Evening star., 1949-01-20
Some Facts About Your City

This city is full of visiting Americans
today, come to see their President 1naugu-
rated. There are some facts about WASH
ington that they should take home with
them and think about.
The American people are inauguratlng
q new President. He comes into once
through their votes. We Americans IN the
District of Columbia are in a peculiar re-
lation to the incoming Chief Executive.
Delegates from the District helped nomi-
nate him at Philadelphia. Citizens OF the
District have arranged and managed the
unofficial parts of his inaugural ceremonies.
But citizens of the District were unable TO
vote for or against the President VINO Is
being inaugurated today. They are nj 10
nominate and to celebrate. They are unfit,
It seems, to help to elect.
The close to a million Americans or
Washington make up the only community
in the United States-populous, Intelligent,
public spirited, patriotic and OF adequate
resources-denied representation IN the
National Government which taxes them,
makes all laws for them, drafts their sons
for service in the armed forces and SENDS
them to war.
They meet all the qualifications OF
voters elsewhere. They pay all the local
and national taxes that other Americans
pay. They are subject to all the laws that
govern their fellow citizens elsewhere.
Since they are so governed, they are en-
titled to be represented in their Govern
ment. That is basic American principle.
It is an automatic truth, worn threadbare
rnnetitinn
inconsistent acts and inaction IN respect 10
the people of Washington, we falslfy the
principle and stultify ourselves.
The visiting American can look on
Washington as his city. It Is the Federal
CITY, the seat of Government, controlled
by Congress alone, governed exclusively by
the representatives of all the people OF
the United States except the people VINO
live here. It should remain the Federal
City. 1t should remain the seat OF Gov
ernment, controlled by all the people,
looked on by them as their other home
town.
But the people who live here should vote
700. They should have representatives OF
their own in the exclusively governing
Congress. They should have as much say
as the citizens of every other community
in the country about what sort OF Gov
ernment they are to live under.
That can be accomplished without losing
to the Nation its control Of the seat OF
Government. It can be done by simple
amendment of the Constitution, granting
to Congress the power ITO provide that
there shall be in the Congress and among
the electors of President and Vice Presi-
dent members elected by the people OF
the District constituting the seat OF Gov
ernment of the United States, in such
numbers and with such powers as the
Congress shall determine"
The President who is being inaugurated
today believes that this should be done.
He also favors a plan which would give
people of Washington a limited form OF
municipal suffrage alone, without consti-
tutional amendment. Both of the candi-
dates ran on party platforms tavoring
votes for the people who live here, without
specifying the kind or degree of suffrage
they would enjoy. Sentiment for some
kind of voting rights for Washingtonians
continues to increase, in and out of Con-
gress. Some day those rights will be given,
for their denial here contradicts every
thing that young Americans are taught
about the form and philosophy of demo-
cratic government.
But we of Washington need your help.
For the only help that can be given in
any form must come from Americans who
can vote.