The Washington times., 1936-12-16
Shall District Citizens
Vote?
(Daily NewS, Cumberland, Nd,
NoU. 2S, 1856

NOU. EoS 41OO/
A movement has been started,
or revived, rather, by The Wash
ington Times in behalf of seeking
suffrage for the citizens of the
District of Columbia.
These citizens humber approx
mately 100000. Excepting in the
case of those residents who retain
their citizenship in the States and
who, of course, have to journey
thither to vote, all are denied the
right of suffrage in either muni-
cipal or Federal matters.
This status came about by rea.
son of the fact that the District
of Columbia has the same status
of the territories; and while the
territories have had the privilege
of attaining statehood and with
it the right of suffrage for it's peo-
pie, the District is denied such
privilege. The only way to remedy
this is by constitutional amend
ment.
Such an amendment has al
ready been proposed in the Con-
gresS, and The Times advises that
it will be again introduced at the
forthcoming session.
Proponents of the remedy de-
clare that the Founding Fathers
failed unintentionally to give Con.
gress the power, analogous to that
possessed with regard to the ad-
mission Of the territories to State.
hood, of granting representation
in Congress and in the electoral
college to the population of the
District when it similarly quail.
fieS. The only reason that has
been advanced as to what the pos
Slble intention was is that the con.
Stitution makers had an idea that
the Federal officers and employees
of the National Capital should not
have a hand in the naming of a
President and Vice President be.
cause they live off the govern
ment and might thus be preju-
diced.
Anyway, it is a fact beyond ar
gument that one Of the basic prin-
cipleS of democracy is the widest
possible extension of the suffrage
right. In past years it was a lib
eralizing step that accompanied
the development of democratic
principles Of government. With
the suffrage right now extended
almost universally, even now to
include the women, it seems rather
anomalous to deny it to large
body of citizens simply because
they happen by chance to live
within the District.
Some impressive facts have been
marShalled by proponents of this
suffrage extension movement in its
behalf.
It is pointed out that the Dis
trict'S population, Figures of the
1880 cenSuS) exceeds that of eight
States, and that the voting-age
population, estimated at 433 900.
exceeds the voting-age population
of 10 States.
1t is also pointed out that dur.
ing the last fiscal year the District
paid in national taxes $17,322, ,92o.
which is more than the sum paid
in such taxes by 25 of the States
Individually and more than was
paid by nine of the States COM
bined. In the levying of these
taxes, District citizens had no
voice.
It is pointed out also that dur
ing the World War the District
sent more men to the colors than
any one of II States, although
not represented in the body which
declared war and prosecuted it.
Unless some more impressive
reason can be found than the sin
gle one to which reference has
heretofore been made, it would
seem that the right, just and de.
cent thing to do is to amend our
fundamental law so as to remedy
this undemocratic situation.