Evening star., 1958-07-06
# mm9HE&E&&&&ne 4E
Our Newest State Conforms but in It's Own Way
Let's Look
On Our Own
Doorstep

In the course OF the debate
on the admission OF Alaska as.
a State. Senator Bush, Republic
can OF Connecticut. had some
tOords to say on some other
United States residents ioho
haze considerably less than
citizenship rights. They tOtll
be easily recognized here.
I should like to point out that
no justification has been pre-
sented for giving priority to
Alaska among the candidates
for statehood. Let us look at
the situation on our own door
step. What about the District
Of Columbia? Here reside. in
the heart of the United States.
855, 1000 Americans. who are not
only denied representation IN
the Congress, but who are de-
MED the right to their own To-
cal government.
remind my Republican ccl-
leagues who feel compelled to
vote for Alaskan statehood be-
cause Of a campaign pledge in
the 1856 platform that the plat
form also declared a pledge for
"self-government. national suf-'
frage, and representation in the
Congress of the United States,
for the residents Of the District
Of Columbia.
How can we justify our great
haste in bestowing statehood on
a territory with 10000 voters.
and q laggardness in correcting
the injusticeS now suffered by
many times that number Of po-l
tential voters in the District OF.
Columbia, the Nations Capitals
One can argue about the ques-,
ton of home rue in the Nations
Capital. am not one who
would go "all the way" SO to-
speak, on the question Of home
rule. Because of the Federal
Governments great interest in
the District of Columbia. and
because the Federal Govern-i
ment dominates the area with
its activities, think the Federal
Government may properly CON-
tinue to exercise q measure OF
control over the government OF
the District. sv
On the other hand, / do not
believe the people Of the District,
Of Columbia should be COM,
pletely disenfranchised. I would
like to see special provision made
for the District of Columbia in
addition to the special provisions,
which exist for 1t now.
I would like to see special
provisions made so that the,
people would have some repfeA
sentation IN the Congress. y
: think the question ought to: h4s
carefully considered whethen
the people Of the, District OF
Columbia should not have one.
or whatever number Of popula2
ton is entitled to-perhapS two
or three full-fieldge members
of the House of Representatives
and also representation in the
United States Senate. ~
see absolutely no justice IA
reaching out 5000 or more miles
across this continent, to the very
end Of it, in the northwest
corner, granting statehood to q
small population in the Territory
Of Alaska, and leaving withouti
any civil rights, so to speak,
any voting rights. and political
rights-the 855, 900 persons who
live in the District Of Columbia,
the Nations Capital. "a
If that is justice. Mr.. Presi-
dent I am afraid / am not .
very good Judge Of what Is
justice.
myself think 1t is highly ur-.
just and highly unfair to ignore
the citizens of this community.
! think practically no one win
dispute that the citizens Of the
District Of Columbia, at a very
minimum, ought to be able to
vote for the President of the
United States. They ought TO-
have the right to vote for the
President and the Vice Presis
dent. do not see any reason
in the world why they should
not have that right and privilege
and duty. t
think If there is any part
of the United States where the
citizens are really interested in
who is President and who is the
Vice President, it certainly 10
here in the Nations Capital.
Yet, we are talking about reach-
ing away out to Alaska, ignor.
ing the problem which faces us
on our own doorstep.