Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
DISTRICTS PLIGHT
HELD UN-AMER|CAN
Miss Jessie Dell, in Radio
Address; Makes Strong
Plea for Representation.

District of Columbia was made by Mis-
Jessie Dell of the United States Civil
Service Commission in a radio address
broadcast from Station WMAL last
night.
Speaking from the viewpoint of q
woman whose understanding of the is
sue has been sharpened by the Ions
struggle for woman's suffrage, Miss Del
was emphatic in her condemnation Of
the form of government which imposes
all the duties of citizenship on peo-
pie, but denies them the rights that are
corollaries to those duties according to
all fundamental American principles.
Conditions under which residents OF
the District live are unjust and UNI
American" the speaker asserted, ana
are difficult If not impossible" to ex-
plain.
Miss Dell spoke as follows:
THE privilege of voting and OF hav-
ing a voice in legislation through rep
resentatives is probably more keenly APP
preciated by women than by men
Verdant still is the memory of those
DAYS when we as women were forced to
fieht every inch of the way in the strug-
gle for woman suffrage. Fair play, JUS
ice and true Americanism were all
on our side, but 1t took years OF per-
sistent effort before winning the coyet-
ed privilege of casting our ballots as
lean citizens. Because of our own ex-
perience, perhaps we can better under
stand the plight of the people of the
District of Columbia and their desire
to become enfranchised, with voice
in making the laws that shall govern
not only the District itself, but the Ma
ton as well
Plight DificuIt to Explain.
at Is dificult, If not impossible, 10
give any reasonable explanation of the
fact that in a Nation of more than
100 100000 people, whose forefatherS
paid so dearly for the privilege Of rep
resentative self-government, one little
segment of that Nation, with approx
rnately one-half million population.
should be singled out for deprivation OF
the privilege of that legislative repre-
sentation which is the inherent birth
right of every American citizen. The
Injustice thus foisted upon them is
aggravated beyond what any American
should be forced to endure when II Is
decreed that while the full privileges
of citizenship are denied. al the obli-
cations which citizenship entails, in
Guiding taxation and military duty, are
imposed. The people of the District OF
Columbia are called upon to support
the Government of the United States
and obey its laws in the same degree
and manner as are the people of any
State in the Union. yet they have no
part in shaping the policies of that
Government, nor voice in making the
laws which govern them. This does not
and cannot square with the funda-
public was founded, and by which 1t
must endure, II endure 1t shall.
ut Is true the Constitution of the
United States gives to the Congress
power OF exclusive legislation over the
District, and no one has any wish to
deprive the Congress Of that power.
It is not proposed to change the form
Of local government in the District. "
Demand Citi.ea.i nights.
I'VE do not advocate the raising Of
the District to the status of q State,
but what the people of the District do
want, and BY every rule of simple jus
tice and inafienable right Of American
citizenship should have; issrepresenta-
ton in the Congress which makes the
laws to govern it and the right Of its
citizens to a standing before the courts
of the Nation, equal, at least, to that
which Is accorded to citizens of foreign
countries. The President appoints the
Commissioners who are the heads of
the local government in the District, yet
not one vote from a citizen of The
District can be cast for the President.
The people of the District sit still and
see who the rest Of the country shall
elect as President, mayor and city.
councillor the President is the three
in one Is this a government by the
consent Of the governed or does that
phrase as 1t occurs in the Constitution
apply only outside the District of Co
1umbia?
rs it possible that the founders of
this great Nation intended this discrim-
tnation against their own descendants
who Of choice or necessity must reside
at the seat of government? When the
Boston tea party inspired the patriots
liberty the people Of Montgomery
County, Nd. Of which the District OF
Columbia was then part, helped I'm
the formation Of companies Of soldiers
who were the first from the South to
reach Massachusetts and render aid in
the common cause Of throwing on the
curse Of taxation without representa-
ton.
Heritage Is Taken Away.
Descendants of those heroes reside
in the District, but their heritage of
representative government has been
taken away from them. They are
Americans, yes; but they are impotent
helpless and voiceless in their govern-
naent
In the Congressional Record of April
10, 1918, may be found the proceedings
In connection with the oficial accept
ance Of the Americans Creed want
to read that creed and see how it fits
In with the Washingtonian's condition:
believe in the United States of
America as a government of the people,
by the people, for the people; whose
Just powers are derived from the con-
sent Of the governed: a democracy in
a republic; sovereign Nation of many
sovereign States; perfect union, one
and tnseparable; established upon those
principles OF freedom, equality, justice
and humanity for which American pa
triots sacrificed their lives and for
tunes.
81, therefore, believe it my duty to
my country To love it. to support its
Constitution, to obey its laws, to re-
spect its nag, and TO defend it against
all enemies
Government Not by District.
'"The doctrines incorporated in this
creed are derived from the Constitution.
the Declaration of Independence. the
national anthem, the statutes of the
United States and the utteranceS of
Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln and
Edward Everett Hale. No better sources
can be found which could express the
ideals of this Republic. Yet the gov
eminent in the District Of Columbia u
only for the people, not of or by them
their consent to the government is i'm
material and not asked; there is no
democracy and no equality with the
rest of the Union despite the fact that
among those American patriots who
sacrificed their lives and fortunes for
u - ~