War, we are met
by flank attack. In this population
they say, there are lot of people who
claim voting residence in the States
We'll, is any one surprised? So long
as participation in Government Is de-
MED here, some of our people will be
tempted to exercise their cherished
political rights elsewhere. For the most
part, however, such outside residence
is legal fiction.
Question Is Purely Personal.
"But what has that to do with the
question? The question is not whether
John Brown or John Robinson shall
vote for President and for members of
Congress. The question is whether this
District-which Chief Justice Marshall,
years ago, called distinct society
shall go forever without representation
In Government The question is not
whether some individual shall some
living community of 100000 Americans
shall have no voice in The Legislative
councils of the country.
Now for the remedy. You will note
that the proposed amendment simply
confers a new power on Congress.
Congress will have power to grant to
the people of the District at the. ap-
propriate moment the right of national
representation; that is to say, the right
to have representation in Congress ac-
cording to their population, and cor
responding representation among the
electors who choose the President. and
Vice President
THE very modesty of this proposal
Is made a ground of objection.
why, it is said, do you leave 1t to
Congress? The answer Is that for a
century. Congress has had . similar
power with respect to the admission Of
new States. Representation In the Ma
tional Government must of necessity
be dependent upon population and
other conditions of fact. What better
means Of dealing with it, then, can be
found than to leave the determination
of the time and conditions to Congress?
eff Congress does not think that our
population of half million justifies
representation, 1t may wait until 1t
grows to 100000 or to 100000, or even
to 100000, which it will doubtless at
tain before many years. If Congress
does not think that a contribution in
Federal taxes greater than that of any
one of IS or Is States is sufficient evil
dence of capacity, it can wait until the
ratio shall be still greater in favor OF
the District. But Congress must first
be given the constitutional power.
Asks Only for Rights.
"The amendment, when adopted by
the States, will establish the right in
point of principle. 1t negatives the as
sumption that never. under any con-
this District participate in the Govern
ment whose laws they must obey. The
time when, and the circumstances un-
der which, such right shall be finally
accorded are left to the decision of the
rightful authority, the Congress Of the
United States. What can be fairer or
more reasonable?
I'VE ask nothing that imperils the
structure of the Constitution or the
safety of the state: nothing incon-
sistent with the spirit and purpose of
the founders: nothing harmful to the
rest of our fellow citizens.
I'VE ask only what every civilized
community asks, and what every civil
lied community but ours already enjoys.
Some very predetermined man
indeed may put the question: What do
you expect to get by it?
Our answer is: We expect to get
by 1t just what every other. American
community gets. Ask the people of
any part Of these States to surrender
their existing right Of participation In
the National Government; and, If they
demur, demand what they get by it.
The answer will be short and quick.
Surely no American audience would
expect argumentative answer to that
question"
Gives Woman's Side Of Issue.
Discussing the question from a
woman's point Of view, Mrs. Doyle told
why the word 'voteless" is prefixed to
the name Of the organization of which
she Is president. Her speech, in part,
follows:
IF you find the combination of the
term yoteless with League of Women
Voters inconsistent and contradictory,
we are glad, because it is deliberately
chosen to call attention to a situation
which is inconsistent with American
democratic ideals and contradictory of
the great American principle that
taxation without representation is
tyranny.
The District League Of Women
@=-N