Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-16
DIDN'T WORK BEFORE
Home RuIe-the Wrong Solution
II DIDN'T WORK BEFORE

The accompanying article
qresents the statement IN tes-
fimonp OF Benjamin NJ. Nickel
sDap. editor OF The EpenilD and
: Sunday Star. before a subcom-
iisittee Of the House committee
\ on the District Of Columbia nom
conducting hearings on home
ruiz. Mr.. McKeliD0v appeared
on the invitGtion OF the COM
miftes IN his capacity as Editor
OF The star and not as the
{. spokesman or representative Of
Z any group.
MIR. Chairman: ! appreciate the
courtesy Of your invitation TO offer
! some comments on home rule.
/ would hope we might accept
at the outset Is stipulated fact
for IL Is q fact--that the total
lack Of voting representation In
their sovereign government suf-
fered by American citizens resi-
dent In the Capital Of the United
states is, In this day and age. an
indefensible contradiction Of what
we stand for In our own eyes and
in the eyes Of the world. That
contradiction Is becoming 50 evil
dent TO 90 many people that 1t
Il bound to be removed one way
or another.
The need. then. is FOR intelligent
and wise decision on how It Is to
be removed-the right way or the
wrong way.
! believe that In removing 1t we
must recognize the great inn
portance Of preserving the mag
nificent concept Of Washington as
the Federal City. set aside as the
seat Of Government and the
worthy Capital Of the Nation. At
the same time we must recognize
and respect the equally funda-
mental importance Of giving
Americans resident in this Capital
. voting voice In the Congress
which exclusively controls 1t, and
q right to vote for President and
Vice President. M
There Is no actual contradiction
between these two objectives.
There Is no valid or substantial
reason why one Of them need
suffer at the expense Of the other.
Expediency vs.. Just Treatment
There Is likelihood that under
increasing pressures the immedi-
ate expediency Of home rule,
rather than the basic interests Of
this city and the just treatment
Of its people. win be served. In
that case we may witness Q dis
NAL repetition Of history. winding
up with injury to the concept Of
the Federal City and to its con-
tinuing development without hav-
ing achieved voting rights Of any
real value.
Take. for example. the pending
proposal to set up q territorial
form Of home rule government
for the Capital Of the United
States. This bill is. indeed, an
extraordinary anachronism which
turns the clock back IS years!
l =
History wrote q sardonic little
footnote on the arrival in WASH
ington. earlier this week. Of Mr..
Daniel Ken Inouye soon to be-
come your colleague as the Rep
resentative Of some Sc, 900 people
Of the Hawaiian Islands, lying
1870 miles from Washington in
the Pacific Ocean. Two Hawaiian
Senators. elected at the same
time. win take their seats at the
other end Of the Capitol.
Some IS years ago, in 1874, q
territorial government for the
District Of Columbia. after o brief
but spectacular life. was abolished
BY an angry Congress because 1t
did not work, and the city was
up in arms over its failure. Twen-
ty-six years after that. in 1900,
Hawaii became q territory and
50 years later has been admitted
as sovereign State. her people
made full-1ledged Americans.
And what win her new repre-.
sentatives md ct the Capitol when
they take their oaths? One thing
they win flnd is Q hearing in prog
ress before the House Committee
on the District Of Columbia on o
bill to give back to 825. 900 citizens,
living here at the heart Of this
Republic. Q territorial form Of
government not unlike the one
thy had 26 years before Hawaii
became Q territory-includin Q
voteless delegate in the House!
Diseredited Reoctionoryism
II this means progress. it is
progress In the wrong direction.
II this misguided effort Is identi-
ned as awakened liberalism, such
liberalism Is plainly the victim Of
mistaken identity. Actually, this
bill Is an astounding example Of
discredited reactionaryism.
How could this have happened?
How can it be explained?
II may be that the late Senator
II. w. Blair Of New Hampshire had
the answer. Senator Blair, in an
eloquent speech one September
day In 1880 In support Of o reso.
luton for an amendment to the
Constitution to give residents Of
Washington voting representation
in Congress and the Electoral Col
lege, told the Senate that the de-
NAL Of such representation "is no
trifiing matter, and ! verify believe
it constitutes q drop Of poison in
the heart Of the Republic, which,
If left without its antidote, will,
spread virus throughout that cir
culation which is the life Of our
liberties"
There is q sort Of poison in de-
aging people the right to vote. In
Tine it tends to paralyze or render
oImant nerves that ordinarily
would excite q burning sense Of
,v,<fi1v,a k{Ns, IN fraa man 6,sk