Evening star., 1934-07-29

| Bailey, iDh9 represents Budget
Director Douglas. The committee
| has submitted a number Of voi-
umes on the history Of the District
government. and plans to submit
another on suggested changes. To
tncite public suggestions. Roberts
recently broadcast an appeal for
citizens to tDrite in their ideas.
BY r. REGIS NOEL, LII. B.. Phi. ID.
| President OF Che Bar Association OF the
District OF Columbia.
The anomalous and amorphou'
condition of government in the Dis
trict OF Columbia, the same COM
| plants about il and the same doubts
as TO whether or not it should be
fundamentally changed. have existed
| since the very beginning Of the coun-
try. Henry Lee, member of the
Congress. from Virginia, in 1900. de-
| clared that members OF the Congress
we're even then more interested in the
affairs OF constituents not silent on
election day"
Throughout its whole existence the
| District of Columbia has had TO de-
pend on favors Of members Of the
Congress primarily representing other
communities. Close contact with Con-
gressmen renders inescapable the con-
! clusion that all their interests are
centered in their own constituents in
almost 100 per cent Of the cases.
What they do for the District OF
Columbia Is only half-hearted, un-
| avoidable and in most instances
| lip service A chairman of one of the
appropriation committees told me
some years ago that, as far as he was
able 10 prevent it, not one dollar
| would be appropriated for the Dis
! trict OF Columbia. In regard to Dis
trict affairs, Congressman from other
sections are merely listless, vague and
totally Indifferent.
Apathy to Contend With.
While there is a well-organized
group constantly and with mcreas-
ing success striving for a change, also,
there is a possibly larger block of
the population which is apathetic, in
| Hamlet's condition, and not an in
| considerable number who are opposed
to it. We may as we'll boldly face
the truth that the problem is not
without some merit on its confusing
sides. However, the assertion is true
| that the more intimately and seriously
one becomes associated with District
| of Columbia affairs the more he be-
| comes convinced that development OF
the National Capital demands a
change, because of naturally to be ex-
pecJed total lack of interest by Con-
| gressmen from the States. The only
remedy for this neglect is representa-
| tives of the District of Columbia par
| ticipating to some extent with COM
mensurate powers and representation,
in legislation and appropriations.
There is no other capital city In
| the world the residents of which are
| Disseminated against in the matter
| Of suffrage and other proper repre-
| Sentation. A fable is current in sec
onclary historical accounts that the
motive In the Constitutional Conven-
ton for allegedly excluding govern
mental rights and privileges in the
| District of Columbia was because un-
/ paid Revolutionary troops on an oc-
! casion drove the Continental Congress
| out of Philadelphia and a long way
toward Lancaster, and that this
clause was placed in the compact to
| prevent a recurrence. On the con-
| trary, an examination of the remarks
| on this subject in "ElliottS Debates, /"
| generally recognized as the only au-
thentic record of the Constitutional
| Convention, discloses one aim of the
| founders was that the Capital of the
/ Nation should not be located in the
Same spot as the Capital of one of
the States, and thus jurisdiction be-
corae confused, and secondly, that
| it should be located in such a place
| that none of the contending groups of
States would be strategically or eSpe
cially benefited by it. Hence, it was
located in a then sparsely-populated
middle position.
Justification Lacking.
There seems to be no Justification
| in Anglo-Saxon political science for
/ excluding residents or citizens of the
| District of Columbia from rights en-
! joyed by compatriots in the States.
/ Indeed all of the evidence Is to the
| contrary.
| Sir Edward Sandys, who was drafts
| man OF the Virginia charter of 1906.
which provided the radical departure
| that the coloniStS should have all
| the representations, franchises and
| immunities of British subjects" and
who before the Privy Council first
| declared the doctrine that even the
royal authority depended upon a clear
! understanding that there were re-
! cirrocal conditions which neither sub
ject nor ruler could violate with i'm
punity." wrote the principle into the
| Virginia charter that successful de-
! velopment of any community de
pended upon delegating to the pop
ulation a measure of political au-
! thority" This charter is generally
| considered the seed of truly repre-
! sentative government in America.
/ The clause of the Constitution
which is generally cited as authority
for denying all rights of free citizen
( NIllD 10 lESluCAlAo VI VIC DlSil ~ vi
/ Columbia reads as follows; ITO
exercise exclusive legislation in all
/ cases whatsoever over such District
mot exceeding 10 miles square, as
may become the seat of the
! Government of the United States,
ard to exercise like authority over
al places purchased for the
erection Of forts, magazines. arSenals,
! dock yards and other neeoful build
ings." The pivotal point, readily
seen, is what was meant by exercising
like exclusive Legislation" over the
| District of Columbia as is exercised
/ over forts and arSenalS, in connection
with which there is small, If any,
| civil population The Interpretation
which has been generally practiced
is opposed not only to the spirit but
| to the very words Of the Declaration
/ of INDEPENDENCE which challenges