Evening star., 1936-01-12
Jackson and the District.

Jackson day dinners recently held
throughout the country have once more
centered attention on the sturdy Amer
icanism of that President of more than
a hundred years ago. BY means OF the
radio the voice of President Roosevelt
was carried from the dinner in Wash
ington to all of these other dinners. The
firm stand of Jackson in national af-
was urged to turn back to the ideals Of
which he is regarded as the symbol. In
the words of the President: jackson
sought social justice and fought for
human rights" The people loved him
well because they understood him well,
his passion for justice, his championship
of the cause of the exploited and the
down. -trodden, his ardent and flaming
patriotism"
All of these praises were sung from
the national viewpoint, but there are
other sides to "Old Hickory" and they
are of particular interest to the people
of the voteless and unrepresented Dis
trict of Columbia. Better evidence of
his championship of the cause of the
downtrodden and his stand for the
recognition of human rights cannot be
found than in his attitude toward the
Americans of the District of Columbia.
1t is well to consider what this great
man said and did regarding the Dis
trict as well as what he did in ma
tional affairs Jackson was the first
President to urge specifically the elec-
ton by the District of territorial dele
gate in Congress. He made this recon-
mendation in 1880, and repeated and
enlarged it in 1881 and 1885. In 1881 he
said: 1T was doubtless wise in the
trainers of our Constitution to place the
people under the jurisdiction of the Cen
eral Government. But to accomplish the
objects they had in view it is not neces-
sary that this people should be deprived
Of all privileges of self government. In
dependently of the difficulty of inducing
the Representatives of distant States to
turn their attention to projects of laws
which are not of the highest interest to
their constituents, they are not individ-
ually nor in Congress collectively we'll
qualified to legislate over the local con-
Germs Of this District. Consequently its
interests are much neglected and the
people are almost afraid to present their
grievances lest body in which they are
not represented, and which feels little
sympathy in their local relations, should
In its attempt to make laws for them do
more harm than good. . Is it not Just
to allow them at least a Delegate to Con-
gress, if not local Legislature to make
laws for this District subject to the ap-
proval or rejection of Congress? earn
estly recommend the extension to them
OF every political right which their in
terests require and which may be COM
patible with the Constitution"
The people of the District remain as
voteless and unrepresented as in the time
OF President JackSon's administration.
The deplorable un-American plight
which appealed to his sense of fair play
exists today, but in much exaggerated
form. To the few thousand inhabitants
OF the District of a hundred years ago
representation in Congress by a voteleSs
delegate was all for which any reason
could be advanced. Surely jackson, with
his clear vision, saw this and framed
his recommendation accordingly. Today
the District, with population of half a
million, greater than that of eight
OF the States; paying more in Federal
taxes than each of twenty-three States |
and greater amount than the combined |
payments of nine States, is entitled to |
voting representation in both Senate and |
House of Representatives.
There is confidence in the belief that |
the same convictions which prompted |
jackson in 1881 to 1885 to recommend |
that the District be permitted a Terri
torial Delegate in Congress would now
cause him, if he were alive, to support |
the present movement for an amend
ment to the Constitution, empowering
Congress to give the District residents
voting representation in Congress and
the Electoral College
AS so many of the American people
today are inclined to respond to the
urge to return to the principles of Andrew
jackson, the voteless and unrepresented
residents of the District hope that such
return may include an enthusiastic re-
vival of his recognition of their funda-
mental political rights.