Evening star., 1935-12-15
CITY TOO SMALL"
TO VOTE IN 1905.
d Discussions at Capitol Re-
veaIed in Book by Allen
c. Clark.

Only the uaSlgnLucance OF the
District of Columbia in population
and wealth prevented it from being
given representation in Congress and
the electoral college, in its early days,
according to interesting researches
made by Allen c. Clark, president OF
the Columbia Historical Society.
In a bound volume, Origin of the
Federal City," Clark quotes some sig
nificant excerpts from discussions at
the Capitol more than l30 years ago
regarding the voteless status of local
citizens.
John Randolph, jr., of Virginia, in
debating resolutions offered in the
House February 8, 1903. for retroces-
sion of the District to Maryland and
Virginia, said: AN idea has been held
out from a very respectable quarter
that this District might in time be-
come State . The other States
can never be brought to consent that
two Senators and at least three elec-
tors of the President shall be chosen
out of this small start, and by hand
full Of men"
Clark pointed out that in the debate
the abstract right of representation
the principle-was conceded, but it
was contended that representation
should be withheld for the time be-
cause of the insignificance of the
place, in numbers and riches"
Then Only Handful.
The handful of men" of Randolph's
day has become city Of more than
half a million inhabitants, with suffl-
cient wealth to pay into the Treasury
in national taxes more than any one
Of half Of the States of the Union and
more than nine of them combined.
Internal revenue paid per capita in
the District exceeds that Of 38 States
Clark's book points out that the
public Offices in Washington were
opened on June Is, 1900, and that on
November %, in addressing Congress
President Adams said:
IT congratulate the people Of the
United States on the assembling OF
Congress at the permanent seat OF
their government; and I congratulate
you, gentlemen on the prospect Of q
residence not to be changed.
1T is with you gentlemen to consid-
er whether the local powers in the Dis
trict of Columbia vested by the Con-
stitution in the Congress of the
United States shall be Immediately
exercised. If in your opinion this i'm
portant trust ought now to be eXer-
cised, you cannot fail, while perform
ing it. to take into view the future
probable situation of the territory, fol
the happiness of which you are about
to provide.
"You will consider it as the capital
Of . great nation, advancing rapidly
in arts, In commerce, in wealth ano
in population; and possessing within
itself these resources which If moi
thrown away or lamentably misdi-
rected, will secure to it long course
Of prosperity and self government"
Voting in Maryland.
Just 10 days before this address the
few citizens Of Washington had votet
for presidential electors, going to thi
polls In Prince Georges County, Md.
in which they then held legal resi-.
dence.
Upon realization that the citizen,
Of the District were to be deprived oi
the essential rights of other citizens
however, a group Of Alexandrians or
February 2, 1901, signed q memorial
. paragraph Of which Clark quotes a,
follows:
LAS members of q free community
your n1emorialiSts are prompted II
assert that the rights Of representa-.
ton and participation constitute ar
indispensable quality IN all Legislative
institutions Of legitimate kind; that
q privation of those rights under gov.
ernment will alone constitute despot-
ISM"
John Bacon, of Massachusetts,, ir
offering the retrocession resolutions
explained that the government of the
Capital was very diverse" from that
In other parts of the Union and ex-
pressed the belief that all govern
ments in the Union should be uni
form.
John Smile of Pennsylvania COM
rnented that when he looked around
him in Washington he saw no man
unless stranger, who was not q
political slave" and declared this
fact gave him most painful sensa-
tions''
Future Representation"