Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-14
Move for DC.
Representation
Gains Support
Editor of The Star
Asks District Vote,
Hits Home Rule
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star stan Writer

BY GRACE BASSETT
Star stan Writer
A proposed constitutional
amendment to give Washing
tonians representation in Con-
gress and a vote for President
and Vice President today won
key support from House Dis
trict Committeeman.
Representative Loser, Dem
ocrat of Tennessee, also a men,
Der Of the Judiciary Committee,
said he would be happy to
testify in favor of the amend
ment and to vote for it on the
House floor.
Representative Abernethy,
Democrat of Mississippi, also
pledged his support and said
he was unable to understand
why the people of the District
did not join in a mass effort to
gain hearings"
Amendments Pending
An amendment proposed by
Representative Broyhill, Re-
publican of Virginia, is pend
ing before the Judiciary Com
mittee. In the Senate, a sim
liar measure has been intro
duced by Senator Case, Repub-
lican of South Dakota. Senator
Heating, Republican of New
York. has promised to suggest
lacking the District suffrage
proviso onto a separate consti-
tutional amendment to wipe
out poll taxes in five States
where they remain a bar to
voting.
The Congressman supported
the Constitutional amendment
approach to suffrage advanced
by Benjamin M. McKelway,
editor of The Star, at home rule
hearings before a House District
subcommittee.
Mr.. McKelway said denial of
suffrage to American citizens
living in Washington was 'in-
defensible." But he stressed the
need for an intelligent and wise
decision on the way to give
WashingtonianS a voice in their
government.
Opposes Home Rnle
The right way is through
representation in Congress,
which exclusively controls this
city, and a vote for President
and Vice President, he MAIN
tanned.
He said the wrong way was
through home rule bills now
pending in the House. Both
territorial and mayor-council
government proposals would
attempt to separate the local
from the national interest in
the Capital, he maintained,
and those interests are indi-
visible.
Mr.. McKelway told commit
teemen that he found it iron
1cal" that the Senate Judiciary
Committee was considering a
constitutional amendment to
wipe out the poll tax in face
OF the great heSitancy to put
some permission in the Con-
stitution for District residents
to vote"
Mr.. Broyhill said he was
certain that a constitutional
amendment could clear Con-
gress. But he was dubious of
the success of the poll tax
amendment and preferred that
the District proposition be kept
separate.
Calls for Hard Work
"Why don't these people in
the District, particularly those
who wore costumes and tea
bags and waved flags up here
on the opening day of our
home rule hearings, work hard
and sweat for a constitutional
amendments" asked Repre-
sentative Abernethy.
Mr.. McKelway replied that
a sort of poison. stemming
from denial of the vote, had
"paralyzed nerves that ordi-
narily excite a burning sense
Of indignation in free men,"
Americans in this American
capital, after all these years,
are still governed without their
consent, are still taxed without
representation, are still con-
signed to a degrading status of
Semi-citizenship," he pointed
See HOME RULE, Page AS