Evening star., 1938-05-17
D. c. VOTE APPEAL
F: |SMADE BY MOVES
Stars Editor, in Radio Talk,
Asks States Citizens to
Back Movement.

Back Movement.
Following is the text Of an ad-
dress on THE Forgotten Man and
Not Forgetting the Forgotten Woman
the Political and Fiscal Relationship
Between the United States and Its
National Capital Community" deliver
ed last night by Theodore w. Noyes
editor of The Star and chairman OF
the Citizens Joint Committee on Ma
tional Representation, in the National
Radio Forum, arranged by The Star
and broadcast over Nationwide
network of the National Broadcast
ing Co.:
We the un-Americanized Americans
of the District of Columbia, appeal
for fair play to the Americans Of the
48 States of the Union.
In history and fiction many notable
searches have been recorded, ranging
from the sublime to the ridiculous
from the Quest Of the Holy Grail to
the Hunting of the Shark. Included
In this list is the competitive search
in the last few years to discover the
real forgotten man in the American
political system and in some way to
make up to him for that forgetfulness.
Among those urged for recognition
as the forgotten man, no one has
appeared whose claim was undisputed.
Forgotten and Neglected.
But the real forgotten man In
the American system has been so
thoroughly forgotten that he has not
even been considered in the search
nor advanced as candidate. He re-
mains forgotten and neglected It is
my purpose this evening to introduce
to you the real forgotten man in the
American system Of government. He
Is the resident OF the District of
Columbia, who claims residence no.
where else.
How many Americans remember, or
have ever known. that there exists
at the very heart Of this great de-
mocracy a distinctively American
community Of more than half mil
hon people-intelligent, loyal, public
spirited-which has no voting repre-
sentation in the National Government
which taxes it, makes all laws for 1t,
and sends its sons to war?
This community Is the District of
Columbia. the seat of Government of
the United States. It is community
N930 census) with total population
exceeding that of eight of the States; /;
with a population of voting age ex-
ceeding that of 10 of the States: with
population of voting age. without
even a technical claim to voting resi-
dence outside the District, of over
a quarter of million. exceeding in
this respect comparable populations
OF seven Of the States and closely
approximating those OF two other
States.
This community exceeds in popula-
ton every new State at the time of
its admission to the Union-except
Oklahoma.
Violation of Principle.
In this community the American
principle and slogan, mo taxation
without representation" is shamefully
violated. For while this community
paws all national taxes, % millions
in the fiscal year ending June 80. 1887,
and between 40 and so millions an
nually in municipal taxes, 1t has no
voting representation whatsoever IN
its municipal government, in either
house of Congress or among the elec-
tors who choose the President and
the Vice President. Though the Consti-
tuition itself couples national direct
taxes and representation in the House
of Representatives, the District OF
Columbia pays all direct taxes and
lacks all representation.
This community in the fiscal year
1897 paid more national taxes than
% States, more than Of the States
combined. And while these States
were represented in Congress by 18
Senators, 18 Representatives and 36
votes for President, the District OF
Columbia had no representatives in the
Senate or in the House and no votes
for President.
In this community the sole function
In respect to national taxes is to pay.
We have nothing to say Oike other
American taxpayers) concerning the
amount and kind Of taxes we must
pay and how the tax money shall be
spent.
Exceeds War Quota.
In this community the sole func-
ton in respect to national war Is
to fight in obedience to command.
1t has exceeded its quota of soldiers
and sailors volunteering or conscripted
in every national war. 1t sent to the
World War more Of its sons than
seven of the States. The proportion
which the voluntary enlistments bear
to the total number Of enliStments
and inductions by way Of registration
was greater for the District of Co.
lumbia than for every State in the
Union except Rhode Island, Oregon,
Washington, California and Maine, and
more than one-third greater than
the percentage for the country as
whole And even with such a record,
the fathers and mothers of this COM
munity were denied the privilege en-
joyed by the fathers and mothers in
the States of participating in the
decision whether there should be war.
Ills oCAAU 1Vo oOAAACAo dAAS
sailors ito make the world safe for
democracy" And when they returned
victorious. in diminished numbers,
they found themselves denied at home
the vital rights of democracy for
which, for others, they had fought
and bled and 400 Of them had died
abroad
In this community the people re-
ceive less political consideration than
any other group or kind Of Americans
recorded in history. This community
is unsurpassed in our country, ac-
cording to census and other data, in
intelligence, in public spirit, in patriotic
devotion and in every distinctive Amer
ican characteristic Yet it is denied
vital American rights and privileges
while called upon to bear every ma
tional tax and every burden of service
In war. In the privilege Of access
tho Init