Evening star., 1939-08-02

tional election day, showing the
large number of potential voters in
Washington who can vote nowhere
else. One of these excerpts, based on
1880 census figures, follows:
Population of Voting Age Exceeded
in 1880 That of 10 States.
Its popul. ton of voting age
(over 2D in 1880 was BAL ,465, exceed
ing that of 10 o. the States.
1T Is contended, however, that
these figures of voting age are mis-
leading for the reason that there are
thousands of District residents who
vote in the States and who might
not vote in the District even if they
had the opportunity The census of
1880 reports that there had been
enumerated in the District 15,105
thoroughly qualified recent actual
voters in the States. The District of
Columbia political and partisan lead
ers in the presidential campaign of
1882 estimated that there were from
SIS 900 to $4,000 persons in the Dis
trict who could, if they registered,
vote in the States Other estimates,
including some that were obviously
unreasonable, carried the figure of
possible potential voters in the
States up to 10000.
Compares States Voters.
"'If from the total population of
voting age in the States and District
in 1930O the foreign-born residents
not naturalized be deducted, and if
from the Districts population OF
voting age there be further sub
tracted 10000 covering literally
every possible reasonable and some
unreasonable deductions, the re-
sulting District of Columbia poten-
tial voters who can vote nowhere
else (251,439) would be only 6,102
less than that of New Hampshire
(257,54D only 824 less than that of
Utah (252. .263) and 12,260 more than
Arizona (238,819); 1855 more than
Idaho (233,784; 1924 more than
New Mexico (214 1851 48,00l more
than Vermont (203,438); 1O9,309
more than Delaware (142 1907; 1874
309 more than Wyoming Q27,2 ,230) /,
and l95.726 more than Nevada
(55, 49,"
After recalling the informal refer
endum of May, 1888, in which Dis
trict residents voted overwhelming
ly for representation in the Ma
tional Government, and by slight
ly smaller vote for an elective local
government, Senator Capper sum-
med up his plea as follows:
There is no sound American rea-
son for withholding these funda-
mental rights from this more than
half million Americans. I am con-
vinced that satisfactory solution
of the Districts problems can be
found only through the granting of
voting representation to District
people in the Senate, House of Rep
resentatives and among the electors
of President and Vice President.
This, in my opinion, is the first
step-to make national American
citizens of these people. Then with
their own representatives in the two
houses of Congress, clothed with the
same privileges as those from the
States, they will have an equal op-
portunity with other Americans to
enter upon the solution of the ac-
emulation of unsolved civic prob
lens in the true Amererican way.
Il have serious doubts as to the
advantages of an elective local gov
ernment until the District possesses
voting representation in Congress
and among the presidential electors.
Whatever kind of a local govern
ment the District is given is apt to
prove unsatisfactory while a Con-
gress, in which it is not represented,
continues to exercise without let or
hindrance its power of exclusive
legislation in all cases whatsoever
That has been a source Of weakness
in local governments here in the
past and history has a way Of re-
peating itself
THE chief reason for these people
and their community being mis-
understood, neglected and treated
unfairly is because of their political
impotency. The cure for this con-
dition is through amendment of the
Constitution and subsequent legis-
lation establishing fundamental
American principles of government
here at the Nations Capital.
'Mr. President, I hope that this