Evening star., 1935-04-14
Reciprocity in Fair Play
Our Need in Washington Is Square Deal for Everybody
Congress- Our National State and Municipal Legislature
and for the People of the Capital.

congressional district, but the District
of Columbia and its approximately
500, 900 Americans.
The extensive powers in respect to
the Capital conferred upon Congress
involve equally far-reaching response
bilities and obligations, and sacrifices
In the Nations interest are required
on both sides of the partnership. A
great power Is to be greatly, nobly ex-
ercised, controlled by no motive or
impulse that Is small or mean or base.
The greatest legislative body in the
world, representing the worlds fore
most Nation, is to build up. typifying
that Nation, the worlds greatest Cap
itaI. The Nations city which the
forefathers nobIy planned Is by us to
be perfected on lines no less noble.
The Capital which wisdom and
patriotism are to make truly great in
cludes not only the physical city, but
the people who live in 1t, the men and
the women who make the sacrifices in
the Nations interest which call for
sacrifices of time and thought and
patient consideration by the Nation
through Congress in return. The obi
cation Is to build not merely q beauti-
full city, but q healthful. wholesome,
we'll governed, c0ntented and self
respecting city.
What, then, will the Nation do with
its city to make 1t more attractive,
more heaIthful, more creditable in
every way as the National Capital
What will it do with the Americans
who constitute the people Of its city to
promote their physical, political. in
tellectual and moral welfare?
Americanize the Washingtonian.
The Nation could easily remove by
constitutional amendment one cause OF
the District residents reasonable dis
content. This cause Of offense ano
injury, thus readily to be ef1aced, Is
found in the Washingtonian's irritat-
ing, humiliating and hurtful condi-
tion of political and litigating i'm
potency, which degrades him to the
level of the alien politically, and de-
bases him below the level OF the alien
the United States Supreme Court says
in access under the Constitution to
the Federal Courts.
AS the Senate Committee on the
District of Columbia has said in re-
porting upon the constitutional
amendment which corrects this polit-
ical inequity:
"The proposed constitutional amend
ment does not reduce the power Of
Congress in respect to the Capital
but adds q new power; 1t does not pro.
pose the admission of the District
into the Union as a sovereign State; II
does not propose the destruction Of the
10 miles square provision Of the
Constitution; it does not lessen in the
smallest degree the control by the
Nation through Congress Of what re-
mains Of the 10 miles square; II does
not disturb in any way the financial
relation of Nation and Capital; 1t Is
not based upon either the abolition OF
retention of the half and half law; II
does not propose or involve changes
in the municipal government of the
District.
ut plans to beStow upon the
$4,000 Americans of the District a
distinctive, basic right of the Ameri-
can citizen-in a government of the
people by the people for the people
in q government which roots its JUS
tice in consent of the governed-in a
representative government which in
separately couples taxation and arms
bearing as a soldier with representa-
ton.
This distinctive American privilege
decorates the American with a badge
of honor and arms him with power
Its lack slurs the Washingtonian as
unfit and defective, and slurs the
Nation as in this respect un-American
and impotent.
Washington will cease to be the
only American community-numerous,
intelligent, prosperous, public spirited
and patriotic-in all the expanse of
continental and contiguous United
States whose fitness to exercise ma
tional privileges (as well as to bear
national burdens) is denied.
National representation will clothe
the Washingtonian with a vital Ameri-
can privilege to which he is un-