Evening star., 1939-06-14

United States, here is a community
which is being taxed without any
representation at all. This week
the House of Representatives was
considering an income tax bill. Near
by members from Virginia inserted
provisions designed to protect their
constituents who live in that State
and work in Washington. But there
was nobody to look after the inter-
ests of the people of Washington and
protect them against inequitable
taxation
Theoretically, all the members Of
Congress do the legislating for the
District of Columbia. There are
District committees which give at
tention to details of local legisla-
ton, but not a single member of
Congress can be punished at the
polls for anything he may vote for
that concerns the people of Wash
ington.
The self-same members of Con-
gress not only have no feeling Of
responsibility to voteless Washing
ton, but they ventured to exempt
themselves from the income tax,
even though some of them back
home pay no State income tax The
spectacle of exempting members un-
der those circumstances is not CAL
culated to increase the esteem in
which the Congress is held by fair
minded citizens.
What Redress Have People?
What redress have the people of
Washington? They have implored
the Congress in vain. They have
petitioned for a redress of their
grievances. They could hardly Or
ganize as a body and refuse to pay
taxes. mourning the penalties for so
doing, but in other parts of the
United States taxpayers strikes
have been started with far less JUS
tification than would be the case
here. The income tax law itself will
probably be revised by the time the
Senate gets it. The District resi-
dents ought to pay a fair income
tax. but ought they pay single cent
without getting representation in
Congress at the same time?
The issue has been up before, but
never was the opportunity presented
for q dramatic demonstration of
the failure Of the Congress to prac-
tice democracy at its very doorstep.
The schoolbooks have long referred
with pride to the way our fore,
fathers dumped tea in Boston Har-
Dor rather than accept taxation at
the hands of the ancestor of Amer
aca's recent royal visitor. And it
has been taught in the schools that
America is a democratic country.
The imposition of an income tax
In the District of Columbia will
awaken millions Of persons through
out the country to the fact that
their Senators and Representatives
are not as democratic as they ap-
pear if they refuse to grand repre-
sentation in Congress to the hun
dreds Of thousands of voters who
live in the District of Columbia.
Many Devoid of Suffrage.
Many residents of Washington
maintain legal residences in other
states, but largely for reasons of
self protection in connection with
their political jobs here. Most of
the citizens do not have any other
residence and have not the right of
suffrage.
What could one member Of the
House and one in the Senate do
for the people of the District? Rep
reseutation on important commit
tees would give a certain veto power.
Other members would not venture
to take advantage of the District
residents because the latter's repre-
sentatives in Congress would have
certain powers in debate, unanimous
consent agreements and in the all.
important votes in committee.
Maybe the income tax about to be
imposed will be well worth the
money the taxpayers will be asked
to pay-indeed, it will be worth far
more than money If it means getting
the vote for citizens who feel that
1t is undemocratic to tax them with
out giving them representations
voice IN their government.