Evening star., 1938-04-10
Civic Problems, Civic Bodies
u. C.'s Right Of Petition Takes a Setback; the
Suffrage Ballot; One Elephant Problem
the Zoo Can't Solve.
the Zoo Can't Solve.

together in support of national
representation
Hearings are promised by the
House Committee on the Judiciary
early next month on the joint
resolutions proposing to amend the
Constitution so as to give Congress
the power to grant the District
residents voting representation in
Senate and House of Representa-
tives and in the electoral college the
right to sue and be sued in the
courts of the United States and also
the power to delegate some of its
power Of exclusive legislation over
the District to local officers.
AS in former hearings, petitions
will doubtless be presented from or
ganized civic Washington which
Will clearly show to any fair mind
ed legislator that the preponderance
Of local sentiment favors the Amer
icanization of the Washingtonian
The Senate Committee on the Dis
trict OF Columbia in 1922 considered
such a showing as good evidence
and favorably reported some
what similar proposed amend
ment. The action of these civic,
labor, trade and business groups
Is in each instance representative
OF the Official action of the respec-
tive groups and is attested by the
signatures of their presidents.
One part of this problem of an
unofficial ballot to be considered
is the strength of its appeal to
Mr.. Average Citizen because of it
being purely unofficial.
There are some of our local citi-
zens who go so far as to consider it
an insult to even suggest the ne
cessity of holding an election on
SO fundamental an American ques-
ton as to whether or not American
citizens want to vote and partici-
pate in their Government. Vital
and fundamental rights are held
to be inherent and not to be ques-
toned.
Now, if it should be developed
during the hearing that the Com
mittee on the Judiciary is not salts
fled that the showing represents the
sentiment of the community. then
the suggestion might be made that
an official referendum be held. Con-
gress would then enact q law for
the holding of such referendum and
provide all the necessary machinery
and safeguards for such an official
election.
Another important thing to be
taken into consideration in the
handling of this problem is, what
will be the effect of an unofficial
ballot, which the public at large
ignores because it is not official?
The very limited suffrage avail
able under the District territorial
government was disregarded by
many citizens because of their be-
lief that the vote was for a vote
less delegate in Congress, who had
no power, and for an impotent
lower Drdncn OF an lmpOtent leg
islature.
This question of the holding of
an unofficial election is a problem
for serious study and deliberate ac-
ton rather than haste The move
ment needs right now more meet
ings with informed speakers to
arouse an intelligent interest and
enthusiasm in the cause of the
voteless and de-Americanized
Americans of the District, While
there are hosts of those whose en-
thusiasm Is inclined to run away
with them, many of the old-timers
in this fight feel that We need to
arouse many others whose apathy
it will require some heavy jarring
to Danish,