Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
While the women in the District of Columbia rejoiced with those in the
States over the successful end of the long, hard fight for the Federal
Suffrage Amendment their joy was tempered by the fact that they still
had before them a struggle for an amendment which would enfranchise
the residents of the District--one really for equal suffrage, men and
women alike being without the vote. The Congress itself now has entire
jurisdiction, each branch appointing a committee for the purpose.
The district is a municipal corporation, administered by a Board of
three commissioners, two of whom are appointed by the President of the
United States from civil life, confirmed by the Senate, the third
being detailed by him from the engineer corps of the army. The
argument for the citizen's franchise is that representation in
Congress for the residents of the District would only give them a
voice in the governing body without impairing the "exclusive
jurisdiction" given to Congress by the National Constitution. It has a
population greater than six of the States and pays taxes in excess of
twenty-two States--each of which has two Senators and Representatives
based on its population. Local self-government also is advocated by
some residents but the majority are behind the movement to obtain
representation in Congress and the vote for presidential electors.
From the time this matter was first agitated the woman suffrage
association of the District has insisted that women should have the
same rights granted to men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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