Evening star., 1937-11-18
REPRESENTATION
FIGHT RE-PLEDCED
Voteless Women's League
Sponsors Symposium to
Speed Up Battle.

Fresh impetus was given the CAM
paign for national representation last
night, when representative citizens
from many sections Of the community
Joined in a symposium conducted by
the Voteless District of Columbia
League of Women Voters.
Speakers from the press, the home,
fields of education, business. labor
and politics participated in the occa-
sion at the Young Women's Christian
Association. Sweeping aside the regu-
lar order Of business, the league post
poned nomination of officers until
next month. swiftly adopted its pro
posed program Of work. for the year,
and then dived into the symposium
on national representation, with a
green, yellow and red traffic light to
stop speakers on the three minute
limit
Democratic National Committeeman
Malcolm S. McConihe and James c.
Wilkes of the Republican State Com
mittee of the District of Columbia
pledged their efforts to get a declara-
ton in the national platform of their
parties in 1910 for national representa-
ton. They outlined, however. diff
culties in the way at each convention
Mrs. Louis Gutenberg. president OF
the league. presided. introduced guests
of the evening and presented Mrs
Charles Weston, chairman of the de-
partment of government and its
operation. who conducted the SYM
postum of the evening.
Theodore w. Noyes Speaks.
The first speaker, Theodore w
Moves, editor of The Evening Stal
and chairman of the Citizens joint
Committee on National Representa-.
ton, was presented as the Father o.
National representation"
Explaining that he had participated
as lawyer in the statehood campaign
In Dakota territory, Mr. Noyes said he
had "sympathized sincerely with ths
grievances of the territorial Dakotans
He had returned to this city in 1887.
The incident which ground in upor
me painfully appreciation of my los
through lack of voting representation
In Congress and the electoral college.
he said. was the discovery that thu
Dakotans temporary political griev.
ances shrank into insignificance wher
compared with the seemingly per.
manent hardships of the Washing.
tonlan and the discovery in all its
shameful details of the un-American
seemingly incurably political condi.
tions of the city in which I was borr
and in which I was destined to con.
tinue to live"
Mr.. Noyes said he found here "a
the very heart of the great representa-
tive Republic a distinctly American
community, numbering now over 60O,.
O00-intelllsent, loyal, public spirited
OF adequate resources-Which had anc
has no voting representation whatever
in the National Government which
taxes it. makes all laws for it. anc
sends its sons to war.
Denied Vital Right.
There has been created a com.
naunity unique in political impotenc,
which, though unsurpassed in the Re.
public in every distinctive American
Characteristic and though weighed
down with every national tax and wa,
service burden, is denied vital Ameri-
can rights and privileges-ln the privi-
lege OF access to the national courts
degraded below aliens and in political
status classed with the convict and the
lunatic"
Pointing out that he had worked
With others since 1887 for voting rep
resentatlon for Washington, Mr.. Noyes
said a congressional hearing could
not be obtained until 1916. Since
then, he said. when only the Wash
ington Chamber of Commerce advo-
Gated national representation, the
movement has grown until the tota,
number of supporting or indorsins or
ganzatlons number IS.
The II women's organizations ir
the Citizens Joint Committee. he said
ARE the most active and enthusiastic
OF all those enrolled in our national
representation army. Their superio,
interest and activity are natural" he
continued. The women of the States
neht to make their own political
equity, not long ago won, applicable
IN the District. When the women of
the United States were enfranchised
except the women of the District
OF Columbia-the latter had battled
sloe oy side with the women of the
states In securing enfranchisement
out found themselves forgotten and
excluded when enfranchisement was
won.
1here resulted the sardonic mock
cry OF our 'Voteless District of Colum-
Ola League of Women Voters Our
women are in much the same Might
as our soldiers who fought in Europe
10 make the world safe for democ-
racy' and found themselves. after the
war, still lacking the basic rights of
democracy themselves. Of course the
women OF the Nation will not hermit
this discrimination to continue ;ndeh
nitely. Women all over the country
in their national ORGANIZATIONS are
preparing to meet their Obligation tr
win political equity for all American
women, including those of the Distric,
OF Columbia. Their campaign will
never cease until the word 'yoteless
iS stricken from the title of our host.
esses tonight-'The Voteless District
OF Columbia League Of Womer
Voters"
Mr.. Noyes praised the league, unde,
the leadership of its energetic presi.
dent, Mrs. Gutenberg, as "conspicuou,
for its intelligent and unceasing labors
for the cause"
Inspires New Crusade.
This gathering tonight" MIR