Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-08
Fight Unto Victory
For American Rights
Ind. C. Urges Capper
Senator Advises Civic
Groups to Unite in
Representation Bottle

Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas,
addressing the Columbia Heights
Citizens Association last night,
urged civic organizations to unite
In their campaign to obtain "funda-
mental rights" as citizens of the
United States. saying, Keep up your
fight. my fellow Americans of the
District of Columbia. for our cause
Is just and ultimately we will win"
Senator Capper, who favored ma
tional representation above local
suffrage as means of obtaining
these rights, pointed out that there
are more than half a million Ameri-
cans in Washington who have mo
more to say about how they are
governed, and by whom they are
governed, than if they lived in the
less favored nations of the old world,
who today are cursed with dictator
ships"
Franchise Won by Many.
"Seventy-five years ago the crimi-
nails, the insane, women, Negroes,
unnaturaliZed aliens and residents
of the District were without the
vote" Senator Capper told the
group. To-day, only criminals, the
insane, unnaturalized citizens, the
residents of the District still are
without the right to vote
Residents of the District are sub
tect to military service and pay taxes
but are not represented in the body
which has the power to conscript
them for military service or to levy
these taxes, the association was re-
minded. These two points were used
in bringing out the fact that resi-
cents of Alaska, the Philippines, Ha-
wall and Puerto Rico have the right
to speak through the Congress of
the United States.
You are Americans, the same as
I and some 13O,0OO,OO0 others, but
you are voteless and unrepresented
Americans" Senator Capper said.
THAT is not just. That is not Amer
lean. This condition should not be
tolerated. 1t is most important that
you keep in mind the fact OF your
grievances as voteless and unrepre-
scented Americans, and that you keep
on presenting these grievances to
Congress and to the American
people.
Pledges Aid in Fight.
"After all, you do have the right
of petition. You do have the right
and the facilities to present your
cause to the American people. And
I urge that you continue your fight
for the rights that should be yours.
I pledge you my support
Before ending his address to the
group, Mr., Capper disclosed his own
efforts in Congress to obtain nation
al representation for the District.
&c said, 1.-THE amendment which I
now have pending in the Senate, and
which has been introduced in the
House this time by Representative
:Iorton of New Jersey, would en-
power Congress to grant to the Dis
trict the right of voting representa-
lion in the Senate, in the House OF
Representatives and in the Electoral
College, which would allow the right
to help elect the President and Vice
President of the United States. 1t
also would give residents of the Dis
trict the right to sue and to be sued
In the courts of the United States,
& right that is possessed by the citl-
lens of the States. 1t is almost I'M
j>elievable that this right, now re-
fused to you Americans in the Dis
trict, is open even to aliens In all the
States of the Union"
Wilbur Finch, president of the Dis
trict of Columbia Suffrage Associa-
ton, told the Columbia Heights
group of the progress made by his
association. Mr.. Finch took to task
the present form of government in
the District as "out-moded, lneff-
Gent, ineffective and expensive"
The association was also addressed
by Mrs. Pearl Clark of the Safety
Committee of the Parent-Teacher
Association, who urged strict OBJ
servance of pedestrian control regu-
lations as a means of lowering traf-
flc fatalities, and by Mrs. Eta Tag
CART, president of the Washington
ians Society, in behalf of proposal
that a gasoline tax be substituted
for the income tax in the District.
Sparrell A. Wood, president of the
Citizens Forum of Columbia Heights,
attended the meeting and stressed
the Importance of attendance by all
members of citizens associations in
the city if they hope to gain national
representation.