Evening star., 1935-09-15
BY JESSE C. SUTER.


- IVIC and business bodies
are joining forces with
the patriotic societies and
veteran organizations in
celebration of the 148th anniversary
of the signing of the Constitution
of the United States at Philadel-
phia on September II, 1887. On
Tuesday, with torch-light process
sion. pageantry and speeches the
votelesS and unrepresented people
of the District of Columbia will OBJ
serve the completion of that i'm
mortal document in its original
form.
It is doubtful If there is any
community in the land where the
Constitution Is better known or
better understood than In this
District. To most of our people
it is a revered but incomplete
document from which has been
omitted provision for the estab-
lishment and maintenance OF
fundamental American conditions
at this, the seat Of the Govern
ment of the United States.
Close students Of the Constitu-
ton and the proceedings Of the
Constitutional Convention are con-
vinced that failure to provide for
the participation in the councils
of the Nation by the future in
habitants of the territory to be
ceded for the seat of Govern
ment was due to the indefinite
ness of its location and a conf
dence that fundamental Ameri-
can justice would prevail. When
the Constitution was framed there
were far more vital issues involved
than the fixing of definite provi-
sions for preserving the funda-
mental rights and privileges Of the
future inhabitants of q small area,
the location of which was then
entirely unknown.
Augustus Brevoort Woodward, in
q pamphlet published in 1901, dis
cusses this question in a most in
teresting way which is as timely
as If written in 1885. Speaking Of
the Constitutional Convention, he
says: "They have provided for the
exclusion Of the State jurisdic-
tions, but they have declined any
consideration Of the subsequent
relation of the severed parts to
the rest of their fellow citizens.
The novelty Of the measure and
the uncertainty which then pre-
vailed whether the government
they proposed would ever pass into
actual operation may serve as an
apology for their not entering
more into detail-if that term is
pardonable toward body which
deserves so much the respect and
gratitude Of America. There can,
however, be no apology for us Of
the present day, who have seen
this Government prosperous and
happy for 13 years; If we
refuse to turn attention to it at
this very period, and to make de-
liberate, effectual and constitu-
tional provision both for its par
ticipation in the general councils
and for its domestic government.
To correct this age-old, un-
American condition has long been
recognized as our civic problem
number /. Organized civic WASH
ington in participating in this OBJ
servance Of the anniversary Of the
birth of the Constitution will dedi-
cate itself anew to the cause of
having that document so amended
as to Americanize the Washing
tonian. The Districts proposed
amendment will empower Con-
gress to grant to the District Of
Columbia voting representation In
the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives, the vote for President
and Vice President and give its
residents the same right Of access
to the courts of the United States
as are possessed by the citizens of
the States or even the citizens of
q foreign state.