Evening star., 1935-04-10
SOUTHEAST GROUP
BACKS SUFFRAGE
Association Hears Debate
on Vote for District and
Indorses Right.

ClUlZSllS VI OOuIllcdSI WdSIuIlSVOll
last night voted overwhelmingly in
favor of suffrage for residents of the
District of Columbia.
The vote was taken at the Hine
Junior High School after the citizens
had heard a debate on the subject
by members of the Southeast Citizens
Association. One hundred and forty
one persons in the audience voted that
the right of suffrage and national
representation in Congress should be
granted District residents, while only
Is cast unfavorable votes.
The affirmative was upheld by Louis
F. Frick, legal counsel for the South
east Business Mems Association, as
well asa member of the citizens as
sociation, and Richard B. English,
well-known Southeast civic leader and
vice president of the business men.
C. c. Degman and j. c. L. Ritter,
members of the citizens group, ar
gued the negative.
Claims Rights Infringed.
In opening the affirmative argu-
ments, Frick declared residents of
Washington. in addition to being de-
MED the right of suffrage and the
right of helping to make the laws
they must obey, are denied the right to
sue through the United States courts.
This right" Frick declared, "iS
granted not only to citizens of all
the States, but even to aliens. In
plain language, we, as residents OF the
Capital of the greatest country in
the world. are being told we are not as
good as aliens.
why should we be denied a vote
in the affairs of the District and the
Nation? Washington has popula-
ton of 486,00O persons, more than
each of eight States-more than the
total number for two of these States"
he said.
He declared Washington is the only
National Capital in the world which
denies its residents the right to
voice in its affairs.
And yet, in case of war, we must
20 with the rest of them even though
we have no voice in saying whether
the United States shall go to war;"
he said.
"A vote for District residents will
give them a vital American privilege,
a badge of honor and power" he said.
without this, and without national
representatio ton, We can do nothing but
obey"
Cites Tax Payments.
English brought in the tax issue
for his argument He said District
residents pay more taxes than either
Georgia, Iowa, Alabama, Tennessee or
louisiana
He discussed the campaign for civic
improvements which the Southeast
civic leaders have been carrying on
intensely for about year.
If we had vote and representa-
tion on Capitol Hill" he said this
fight would have been over long ago."
He said that. for example, the Hine
Junior High School should have been
torn down 10 years ago and new one
built, the garbage disposal plant on
New Jersey avenue should never have
been built in the Southeast section or
any other residential section.
THE $1,000 residents of Southeast
Washington pay 16 per cent of the
taxes in Washington" he said, "and
yet We can't get little money for
improving streets or improving school
facilities"
I'VE will never be able to control
the money which we pay as taxes
until we get vote" he declared.
Opponents Fear Politics.
The chief argument of the negative
side was that the vote would place
a certain group in power and politics"
would keep them there.
Prior to the debate. Allan Davis,
principal of Roosevelt High School
and the oldest active member of the
citizens association, was presented
with certificate of civic distinction
by Henry I. Quinn, a member of the
Board of Education. on behalf of the
citizens group. In presenting the GER
tificate, Quinn paid high tribute to
the civic and educational leader.
If the men and women in the Dis
trict had your spirit" Quinn said,
washington would be a far better
place in which to live. You have de-
voted yourself Fundamentally to the
interest of the city and of Southeast
Washington in particular"
William A. Maio, president of the
Southeast citizens group. presided.