Evening star., 1937-01-08
D. c. L|bERTYPU
BEFORE MADR|D'S
Editorial Says Those Rails
ing Aid Funds Should
Start at Home.

Liberals with an actlVe IuCeTeSt III
foreign political struggles would ac-
complish more by joining the fight to
liberate citizens of the District from
the law which deprives them OF vote
in "the heart Of the greatest Democ-
racy the world has ever KNOWN" says
editorial in the current issue of the
Skipper, published monthly by STU
dents of Columbus University School
Of Law and Accountancy.
The editorial called attention to the
fact that many so-called intellectuals
and liberals in Washington have taken
UP the --latest fad' of raising funos
by various means for the Spanish 10y
alists, including the giving of house
parties to which admission is charged.
IF this coterie of intellectuals want
something to get steamed up about" :"
the editorial continues, they should
turn to the city of Washington-yes,
the National Capital of the United
States. This is the heart of the
greatest Democracy the world has
ever known-yet unfortunately there
Is no democracy for us.
Americans Need 1t.
"Why don't the liberals throw house
parties for their American brethren
before they start sending pennies and
dimes to support a democracy that is
none of their business? Such a step,
we admit, smacks of the practical and
we could not in justice ask the true
liberal to perform any task even re-
motely connected with mundane
affairs.
THE question of allowing residents
of the District of Columbia a voice in
their Government is as old as the
constitution itself and details of the
long struggle for rectification Of this
wrong are well known to every student
of legal history. 1t has been clearly
demonstrated on more than one oc-
casion that the founders of the re-
public in setting up the democracy
did not for a moment intend to de-
prive more than 100000 lawful citizens
of their rights to say how the ST.
100000 they pour annually into the
public Golfers are to be spent or who
should hold political Office.
1--WE are interested in this perplexing
problem principally from legal view
point. Continued deprivation of the
right to vote is, we believe, unconsti-
tutional, at least academically, If not
in fact. In the passage Of any law
we are forced to consider the inten-
ton OF the lawmaker as part Of gen.
eral discussion of the given problem.
"Are there those who hold the
founding fathers actually intended
this absurdity? Let them then study
the character of these men and the
times. 1t will be seen they were above
all else men imbued with democratic
ideals of equality for all sections and
races and Sects.
mo, most certainly, the fathers did
not intend to deprive these 100000
men and women of their right to say
who should represent them in the
White House and in the halls of the
Senate and House. To admit other
wise would be to point the finger of
Intolerance and bigotry to the leaders
in Young Americas battle for freedom
and self rule.
Institutions Changed.
"Regardless of what the founders
had in mind at the time they set up
the new Government. times have
changed and political institutions have
undergone drastic alterations. Admit
ting, for the sake Of argument, that
It was originally intended to deprive
Washington citizens of rights given
to all other residents Of the United
States, there is no reason why this
coming Congress cannot take cogniz-
ance of the situation by lining up be-
hind drive for constitutional
amendment to place the District of
Columbia on a par with the 48 States.
IF the fathers erred, and we do
not admit this, there is no reason or
argument why the Congress should
continue to blunder.
Perhaps continuance of this politi-
cal atrocity is partly our own fault.
We are notoriously lethargic people
when it comes to demanding such abb
stractions as rights. Certainly we in
Columbus University can take an