Evening star., 1938-04-28
Petition and Arguments Presented to Congress

| IN T0S1UOn 70 nAtlOnSl laws the sole
function Of the District residents is to
obey. They ike NO part in making
the laws which they must obey.
In relation to national taxes their
sole function Is to pay. They have
nothing to say, like other taxpayers,
concerning the amount and kind Of
taxes they shall pay and how the tar
money shall be spent.
In relation to national war their sole
function Is to fight In obedience IA
command. They have no voice, like
other Americans, in the councils which
determine war and peace. They have
NO representation in the government
which requires them to fight, bleed
and perhaps to die.
The favorable report of the Senate
District Committee in 1922 admirably
summarizes the characteristics of the
Capper- Norton proposed amendment
when 1t says:
Summarizing, we find and report
The proposed constitutional amend
ment does not reduce the power Of
Congress in respect to the Capital, but
adds a new power; it does not pro-
pose the admission Of the District into
the Union as a sovereign state; it does
not propose the destruction of the ten
miles square provision Of the Consti-
tuition; 1t does not lessen in the small
est degree the control by the Nation
through Congress Of what remains OF
the ten miles square; it does not dis
turb in any way the financial relation
Of Nation and Capital; it Is not based
| upon either the abolition or retention
Of the half-and-half law; it does not
propose or involve changes in the
municipal government of the District,
1t plans to bestow upon the 437 900
Census Of 1920 Americans of the Dis
trict distinctive basic right of the
American citiZen-in a government
OF the people, by the people, for the
people-in a government which roots
its justice in consent of the governed
in representative government which
inseparably couples taxation and
arms-bearing as soldier with repre-
sentation.
This distinctive American privilege
decprates the American with a badge
OF honor and arms him with power.
Its lack slurs the Washingtonian as
unfit and defective, and slurs the
Nation as in this respect un-American
| and impotent
What the amendment proposes is
| equitable in itself and compulsory in
accordance with American principles
and traditions.
1T gives to residents of the District
rights and privileges which, under our
scheme Of government. belong to all
who pay national taxes and fight as
national soldiers.
1t gives to residents Of the Dis
trict a self-protecting power in the
national councils which is denied to
| the resident of no other community
in all OF the mainland and contiguous
United States from Maine to Texas
and from New York to California.
Ail eAiC IihtVOl VA dS1CSS W lllC T Gu
eral courts it raises District residents
from lower plane than that OF aliens
to the status Of citizens of state
| National representation Of the Dis
trict will remove from the Nation the
shame of impotency.
1T will proclaim to the world that
the great Republic is as devoted to
the principles of representative gov
eminent and as capable of enforcing
them as other republics with capitals
in nation-controlled districts, like
Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. These
nations have not found themselves
impotent to give full national repre-
sentation to the people of their capt.
tails
1T will proclaim to the world that
the people of Washington are as fit to
participate in national representative
government as the people Of Rio de
Janeiro. Buenos Aires and Mexico City
Washington will cease to be the only
capital in all the world whose people
slurred as tainted or defective are un-
| WI tAAy " SiJOS lllC SdlllC ik1 GlOlldl
resentation as that enjoyed by all other
cities of the Nation.
washington will cease to be the
only American mmunity-numerous
intelligent, prosperous, public spirited
and patriotic-in all the expanse OF
continental and contiguous United
States whose fitness to exercise ma.
tional privileges as well as to bear
national burdens is denied.
National representation will clothe
the Washingtonian with vital Amer.
ican privilege to which he is unde.
niably in equity entitled; will cleanse
him Of the stigma and stain Of un.
Americanism. and curing his politica
inpotency, will arm him with a GER
tain power.
1T will relieve the Nation Of the
shame Of un-Americanism at its hear
and Of impotency to cure this evil.
1T will inflict no injury or hardship
upon either Nation or Capital tt
counteracts these benefits"
This report applies with even greater
force today in support Of Nationa
Representation for the District o.
Columbia as proposed in both thu
Capper- Norton and the Iewis-Ran.
dolph amendments; and the additiona
power Of Congress to delegate to {
local government its power to legis
late, as proposed in the latter amend.
ment. Is supported by the facts or
which that report was based.