Evening star., 1933-03-26

is therefore misleading and does not
entitle you to the consideration which
you seek"
Not a Camp of Transients.
The soldiers and sailors whom the
community sends to war represent
that community alone Each State
in the competitive exhibit Of military
strength. The District, of Columbia,
this alleged camp of transients, sent to
the World War of its sons more soldiers
and sailors than seven States, and
showed a greater percentage of volun-
tary enlistments than 43 States.
This alleged heterogeneous aggrega-
tion of transient Americans paid more
in national taxes in the war time to
help win the war than Is States abSo-
lutely, and more than five States COM
bined
There is obvious injustice in using the
fact that q small fraction Of the
Districts over 100000 potential voters
l. e., residents over 81 years of age, was
able to endure the burden of maintain
ing voting residences in the States as
a pretext for refusing the nearly 800, 900
who did not vote at all the privilege
of direct voting as District residents.
District No Longer Negligible.
Is it fair or wise or even prudent to
withheld respect and regard contemptu-
ously from the people of the Capital?
Here is a distinctive American
intelligent, public spirited,
patriotic, of greater mill
tary strength than seven States, of
greater measured patriotic impulse than
43 States, of greater national tax-pay-
ing resources in 1881 than 27 of the
States, even greater than IL States
with over 100000 potential
voters demanding ON Amer
ican principles national representation
as District residents. Our fellow-Amer-
leans should be ashamed to rebuff these
potential voters, these national soldiers
and national taxpayers on the feeble
and futile pretext for excluding them
from national representation which has
been suggested and which says in SUBJ
stance: "A small fraction of your num-
Der by maintaining dual residence
can vote extensively and unsatisfac-
torily in some State. A small fraction
of this fraction does thus vote. Those
of you who have not this privilege of
voting elsewhere must establish such
outside residence, if you can, or go
without national representation. Your
only alternatives as Capital residents
are to supplicate or evacuate, to beg or
get out"
Supplicate or Evacuate.
1t is no answer to those who wish
national representation as residents of
the District to tell them (what they
know already that they can vote by
getting political residence somewhere
else. AS Washingtonians must 90
abroad in order to work in the Gov
ernment classified service at home, be-
cause of the pernicious apportionment
of Offices law, so now they are told
that they must acquire a political resi-
dence abroad in order to vote at home
or in order. while living In the District
Of Columbia, to vote at all.
The people Of the District are not
with a blind desire to vote,
so that they wish to vote for every
thing and are satisfied to vote for any
thing. They do not overvalue the mere
lots are impotent scraps of paper"
They seek American rights and powers,
Of the possession and exercise of which
the casting of certain ballots Is the
symbol. They wish to have a voice
like other Americans in making the
laws Thich all must obey;
they wish to participate with other
Americans in passing upon great ma
tional issues; they wish like other Amer
leans the power Of sharing in the ma
tional decision for peace or war, which
may send their sons along with those
of other Americans to fight, to bleed
and perhaps to die. They wish to par
on the American principle that
couples taxation with representation in
the deliberations Of the national legisla-
turc which taxes them and decides how
the tax money shall be spent.
Now Worthy of Nations Regard.
Some Senators and Representatives
who have served the Republic well for
many years and who have been accus-
toned to see the Capital community
treated as impotent and negligible. are
slow to perceive that the Capital is no
longer merely the camping place of
transient Americans, but has developed
into a homogeneous American COM
munity-intelligent, resourceful, popu-
lous, public spirited, patriotic-with a
civic self-consciousness, with a
strong community get-together spirit.
and with an inspiring community pride.
1t is well organized. It has its Board
Of Trade, its Chamber of Commerce,
Its Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION, its Central Labor Union, its
Federation of Citizens Associations, its
Federation of Womens Clubs, which
cover and represent the whole area OF
the District. 1t has its Oldest Inhabi-
tants' Association, and its Society of
Native Washingtonians. Its lawyers, its
and its realtors are well or
ganized. 1t has score of strong clubs,
Of women as we'll as men, with af1liat-
ing national organizations. It has or
ganized for financial equity for the Dis
trict and has impressed the justice Of
Its cause upon every tribunal or con-
gressional committee which has given
to its representations thoughtful con-
stderation. 1t organized for war serv-
ice and made a phenomenal record Of
volunteer enlistments of soldiers and
sailors, of gifts of money for Red Cross
and other war services, for war taxes
cheerfully paid, for subscriptions to
war loans, from first to last OF the
series Of Liberty Loans.
With the same vigor and enthusiasm
which marked the organization of the
people OF the District for the war and
peace services above suggested, they
have organized to secure voting repre-
sentation In House, Senate and electoral
college through the pending constttu-
tional amendment.
Respect for Capital Community.
Thoughtful, sympathetic considera-
ton should be given to their appeal by
every American statesman and national
legislator. 1t can no longer with abb
solute impunity be contemptuously dis
regarded.
The trend in the United States b
toward fullest enfranchisement rs ma
ttonal Americans. Every part Of the
continental United States except the
area Of the District of Columbia has
been transferred from the territorial
stage to State status, and with the pas
sage Of the latest enfranchising con-
stitutional amendment every man and
in the continental area is made
. national American except those
among the 4S6869 who live In the Dis