Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-02
Bound and Gagged.

Tomorrow brings to close the un-
usually active campaign of party leaders
TO get out the vote" of Washingtonians
90 fortunate as to have been able to COM
hine with their membership in the local
community their voting residence in the
States. Two factors have led to an I'M
usually large number of such votes this
year. One is the keen interest in the out
come OF the election, with both parties
etraining every resource to see that every
qualified vote is cast. The other is the
extraordinarily large number OF lab
sentee voters brought to Washington
under the New Deal. Because OF the
emergency or temporary character OF
the new depression fighting government
al agencies, many Of their employees have
retained voting rights at home and I'M
usual pressure has been exerted on them
to exercise that right.
These factors serve to emphasize the
bitter irony of the condition which finds
the rest Of the country marching to the
polls tomorrow for exercise Of the high
est privilege of American citizenship
while the Washingtonian-an American
In every ordinary sense and meaning Of
the word-remains silent, bound in the
shackles of disfranchisement.
He cannot vote or register his pref
erence as citizen because of the acct
dent of his bona flde residence in the
District, while his next-door neighbor
or his fellow Office worker, who has main
tanned his illegal residence" across some
State boundary line, is able to partici-
pate in the full rights and privileges of
American citizenship, is, in fact, accused
OF q lack of patriotism if he neglects the
opportunity to cast his ballot.
Here are two classes Of Americans hv-
ing side by side. One class represents
the sovereign rulers of the land, while
the other, differing not one whit in in
telligence, ability or interest in govern
ment, Is composed Of subjects denied all
forms of participation in the Government
which taxes them and sends them to
war.
The number of Washingtonians this
year exercising the privilege of absentee
voting Is unusually large, possibly exceed
ing hundred thousand. Many of them,
naturally, are Government workers, to
all practical intents and purposes occupy
ing the identical status-except for this
privilege of full American citizenship
of their DISTINGUISHED fellow members Of
the Washington community. Yet the
fact Of their full participation in tomor-
rows election as voting Americans Is in
no quarter regarded as detrimental to
their service as Government employees,
nor in any wise contradictory to the
spirit OF the Constitutions delegation to
Congress of the exclusive power of con-
troll over the District Of Columbia.
Confusion sometimes arises over the
theory that this exclusive control over
the District by Congress conflicts with
the aims and the aspirations Of Wash
ingtonians for the right of franchise.
There is In reality no such conflict. Vot-
Ing participation of Washingtonians in
national elections and their representa-
ton in House and Senate by Representa-
tives and Senators of their own choosing
would not deprive Congress of its ex-
elusive control over the District nor in
any degree weaken that control.
And until the Washingtonian is ac-
corded. along with his obligations of cit
izenship, his full privileges of citizenship,
the tyrannical injustice Of taxation with
out representation remains an ugly blot
On the picture of democratic government