Evening star., 1945-11-21

tional suffrage, or both, still would
leave Congress with the paramount
authority over the District, while
still permitting the democratic pro-
cess of voting.
Mr.. Finch said he hoped the Pres
ident would give the necessary
push" for passage of pending ma
tional and local suffrage bills by
sending to Congress special mes
sage on the subject.
Hildreth Gratified.
Melvin D. Hildreth, vice chairman
of the Democratic Central Commit
tee for the District, who aided in
getting the 1910 and 1914 Demo-
cratic platform pledges calling for
District suffrage, said
1T is tremendously gratifying to
see that President Truman, who as
member of the Platform Commit
tee voted in favor of the District
suffrage plank in the party platform,
now is recommending that it become
law, while speaking as President.
For more than a century the
people of the District have dreamed
of participation in their own gov
ernment. Now, we hope, it will at
last become a reality"
James c. Wilkes, chairman of the
Republican National Committee for
the District, commented that the
District people had expressed their
views repeatedly in recent years,
especially in the 1898 city wide refer
endum. Our position" he asserted,
"has not changed since then"
Mrs. Gertrude Parks, president
general of the District Federation
Of Women's Clubs, said, I'VE are
much encouraged to have the back
ing of the President. We have been
Orphan Armies long enough. If
there are difficulties to be worked
out, am sure they can be; In fact,
I believe that Is weiiseovered In the
Sumners-Capper proposal, which
would leave Washington control in
the hands of Congress"
Another Endorsement came from
Malcolm S. McConihe, ST., Demo-
cratic national committeeman for
the District.
Monroe Saught Change.
President Truman is in good COM
pany in his advocacy of suffrage for
the District.
The first President to discuss for
mally the political status of the
District was President Monroe. In
his message of 1918, he said:
80 Congress legislates in all
cases directly on the local concerns
of the District. AS this is a de-
parture for a special purpose from
the general principles of our system,
1t may merit consideration whether
an arrangement better adapted to
the principles of our Government
and to the particular interests of
the people may not be devised, which
will neither infringe the Constitution
nor affect the object which the pro-
vision in question was intended to
secure"
President Monroe thus suggested
as alternatives either a separate
Legislature for the District of some
device under which the District
should be represented In Congress.
Jackson Advocates Vote.
It is recalled that in 1918 WASH
ington, Georgetown and Alexandria
were enjoying-by grace of Congress
m nicipal self government. I"
Washington elected city councils,
which elected mayor. But non-
participation by the people in the
congressional power of exclusive
legislation was the departure from
the general principles" Of the Amer
ican system for which Monroe sug-
gested correction.
Andrew Jackson was. the first
President to urge specifically the
election by the District OF a Ter
ritorial Delegate in Congress. He
made this recommendation in 1880
and repeated and enlarged upon it
in 1881 and 1885.
Harrison Defender Lights.
xiCc4ACAlG VAA1d1A 11CIuy x16IIl.
son, in 1841, contended the people
of the District should not be con-
sidered "the subjects" of the people
of the United States, but as free
American citizens" No words Of the
Constitution, he said, could have
been Intended to deprive them Of
that charter. The exclusive legis-
lation given to Congress over the
District, he contended, can be in
terpreted as meaning nothing
more" than to allow Congress the
controlling power necessary "to ac-
cord a free and safe exercise of the
functions assigned to the general
Government by the Constitution.
President Andrew Johnson, in
1866, repeated President Jackson's
recommendation of . Territorial
Delegate in Congress.