Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11

sentation in the National Government
to the residents of the District of Co.
lumbia.
some would tell us that the District
of Columbia at one time possessed the
ballot and that this system was a COM
plete failure because OF the large COLI
ored population / have already men,
toned the fact that for 20 years there
was practical local self-government
through the manhood suffrage of the
District residents. This suffrage was
purely for election of local ofncials, and
any bad. unsatisfactory conditions to-
ward the close of this period probably
we're due more to the failure OF Congress
to properly legislate than to any other
cause. The very crude election laws
of the times. the newly acquired c1ti-
Senship bv the recently enancipated
and unprepared slaves created scam
dalous conditions in other communities
during the reconstruction period.
such conditions elsewhere never
have been used as an argument TO pre-
vent other American communities from
exercising the privilege of the ballot in
national elections. Modern election
laws and the secret ballot, then un-
known. but, above all, an educated.
enlightened civic spirit OF our colored
citizens, have reduced the possibility
them and a slur upon the potential
white voting population to say they. are
unfit for the greatest of all American
privileges-the right of ballot?
Neglect to Vote Is Menace.
To-day the real danger to municipal
ity, State and Union is to be found In
the neglect of citizens to perform that
fundamental obligation OF citizenship
by participation in the elections. The
exercise of the right of suffrage is .
citizens most sacred obligation. But
here / would impress you--the question
of suffrage for local officers has no
part in this discussion. Representation
for the District of Columbia is national
in its character.
Some Federal employees in the Dis
! trict of Columbia holding voting resi-
dence in the States have raised the
question, What is to become of us in
event of representation being granted
to the District of Columbian
They may rest assured that there Is
nothing in this proposed amendment
which will in any way affect their
status. AS nonresident voters in a
State, they are. of course. subject to
the laws of that State governing such
voting privileges. This privilege may
be withdrawn or modified by the State
at any time, but 1t is difficult to see how
they will in any way be affected by
granting the ballot and voting repre-
sentation to the large body of Ameri-
cans who claim no place otner than the
Nations Capital as Their legal residence
THE population of the District of
Columbia, according to the Federal CEN
suS of 1920, was 437,57l. It is esti-
mated that this number has been in
creased to about 100000 or more at the
present time. 1t is estimated that the
number of legal residents of the States
Of voting age does not exceed SIS, 1000.
which estimate is considered to be very
conservative. This deducted from the
population of those more than 81 years
Of age leaves at least 100000 potential
voters.
Fear of Personal Loss Dispelled.
This would give the District a vot-
ing constituency. after these most lib
eral deductions, greater than those Of
eight StateS-Idaho, Utah, Vermont,
Arizona New Mexico, Delaware, Wyom-
ing and Nevada. There is no occasion
for concern on the part of the Federal
employee in the District of Columbia
who holds voting residence in the States.
There should be no fear of injury by
any interests or group through the ex-
tension of these natural political rights
to District residents.
Hearty agreement on an issue means
nothing unless there is cryStalliZed a.
firm determination to see this great re-