Evening star., 1932-06-25
O'BR|EN PRESENTS
PLEAF0R DISTRICT.
CoIpoys and Palmer Also
Work for Declaration to
Grant D. c. Rights.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
Stan Correspondent Of Tire Star.


the Resolutions Committee late yes
terday the briefest plank yet submit
ted for the Democratic party platform
ITO give TO the residents Of the
District Of Columbia congressional rep
resentation."
He told the party leaders that his
sole purpose in being delegate was
TO get this plank accepted. On motion
of William G. McAdoo of California,
former Secretary of the Treasury
subcommittee of nine members was
chosen to pass upon this and other
planks presented for the platform-ln-
Guiding A. Mitchell Palmer, former At
torney General, who is pledged TO make
adoption of this plank his major effort.
The other members Of the Platform
Committee are : Chairman, former Sen
ator Gilbert N. Hitchcock Of Nebraska;
William G. McAdoo, California; Sen
stor Burton K. Wheeler, Montana; Sen
ator Cerdell Hull, Tennessee; Senator
Carter Glass, Virginia; Senator DAVID
walsh. Massachusetts, II he reaches
the CCnVGKlllOIt Ia AAAANG
O'Mahoney, wyoming, and William A.
Comstock, Michigan,
Met Financial Quota
In presenting the District plank Coi,
(o'prien said: without intruding TOO
much on you gentlemen TO whorn tne
subject has been presented SO many
times, I beg leave to present sug-
rested sentence for your PLATFORM or
the subject matter OF the Distric' %
Columbia II contains two words Tor
earh delegate vote of the District OF
Columbia in the convention that Is TO
start on Monday next. have only
this morning reported to the Demo
cratic Victory Campaign a 100 per cent
compliance with the request TO raise the
sum of SIC. 900 for the Democratic cam
Taien expenses. This fund has been
subscribed by Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike and I feel the citizens OF
washington have in good faith proven
their right to something more tnan
mere courteous hearing.
prom the nod of a head or two
among YOU / realize that you are pre-
pared to say that Congress can not yield
It's constitutional control over the Fed
erai city. We are not seeking that here.
we are seeking voice in Congress,
whose sole purpose will be the prsSen-
tstion OF matters affecting the residents
of the District of Columbia.
There are civil rights meritoriols OF
your consideration which under the
scheme of things are granted even TO
aliens and we are denied. But sn OF
these matters will be for the considera-
tion of Congress, which hope in good
faith will accept the pledge OF the con-
vention Of the Democratic party that
the residents of the District of Colunl-
bia shall be welcomed into the legssla-
tive body that dictates every law under
which we must live"
Colpoys Urges Plank.
John B. Colpoys, chairman Of the
Democratic Central Committee Of the
District Of Columbia and chairman OF
the Districts delegation in the conven-
ticn, also urged adoption Of this plank.
He emphasized that for 30 years he
has been an active worker for national
representation He was introduced as
editor of the Trade Unionist, the ofdcial
organ of labor in the District and &C
tive in political, civic, charitable and
labor organizations in the National
Capital for the past 80 years.
One of the first duties that Mr..
Colpoys performed on his arrival here,
he said, was to confer with former
Attorney General Palmer, the District
representative on the Resolutions Com
nittee, who promised him that he not
only believed this plank should be put
into the platform as a matter OF justice
to the residents of the District OF Co
lumbia but that he would work en-
Enthusiastically TO have it incorporated in
the platform. Mr.. Colpoys said last
night that he has promises from many
of the members Of the Resolutions
Committee to vote for it.
In discussing this appeal Of the more
than half a million voteless residents
of the Nations Capital, before the
Resolutions Committee, Mr.. Colpoys
said: ...
"It is sad commentary upon the
ideals which brought this country into
being, ct this late day, to find ii neces-
sary TO appear before a committee Of
the party which takes for its patron
saint that immortal character, Thomas
Jefferson, urging such a plank. The
document which he wrote, which will
stand for all time as an inspiration to
the downtrodden OF all lands clearly
emphasized the fact that all men are
born equal, endowed with inalienable
rights. One of those rights in this
country is that of having voice in the
affairs of government. In the Nations
Capital it is humiliating to say that the
residents there Of are deprived OF the
rights enjoyed by the citizens in the
various States We are subject to all
Of the laws such as the payment Of
taxes, the furnishing Of our quota in
time Of war-men, money and other
obligation incident TO the conduct Of the
maintenance Of our Government.
Request Not Unreasonable.
In view Of these facts, we are ap-
pealing 10 the members of this commit
tee, who are not familiar with our
status-as / see many members here
who are members Of Congress and know
what ] say 70 be true--to heed our ap-
peal and embody in the platform this
concise and short plank which has been
presented
"As my mind goes back in the history
Of our country to one Of the notable
episodes which brought it into being
namely, the Boston tea party, where
patriots Of that day, to show their con-
tempt for the condition then existing,
threw a boat load of tea into Boston
Harbor, coming the phrase no taxation
without representation Is it possible
that in order for use TO rain the rights
as gained by these patriots that we
must in some manner emulate their ex-
ample? 1t is not asking anything un-
reasonable when we appeal to your
sense of fairness and decency TO give to
us representation in both houses Of
Congress and that We may have the
same recourse to Federal courts as that
enjoyed by you.
II am appealing TO you from an
American standpoint rather than a par
tiSan standpoint as representatives of
one OF the two major political parties,
but let me say that from a partisan
standpoint the unterrified Democracy
of the District Of Columbia has always
borne its share of work in behalf of the
candidates whom you select at your ma
tional conventions. The Democratic
Central Committee contributes to the
sinews Of war with contributions COM
parable to those contributed by Demo-
Gratis in any State in the Union. Apart
from that we have thousands of resi-
6entS nf the District who reside in