Evening star., 1934-11-11
$1,000 RESIDENTS
OF CAPITAL VOTE.
Party Leaders Set Estimate
as $4,000 Sought Help
at Bureaus.

OF the persons in the District of
Columbia eligible to vote by mail in
80 States having laws to this end, 1t
is estimated by party leaders that as
many as $4,000 availed themselves of
the privilege in the national elections
this year. A great number Of voters
went home by rail, bus and automo-
bile to vote. Some even travelled by
airplane.
There is no way of knowing, accu-
rately, how many voters took advan-
tage of the voting mail privilege.
Some of the absentee balloting was
done without benefit of party organi-
zation help. Leaders Of both major
parties, however, claim that the
Washington vote this year was un-
precedented.
$4,000 Sought Help.
The Democrats claim that some
where near 10000 Democratic men
and women in the District voted in
the elections last Tuesday-either by
person of by mail BY actual count,
more than $4,000 sought help at head
quarters established in the Willard
Hotel. Occasionally, where one per-
son appears several are served as in
the case of father who gets ballots
for his wife and children. Numerous
cases of this kind are recorded.
The Republicans have not yet COM
pleted the tabulation of the number
of persons registering at Republican
headquarters. While the vote here,
admittedly. was not as great as that
of two years ago, it was, nevertheless.
a great outpouring of voters in vote
less Washington, showing the urge to
register a voice in governmental af-
fairs.
For years, both political parties
have maintained Offices here to en-
courage voting by mail. Usually the
offices are set up in downtown sec
tions. There voters may go to secure
information about voting laws in the
various States.
Work without Pay.
Every four years this activity takes
place Sometimes the enthusiastic
workers get started as early as June.
before the November elections. With
them it is usually a labor Of love.
Few get paid. Yet, they work like
Trojans.
Sometimes 500 applicants a day ap-
proach these Offices They come to
get ballot blanks, to find out about
State registration. to get free notary
service and to mail their ballots back
home
In 1923 the Republicans had their
big year in Washington. getting out
the absentee vote. This year the
Democrats had an edge on their op-
ponents.
So effective was the work of the
Democratic organization in the Dis
trict that committee chairmen from
nearby States are sending in letters
of appreciation. 1t is pointed out
that the Washington vote by mail is
an influence in the national elections,
though some may believe this to be
the proverbial drop in the bucket. A
look at the returns from New Mexico.
where the senatorial race was so close.
shows what might happen if. for in
stance, 100 Washingtonians voted one
way in that State; by mail.
Women Are Real Workers.
With all due respect to the men,
women seem to be the real workers
in Washington politics. This is ad-
mitted to be a fact even by the men
themselves, who claim they have had
hot eioca tho n
entered the arena.
Both the Democratic party and the
Republican party have been helped by
the women of Washington. The
Women's Democratic National Educa-
tional Council, Mrs. Grattan Kerans,
president, started to work last June
to get out the Washington vote-and
they got it in the mails on time. They
worked with the National Committee,
with Offices in the National Press
Building.
So, too, the Republican women. The
League of Republican Women. Mrs.
William Fitch Kelley, president, opened
Offices in the Willard and had great
success. Mrs. Virginia White Speel is
founder and honorary president of the
league
For the Democratic women, Mrs.
Lester j. Pollock was in charge Of the
bureau; for tine Republican women,
Mrs. Joseph H. Bronson was in charge.
There was a friendly rivalry from
the beginning of the campaign to the
end, each organization keeping an
eve on the other, so that true political
fervor came to the surface.
Discusses Campaign at Tea.
At a tea on Friday, in the Repub-
lican Club. the women workers met
and discussed all the fun and fury
that were theirs in those frantic
hours of a fervid campaign. On the
same day, the women workers of the
Democratic party met at dinner in
the Women's City Club and went over
the campaign. full report read py
Mrs. POLLOCK. Those given credit 1or
most of the work were: Miss ida
Mapel, Miss Katie Lou McVicker,
Mrs. Mary Davis Watts, Mrs. May
Killough, Mrs. Roella Mills, Mrs. Vic
tor Gauzza, Miss Eileen Conroy, Mrs.
John Douan, Miss Mae Helm, Miss
Margaret Dreslin. Miss Loretta Car
lin, Miss Julia Bannigan, Mrs. LII
liam Rothbard. Mrs. George Cameron.
Mrs. S. ]. Asbury, jr.; Mrs. William
j. Showalter and Mrs. Arthur Roerer.
The Republican women who stuck
by the guns under the direction OF
Mrs. Branson, are: Miss Alice Whit
taker, Mrs Ellen E. Rolph, Miss
Daisy Prentice, Mrs. John w. Frizzell,
Mrs. John L. Barr. Mrs. Arthur Tir-
rell, Mrs. Robert j. Bates, Mrs. Henry
w. Fry, Mrs. Bessie Edison, Mrs. Jo-
seph Keys, Mrs. D. Fulton Harris
Mrs. William F. Loetsch, Mrs. G. L.
Tarbolle, Mrs. M. w. Butt and Mrs.
Harry E. Hull.
Because of the efforts of all these
women-Democrats and Republicans
the influence of Washington voters
was felt in 80 States of the Union
They could not vote here, they colid
vote only by mail. Nonetheless, 50,-
600 are estimated to have voted.
Take Train to New York.
The Democrats took trainload OF