Evening star., 1939-08-16
Urqes United Front
For District Vote
Citizens Of Capitol
Prompted to Use
Boston Tactics
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Are we who reside permanently in the
District citizens or slaves? Are we free
men enjoying all the rights of citizen
ship, or are We merely figures Of pup
pet show, moving as the authorities pull
the strings? 1t appears that we are more
like puppets or slaves, because we possess
none Of the rights which go to make up
the elements of American citizenship.
We stand in the, same limited and re-
stricted circle as the convict and the
lunatic and for what reason? Merely
because we happen to be born or reared
in the District Of Columbia.
We are governed by those in whose
election to Office We had no part, yet our
taxes help to pay their salaries. They
can do with us as they will. They can
set the amount we must pay in taxes,
they can limit and restrict our lives by
various rules and regulations. They can
even force us to cross the street in &C
cordance with their will. On some mat
ters concerning the District public hear
ings are held in which a few favored
citizens are allowed to express their
opinions, but the final decisions of these
hearings always reflect the ideas of the
authorities, not the citizens.
We who live in the District are in
worse position than those who reside in
Germany or Italy. There people are
governed by dictators of their own choos-
ing, who maintain their position of power
through the support of the people We
are ruled over not by one but several
dictators and not one is of our choos-
ing. Our sons and daughters are not
allowed their fair share OF positions in
the Government Offices and work shops
because these positions are given to the
voters of the States.
The only remedy for this deplorable
condition is the vote. The vote speaks
with voice of command; it wields
potent power; it gives unto each citizen
force which he can use to elect to Office
those who will serve his best and highest
interests. Only when we are able to have
our representative in Congress, placed
there by our vote, will we be in the
position to assert our rights and have a
real part in creating the laws by which
we are governed.
For many years continual effort
has been made by liberty-loving citizens
OF the District to obtain this vote Their
voices have been raised time and again
in solemn protest. They have implored
and reasoned with Congress to grant us
this right-all to no avail Beyond ex-
preston of sympathy from a few mem
bers Of Congress nothing has been ac-
complished and we are no nearer getting
our rights today than we were 20 years
ago.
AS far as Congress is concerned, our
good friend Senator Capper in a clear
and concise statement reveals their at
titude: THE unfriendly attitude of some
members OF Congress towards these vote
less and unrepresented Americans can
be in part attributed to the lack of po-
lltlcal rights lack of knowledge of
the true conditions prevailing in the Dis
statements which lack the slightest es-
sence of truth"
When we think of three-quarters of a
million of laW-abiding liberty loving, tax
paying citizens residing here in the Dis
trict possessing no rights, as enjoyed by
other Americans throughout the Nation,
we see situation which requires positive,
drastic and aggressive action, for all other
methods have been exhausted during the
past 20 years. If we study history we find
that nothing worthwhile is ever given to
body of people, until they put up stiff
fight to possess it. 1t might be well for
us all to concentrate and mediate upon
the acknowledgements 16, 1773. After
unavalllng protest against the importa-
ton OF tea as part of the English policy
OF taxing the American Colonies without
allowing them representation in Parlia-
ment, number of citizens in Indian dis
guise boarded three ships carrying car
goes of tea and threw about $50 chests
into the harbor of Boston,
What we need is one large, powerful
organization, made up of all the tax
payers who reside permanently in the
District, led by men of vision and de-
termination who could devise ways and
means of staging Boston Tea Party
here, which would produce results.
August II. ALFRED H. TERRY.