Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19

American rights Of representation.
George Washington, the first President,
never evinced such q purpose. Madi-
son. active in the framing OF the Gov
eminent, had no such purpose. Madi-
son, according TO President Andrew
johnson in 1867. assumed that there
would be suffrage In the District OF
Columbia.
There were included IN the original
10 miles square OF the Federal District
the municipal governments Of AleXan-
dria, In the coded Virginia part. and
Georgetown, in the ceded Maryland part,
and both continued their suffrage.
Washington municipality was set up
also with suffrage at that time. Madi-
son in the FederaliSt, referring to the
District, said there no doubt would be,
in the compact, a provision for the
rights and consent Of the citizens in
habiting 1t, as they will have had their
voice in the election OF the Government
Which Is to exercise authority over 1t.
City Of Heroes Unborn"
Washington in those days was small
cornfields, woods and swampland. In
1900 it had a bare 5000 population
Three or four years afterward Tom
Moore, the Irish poet, called Washing
ton squares and morasseS and obelisks
In trees, with shrines unbuilt and heroes
unborn
IN 1900 President John Adams told
Congress that in exercising Its powers
over the District it should not fail to
take into view the future probable stu
alton of the territory In 1913 Presi-
dent Monroe told Congress that con-
gressionai legislation directly over local
concerns of the District In which the
people have no participation was a de-
parture from the general principles of
our system He suggested TO Congress
consideration whether an arrangement
better adapted to the principles OF our
Government and to the particular in
tereSts Of tho people may not be de-
vised.' He referred then to the growing
population and increasing business Of
the District of Columbia as an argu-
ment why Congress might consider q
In 1890, President Jackson told Con-
gress the District Is certainly entitled
to a much greater share OF cOnSidera-
ton. suggesting representation In the
House. At that time, 1t may be pointed
out, Washington was q small town. In
1897. President Van Buren,, In q mes
sage to Congress, told how the District.
separated from the rest OF the Union.
has unfortunately been left to finger
behind the rest OF the Union Presi-
dents Harrison In 1871. Polk In 1945.
Fillmore in 1S4e, Pierce In 1884.
Buchanan in 1857, referred TO the DIS
tricts having no representation. Presi-
dent Lincoln 50 referred TO It in 1851.
President Andrew johnson, in 1857. Sug-
gested that the District have q repre-
sentative in Congress when the District
should become sufficiently populous.'
Other Presidents have made references
to Washinstons unrepreseDted situa-
ton
Washington should be the municipal
pattern for all American cities. FROM
here radiates the whole scheme Of
Government. with the underlying doc
trine OF Government by consent Of the
governed.
Lack Constitutional Right.
Your cities. your villages. your people,
are represented at Washington by 90
Senators and 435 Representatives. You
have that constitutional right of repre-
sentation. We have not. 1t Is an-up--
psralleled situation In history. the
devitslizing of one Of the great com.-
munitieE Of the world. In no other
city. In no other national or state.
ca pital In Anerics or abroad. is there
any such discrimins tton against q
people.
Follow tbe history of the American
people, now reputedly "a, 000, 600 strong.
You will md interviewer in that history
the fundamental doctrine OF the par
ticipation Of all people In the AFFAIRS
of their government. All the people
includes the people of the District.
The free consent of the governed is
today o sacred precept in American
ideals. A century ago, almost to q
day, Daniel Webster. in the United
States Senate, called the Federal Gov
eminent the peoples Government.
made for the people, made by the peo-
pie, answerable TO the people. Theo-
dore Parker, In Boston, speaking on
The American Idea In 1880. said
democracy is a government OF all the
people, by all the people, for all the
people, a government of the principles
of eternal Justice Lincoln, in his
famous Gettysburg speech in 1853, de-
cjared that 'a0vernement If the peo-
pie, by the people, for the people. shell
not perish from the earth
The City of Washington today
stands out in has relief against the
cruder conditions Of its earlier DAYS.
For the past quarter Of a century
been developing, giant like, until IT Is
now the greatest of al world capitals
Washington Is representative
American community. II Is public
spirited. IL has the same ideals of
participation In the Federal Congress
that you have out there In the States.
Three-fourths Of its population are
white-people Of the same national
blood, of the same measure Of responsi-
bility as any typical American citizen
anywhere. flliteracy 10 almost un-
known. 1t has 800 900 potential voters.
There Is no more likelihood OF the
colored one-fourth minority in the
population acquiring voting DONNA
ton over the three-fOurths of white
population than there II Of such domi-
nation in the adjacent States, where
the average percentage OF Negro popu-
lation is practically the same as in the
District. Maryland, with 1863 per cent,
and Virginia, with 29.s. gives COM
posite average of 23.4 against the Dis
trict, 2S.1. Both Atlantic City, N. j.,
and Topeka, Kans., have q percentage
Of Negro population about the same as
the District. but have heard no sug-
geStion that the citizens Of Atlantic
City and Topeka be deprived of their
participation in the Affairs Of the Ma
ton through the ballot boz.
Untainted by Alien influence.
Washington. as q city, Ia one Of the
most orderly In the world. IT. Is fast
growing toward the million mark In