Evening star., 1940-12-08
Lack Of Vote
Dep|ored by
Patriarchs
Mr.. koyes' Sentiments
Echoed by DR.. Marvin
At 18th Banquet

Reminders that Washington still
lacks a voice in National Govern
ment and that all Washingtonians
are compulsory occupants Of the
national hospital for politically de-
fective and delinquent Americans"
cast a momentary pail over the
diamond jubilee celebration of the
Association of Oldest Inhabitants
last night.
Otherwise the associations 18th
annual banquet, which attracted a
distinguished collection of Capital
citizens to the Raleigh Hotel, was
an occasion unmarried by dark
thoughts. Approximately $50 per-
sons attended, including representa-
tives of many Of the citys leading
organizations.
DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin. president
of George Washington University,
the principal speaker, was applaud
ed roundly when he said: The
glory Of the dome of the Capitol
can never be realized completely
until every citizen Of these United
States has the right of suffrage
and eagerly accepts the RESPONSE
bility of that right"
To some extent he echoed the SEN
timents of the associations presi-
dent, Theodore w. Noyes. who earlier
had deplored the fact that citizens
here were without suffrage. even
while being heavily burdened with
national obligations.
Unable to Appeal to Congress.
DR.. Marvin recalled that as long
ago as 1865 there was no way for
the citizen of the District to make a
request to Congress through a rep
resentative of the city" The same
situation, he emphasized, prevails
today. Washingtons situation be-
came so confused around 1865. the
University president said, that 1T
became necessary for some of the
citizens to more or less arbitrarily
assume some of the burdens of gov
ernment, TO the end that there might
be appropriate police and fire pro-
lection and other services, and it
was with these needs in mind that
the Association of Oldest Inhabi
tantS came into being.
And from that day until no
there has been a very real under
standing on the part of the mem
bership of this honored and honor
able association of the need Of COM
plete citizenship for the District 0.
Columbia"
The local government of this and
every other community, DR.. Marvin
said, represents the inventive gen.
ius of our people for the founding
of free government. Through an
understanding Of local government,
our people must be trained to the
knowledge of democracy. In the
exercise of the responsibilities of
lf-government through concrete
and immediate issues, each of us
sees and understands his foundation
in government Through the under
standing of the local issues and an
acceptance of responsibility there
for. our people interpret safely and
sanely the larger and more distant
questions of the nation and of ma
tions.
One of the dangers of our day"
DR. Marvin continued. is that our
sources of information are distract
ing the attention of our people from
their local government. Because
OF the dramatic elements of the in
ternatlonal affairs, because of the
weight Of national grandiose schemes
throughout the world, it is easy to
overplay the significance of the
larger movements and underempha-
size the import of that which is i'm
meditely at hand in local self
government"
Vague Theorizing Dangerous.
Explaining that he was not under
estimating the services of the press
and radio in keeping the people in
formed of national and international
affairs, DR.. Marvin said, however
that he believed IAN appropriate
emphasis should be given to local
government matters"
1t is a dangerous proceeding, the
speaker continued, Ito begin the
political education of an individual
or of people with vague theorizing
about constitutional prerogative5,
about imperialism, about totalitar-
ianism, without a solid. concret g
basis of observation and practice
in caring for things at home.
I'VE always tolerate in ourselves
large. degree of prejudice and
sentimentalism regarding national
political affairs largely because our
understanding of the issues involved
is so much matter of vague theory
! and so little determined by actual
knowledge of things as they are. that
we are not made ashamed of our
shallow vagueneSs.
so it is easy to fight about the
ory which cannot be demonstrated,
and it is easy to become a rock
ribbed partisan for vague and dis
| tant causes which cannot be spe-
cifically stated. The less connection
your beliefs have with experience
(See BANQUET, Page B-4)