Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-17

what the people of the District are
demanding through the pending con-
stitutional rnendment-only this and
nothing more.
Suppose these states smaller In pop
ulation than the District should say.
Your population, though large on
the face of the census returns, Is
mainly composed of tranSients who are
here only temporarily and who vote
or own property or are primarily in
terested In some State Of the Union
Your showing of community strength
Is therefore misleading and does not
entitle you to the consideration which
you seek"
Not a Camp of Transients.
The soldiers and sailors whom the
community sends to war represent
that community alone. Each State
jealousy retains its hold upon its sons
in the competitive exhibit of mil
itary strength. The District of Column
bia, this alleged camp of transients,
sent to war of its sons more soldiers
and sailors than seven States, and
showed greater percentage OF volun-
tary enlistments than forty-three States.
This alleged heterogeneous aggre-
cation of transient Americans paid
more in national taxes to help win
the war than fifteen States absolutely
and more than five States combined.
There is obvious injustice In using the
fact that a small fraction OF the
Districts over 100000 potential voters,
l. e., residents over 81 years OF age, was
able to endure the burden OF maintain
ing voting residences in the states as
a pretext for refusing the nearly 100000
who did not vote at all the privilege
of direct voting as District residents.
District No Longer Negligible.
Is 1t fair or wise or even prudent
to Withhold respect and regard con-
temptuously from the people OF the
capital?
Here is distinctively American
community, intelligent, public spirited,
resourceful, patriotic, of greater mill
tary strength than seven states, OF
greater measured patriotic impulse than
fOrty-three states, of greater national
taxpaying resources in 1927 than
twenty-five of the States. with over
100000 potential national voters
demanding on American princi-
pies national representation as District
resid ants. Our fellow Americans should
be ashamed to rebuff these potential
voters, these national soldiers and ma
tional taxpayers on the feeble and futile
pretext for excluding them from nation
al representation which has been sug-
gested and which says in substance:
"A fraction of your number by main
tanning dual residence can vote ex-
pensively and unsatisfactory in some
state. A fraction of this fraction does
thus vote. Those of you who have not
this privilege of voting elsewhere must
establish such outside residence or go
without national representation. Your
only alternatives as capital residents are
to supplicate or evacuate, to beg or get
out"
Supplicate or Evacuate.
It is no answer to those who wish
national representation as residents
of the District to tell them (what they
know already that they can vote by
getting political residence somewhere
else. AS Washingtonians must go
abroad in order to work in the gov
eminent classified service at home,
because of the pernicious apportion-
ment of offices law, so now they are
told that they must acquire a political
residence abroad in order to vote at
home or in order, while living in the
District of Columbia, to vote at all.
The people of the District are not
obsessed with blind desire to vote,
so that they wish to vote for every
thing and are satisfied to vote for
ANYTHING. They do not overvalue the
mere privilege of ballot
Some ballots are impotent scraps of
paper" They seek American rights
and powers, of the possession and
exercise of which the casting of certain
ballots is the symbol. They wish to
have a voice like other Americans in
making the national laws which all
must obey; they wish to participate with
other Americans in passing upon great
national issues; they wish like other
Americans the power of sharing in the
national decision for peace or war.
which may send their sons along with
those of other Americans to fight. to
bleed and perhaps to die. They wish
to participate, on the American principle
that couples taxation with representa-
ton in the deliberations of the national
legislature which taxes them and de-
cidcs how the tax money shall be spent.
Now Worthy of Nations Regard.
Some senators and representatives,
who have served the republic well Tor
many years and who have been accus-
toned to see the capital community
treated as impotent and negligible, are
slow to perceive that the capital is no
longer merely the camping place OF
transient Americans, but has developed
into homogeneous American commu-
mt, res0urceful, populous,
public -spirietd, patriotic-with a mark
ed civic self-c0nSciOusneSS, with strong
community get-together spirit, and with
an inspiring community pride. 1t is well
organized. It has its Board OF Trade.
its Chamber of Commerce, its Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association.
It's Central Labor Union, its Federation
of Citizens Associations, which cover
and represent the whole area OF the
District. It has its Oldest Inhabitants
association, and its association OF ma
tive Wahingtonians. Its lawyers, It's
bankers, and its realtors are well or
ganized It ha score of strong clubs, OF
women as we'll as men, with aff1liating
national organizations. 1t has organized
for financial equity for the District and
has impressed the justice of its cause
upon every tribunal or congressional
committee which has given to its repre-
sensations thoughtful consideration. 1t
organized for war service and made
record of volunteer enlist.
ments of soldiers and sailors, OF gifts OF
money for Red Cross and other war
services, for war taxes cheerfully paid,
for subscriptions to war loans, from first
to last of the series of liberty loans.
With the same vigor and enthu-
-iocpo which marked the organization