Evening star., 1943-10-08

ment controlled by congress IN
which the people have no voice, the
District, he thought, would be
very small gamer, If any, in
power, but would add very ma
terially to the responsibility of
its elective officers and the peo-
pie who elected them" And, he
pointed out, it would be very easy
for Congress to throw the blame for
some unsatisfactory condition of the
District on the people who elected
the officials when, in fact, the trou-
BILE WAS really due to some laXity
on the part of Congress"
He added: Surely, the people of
the District should enjoy the Ameri-
can right to participate in the cleo
ton of the President and Vice Presi-
dent. To possess this right and
privilege, together with voting rep
resentation in Congress, would raise
them in the national councils to the
same level with other American citi-
zens. 1t would give them a dignity
Of citizenship and self-respect which
they now lack. If the administra-
ton OF the District government is
to continue with officers selected by
the President, there is far greater
probability of more acceptable ap-
pointees by President in whose
election the people OF the District
have had part
National Angle Overlooked.
Senator Capper also pointed out:
Another factor in the national
angle of this problem which is either
overlooked or altogether ignored is
that the Nation is entitled to the
benefits which would accrue to 1t
through the active and full partici-
patton in the councils of our Nation
by the fine. intelligent and loyal
people of the Capital community.
Whether in an all-out war or in
the tranquility of an all-out peace.
the Nation deserves and requires
the very best effort, thought and
Judgment of all its people-not Just
as suggestions by outsiders. but by
all the people of this great American
family.
Il am impressed with the idea
that there rests on Congress and
the people Of this Nation. while We
are advocating democracy for all
the nations throughout the world,
the responsibility not only to advo-
cate, but actually to give to the peo-
pie OF the District of Columbia the
same democratic participation in
their national government as we
think other people should possess
in theirs
And he cited that many of these
voteless and unrepresented people
are now fighting in foreign lands.
some returning badly manned, and
others making the supreme sacrifice
for Nation in which they are de-
MED all participation"
Points to Past Bills.
Senator Capper pointed out that
for number of years he had in
troduced at each session of Con-
gress joint resolution proposing a
constitutional amendment empow-
erlng Congress to grant the District
voting representation in Congress
and a ballot in presidential elec-
tlons. He said he felt the present
form OF the pending resolution was
the best ever placed before Con-
gress. Chairman Summers of the
House Judiciary Committee intro
duced this resolution. and Senator
Capper offered it in the Senate. It
provides:
The Congress shall have the
power to provide that there shall
be in the Congress and among the
electors OF President and Vice Presi-
dent members elected by the peo-
pie OF the District, constituting the
seat OF the government of the
United States, in such numbers and
with such powers as the Congress
snail determine. All legislation
hereunder shall be subject to
amendment and repeal"
This, Senator Capper explained.
reserves to Congress the power to
determine the manner in which ma
tlonal representation is granted and
to amend such a law as often as If
chooses
Recalls 1898 ELECTION"
In discussing suggestions that the
people of the District hold a ref
erendum to decide what form of
government they want, he recalled
that at an unofficial election here in
1888 the vote was 13 to l for ma
tlonal representation and 7 to l for
local suffrage.
Il would suggest" he said, that
II the citizens of Washington are
really in earnest to obtain this
recognition as American citizens
they should buckle down to some
hard, practical work to get ADEQUATE
support of members of the Senate
ana House. Get acquainted with
these men and women on Capitol
Hlll. Get acquainted with some OF
thelr constituents, many of whom
are now available in the District
Sell these people the idea that the
people of the District, who bear al,
the burdens of citizenship, are en-
titled to and should be granted their
rlghtiul participation in the affairs
of our Nation"
After Senator Capper's talk the
association voted unanimously to
support passage of his national rep-
resentation resolution, known in the
Senate as S. j. Res. 80, and the SIM
liar resolution sponsored in the
House by Representative Summers as
H. j. Res. 81.