The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-02-01
WASHINGTON PEoPLn AND THE
VOTE
BY J. Il. Jones


1946-"Tkis Government is commit
ted to the democratic principle that
1t is for the dependent peoples tho M
selves to decide what their sta
shall be-" That is the opinion OF
President Truman with respect to
self-government for Puerto Rico.
Hawaii, Alaska, the Virgin Islands
and the Philippines.
In his recent message to Congress
he also made definite plea that the
District of Columbia should no long
er be treated 'as dependent area.
He asked the Congress to take ade-
quate steps to assure that citizens Of
the United States are not denied their
franchise merely because they reside
at the National Capital" President
Truman is 1907 right on this issue.
BUT The niishdmed CaDper-Sum-
ners constitutional amendment will
not help the People of the District of
Columbia Representative Summers
repeated that opinion on the radio
few days ago. He said the proposed
amendment would not be demand
upon Congress. The Congress would
simply be able to do as ii pleased
even nothing.
On the other hand, the President
meets the issue squarely. I'VE sEou.d
take adequate steps to assure that
citizens of the United States. are not
denied their franchise merely be-
cause they resile at the National
Capital" The Congress repudiated
the Constitution and passed laws in
the 1S70's denying the People the
right to vote. All Congress has to do
is to pass good laws to return stolen
rights 10 the People of the District =
the same rights as are enjoyed by TIE
States, and are asked for in behalf
OF our dependent territories.
Strangely inconsistent, the Wash
ington new spapers and the Citizens
Associations and the business inter-
ests haven't opened their columns, or
their faces to kill this worthless Cap
per-Sumners Resolutio n. T h t
scheme, in one form or another, has
been swallowed by the people of
Washington, d. C.-they deserve to
be ckoked.
Maybe Congress isn't so much to
blame, after all, when the onyl real
champion that has gone to bat on
this issue in 81 years is President
Truman. 1t is a simple matter for
Congress to take adequate steps to
assure that citizens of the United
| States are not denied their franchise
merely because they reside at the
National Capital"
The people of the District are still
facing" this issue hind-end-to. They
will have to turn face-forward-1r
remain in tkeir dog-house.
## 8
Naturally The Boys Want To Come
| Home
Our American soldiers who have
been on a strike against being Held
| in service in foreign lands object to
their new job of control over 1000
miles of boundary lines and to keep
Germans and Japs from going wild.
! General Eisenhower has tried to
"settle their strikes
Race Issues
Legislation pending before Con-
gress appears to have revived old dis
putes that originated in the Civil
War. Southern Senator's and Repre-
sentatives are battling to discrimi-
nate against their negroes. The old
issue seems to breed new diseases,
and there are battles with soft gloves
| between the whites and the blacks i'll
Washington, ID. G., arising out of the
refusal of the streetcar companies to
employ negroes. Some of h e
churches have taken up the battle
and they are getting excited over the
question of social equality-ust as
| if there were not enough troubles
that have been laid upon the door
steps of all of us by the war.
+
DuobIo,,,c Of TomOrpOVy