Evening star., 1945-02-04
Starting the Boil ROLLING

The Sumners-Capper resolution
TOR constitutional amendment en-
powering Congress to grant resi-
dents OF the District representation
IN Congress and the electoral COL
lege, although introduced some two
years ago, is about to receive its first
committee consideration. Chairman
Summers of the House Judiciary
Committee has just assured this
consideration by referring the reso-
luton to standing subcommittee of
which Representative Celler of New
York is chairman.
It was in 1910 that the House
Judiciary Committee last reported
favorably on a somewhat similar
resolution. Later hearings by a sub
committee of the Senate Judiciary
Committee brought an adverse re-
port. The present form of the
amendment represents changes de-
signed to meet certain objections to
its predecessor. In the opinion of
Mr.. Summers, it is perfect" It con-
tains nothing which would be inter-
preted as legislation in the Consti-
tuition; is purely an enabling reso-
luton; does not make of the District
OF Columbia a State" and adds to,
rather than diminishes, the exclu-
sive powers over the District con-
ferred on Congress by the Constitu-
ton.
There Is no change in conditions
which would require new hearings
on the resolution, for the records
are replete with testimony already.
Whether to hold hearings or to omit
them, as was done in 1910, depends,
Of course, on the wishes of Mr.. Celler
and his subcommittee.
But there is one distinct change
IN the atmosphere of public thought
which events have made manifest.
We are at war. Sons of Washington
are on every fighting front, making
sacrifices which all other Americans
are making in defense of our form of
Government, the fundamental prin-
ciple of which is that just govern
ment derives its strength from the
consent Of the governed. The war
has made denial Of that principle
here in the Capita OF the Nation
more conspicuously unjust than
ever before. -,' >.
Correct emphasis was placed, in
the last campaign, on the duty to
vote at home, and the right of
Americans in uniform-wherever
the war found them-to vote and
thus give new meaning to the demo-
cratic conception which couples the
right to vote with the duty of bear
ing arms. But Washingtonians,
alone of all their comrades from the
United States, were shunted aside
when the ballots we're marked be-
cause Of the accident of their resi-
dence in the American Capital. The
disgraceful contrast represented In
that discrimination should never
occur again. It will not occur again
If members of Congress act now to
remove a blighting Contradiction to
Americanism evidenced in the dis
franchisement of an intelligent
community of over 100000 Ameri-
cans who reside at the seat of gov
ernment.
The Sumners-C -Capper resolution is
brief and to the point. Remedying
a probably accidental omission in
the Constitution written years be-
fore anybody knew where the Cap
ital would be or who would live
there), 1t provides that:
"The Congress shall have power
to provide that there shall be in the
Congress and among the electors of
President and Vice President men,
bers elected by the people of the
District constituting the seat of Gov
ernment of the United States, in
such numbers and with such powers
rs the Congress shall determine. All
legislation hereunder shall be sub
3ect to amendment ana repeal"