Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-19
The Voters" of the District.

Of Columbia. the National Capital OF
the United States, Is 5,105, according
TO a special enumeration by the Census
Bureau Of persons who claim and make
use of voting residence In the States.
Surely this is 9 sufficient commentary
IN itself on the injustice of disfranchis-
ing the general population of the Dis
trict of Columbia. The census of the
National Capital for 1880 shows total
population OF 488, $50.
Pleas made by residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia who wish TO exercise
the privilege and right Of American
citizens and through the use Of the
ballot express themselves in the Gov
eminent of their country, have been
answered In the past with statements
that 9 very large proportion of the
adult population Of the District votes
or has the right to vote in the States.
The report Of the Census Bureau makes
this answer appear little more than an
evasion by those who are opposing the
demand Of the disf-enchised residents
Of the Capital.
The director Of the ceISus, in report
ing the results Of the special enumera-
ton Of voters residing in the District,
admits that some errors in the compu-
tation may have crept in, due to the
failure of census takers TO ask these
special questions relating to the claim
Of voting residence out in the States
But he adds. emphatically, THE num-
Der reported is fairly complete"
In the past It has been common talk
that Of the total population of the Dis
trict $4,000 or even $4,000 vote in the
States, having legal residence there.
Even now that the Census Bureau has
enumerated the voters, similar asser-
tions are made. But it is inconceivable
that an error of such magnitude could
have been made by the Census Bureau
In taking the special census of voters
in the District 1t is one thing to esti-
mate the number of voters residing In
the National Capital and another thing
to count them.
Party leaders, who have the duty Of
"Retting out the vote" In election years
and who must seek assistance to carry
on this work, may be forgiven If they
magnify somewhat the size of their
task and the Importance Of the vote
Of the District to their parties. The
suggestion is made that civil service
employees residing in the District have
hesitated to tell the census enumera-
tors that they took part in elections, on
the theory that civil service rules pro-
hibit political activity of civil service
employees. This Is unlikely. inasmuch
as the enumeration is anonymous and
confidential. There is nothing in the
rules Of the civil service, furthermore,
which In any way interferes with the
right Of these employees TO vote In any
election. This line Of argument, set
up in an effort to explain the failure
Of the census to show a greater number
Of voters, is not IN the least convincing.
The 1880 census Of the District Of
Columbia has shown nearly half mil
lion living in the District. This does
not include the great number of per-
sons who live in Maryland and Vtr-
Rinia and come into Washington daily
for business and who have ofices here.
It relates only 10 those who actually
reside in the National Capital. It re-
lates TO the men and women who
actually pay the taxes which are used
for the upkeep Of the government Of
the District in all its ramifcations.
These are the men and women who are
today taxed without representation
except for the fifteen thousand resi-
dents plus who admittedly vote in the
States. The census shows, too, that
the increase in the population Of the
District during the last decade has
been 1929 The Increase in the pop
ulation during the next ten years will
probably be even greater.
How is 1t possible to Justify the dis
franchisement Of such a great number
Of American citizens? In the other
great capital cities OF the world, among
them London, Paris and Berlin, there
"a no effort to disfranchise the resi-
dents. There is but one way TO do Jus
tice to the people Of the District Of
Columbia. That is to amend the Con-
stitution so that Congress will be enabled
10 grant these people the right to elect
their representatives in Congress-as
the people Of the States do-since It
y the Congress which makes the laws
for the District and levies taxes on
the people of the District This meas
ure Of justice has already been too
long delayed.