Evening star., 1937-08-01
Local Suffrage Groups
Planning Aggressive Action.

Local Suffrage Groups
Planning Aggressive Action.
THERE appear to be distinct
groups at work just now in the
interest of local suffrage for the
District Of Columbia. One of these
Is under the leadership of the Bur-
roughs and the Southeast WASH
ngton Citizens Association groups,
The other is under the lead of the
Citizens Committee for Progress
slve Action.
The first of these groups has
held several meetings and is form
ing committees to complete an or
ganlzauon. 1t is understood that
this movement will be directed
principally toward obtaining legis-
latlon which would provide for the
election of a number of District
olncerS who are now appointed.
and also for the creation of some
kind of city council. The atti-
tude Of this group toward national
representation. it appears. will
be that Of cooperation with the
Citizens Joint Committee on Ma
tional Representation for the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The plans of the other proup are
not so we'll known. They arranged
a mass meeting held in the Sylvan
Iheater near the Washington Mon
ument on Thursday last, which
was presided over by Charles
Franklin, vice chairman of the
group. Representative Henry
George Teigan, Farmer-La borite,
OF Minnesota; Representative Reu-
Den I. Wood, Democrat, of Missouri
and former Peoples Counsel, Will
liam A. Roberts were the speakers.
Both of these movements con-
template the formation of perma-
nent organizations to further their
purpose.
In connection with this local suf-
1rage movement, one prominent
civic worker has stated, as an ar
gument favoring the election of
the District Commissioners. that
he considers the present Commits
sloners entirely responsible for the
difficult financial position in which
the District now finds itself. He
completely eXonerates the Senate
and House of Representatives from
any responsibility and claims that
had the District been represented
by elected District Commissioners
they could, by forceful action, have
induced the Congress to enact the
requisite fiscal legislation some
months ago.
There are others in the civic
ranks who recognize the impotency
OF our District Commissioners and
believe that the mere change of
the method Of selection of the Com
mlssioners would not increase their
effectiveness on Capitol Hill. Those
OF this school of thought are in
cllned to believe that elective local
officers would be held responsible
Tor every District disaster and dis
appolntment-even though they
were just as powerless as the ap-
pointed District Commissioners, In
other words, with all real power
remaining in the Congress. in
which the District is not repre-
sented, our own elective officers
would chiefly serve the purpose of
being made scapegoats.
There is feeling. rather general
IN extent, that all of this agitation
for District suffrage is of real value.
especially if carried on intelligentlv
with the dissemination of accurate
information. The only danger seen
is the possibility of breaking up
into factional groups and degener-
atlng into something having the
semblance of family row.
National Representation Movement
OF Broad Scope and Promise.
FNFRANCHISEMENT of citizens
of the District of Columbia
Is really a twofold problem-that
OF Federal suffrage. with voting
representation in both Houses of
Congress and the electoral COL
lege, and local suffrage which con-
templates merely the election of
the local officers.
So far as legislative procedure is
concerned and from a purely theo-
retlcal viewpoint, Federal suffrage,
or national representation, is far
more difficult to attain than merely
local suffrage. For national rep
resentation constitutional amend
ment is required, which calls for
the passage of joint resolution by
two-thirds vote of both Houses
Of the Congress and then for ratifi-
cation by three-fourths of the
States. On the other hand, Con-
gress may by majority vote Of
the two Houses and approval by
the President. provide for local
elective form of government as was
possessed by the cities of Wash
ington and Georgetown prior to
their amalgamation under the ter
ritorial form of government.
While superficial examination
would suggest that local suffrage