Evening star., 1938-05-01
Citizens Get Thrill
Rehearsing for
Elections.
HIGH ANDLOW
MIX AT POLLS
Precinct Official
Hurt in Fall
on Steps.

The Nations ordinarily submissive
seat of government, tired of being sat
upon when election time rolls around,
staged a dramatic 12-hour battle of
ballots yesterday-and experienced its
biggest thrill since the election Of
1874.
Cabinet officers and cab drivers,
dowagers and charwomen, the lame,
the halt and even the blind turned out
en- masse for the novel opportunity of
participating in an election in the
District of Columbia.
1t was unofficial, of course, but 1t
was thoroughly exciting. nevertheless,
for most of the voters hoped that
events Of the day were an augury Of
real election days to come in the not
too far distant future
Pathos and humor were COM
mingled-the pathos of aged and
bent citizens grimly seeking, in the
evening of life, chance to exercise
the rights of real American citizens;
the humor of a light-hearted younger
generation having a new adventure.
Even Police Enjoy Day.
There was no doubt that a good
time was had by all-even by the
police. who received nary a riot call
the whole day long. As one of them
remarked, it was the quietest election
day for 64 years. The Boy Scouts
seemed to have the situation we'll In
hand.
Apparently there was but one cas-
ualty. Mrs. Marie Steiner. el, a pre-
cinct official. fell down tbs :ters of
the Grant School on her way ID lunch
and received a slight cash ION the
head.
Other accidents at the polls were
confined to the dropping into the box
OF ballots improperly marked or, in a
few instances. not marked at all. Of
flcials said that was to be expected
from customers unfamiliar with the
good old American custom of casting
votes.
Oh, yes-there was dog fight at
the West School. That is. almost a
dog fight. Precinct Capt. Lee H.
Shugar averted serious hostilities by
inviting two women to take their be-
liggerent pooches outside the polling
station.
All Citizens at Heart.
The great rubbed elbows with the
not so great as the voteless citizens of
Washington waited their turns at the
ballot boxes.
A citizen stepped up to the registra-
ton desk at the Oyster School,
Twenty-ninth and Calvert streets NV,
and said, Il would like to vote"
Name, please?" the registration Of
fetal asked
Daniel c. Roper" was the reply Of
the rather small. slightly bald man,
whose wife stood beside him.
And so the Secretary of Commerce
and his wife joined the line of fellow
Washingtonians wishing to express
their views on the question of suffrage
for the District.
Many other prominent citizens voted
at School Administration Annex No. /,
Seventeenth and r streets NV
among them District Commissioner
Melvin c. Hazen. former District Com
missioner Spencer Cosby, Mrs. Eleanor
Patterson and Theodore w. Noyes.
Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean cast her
vote at the Janney School, where she
expressed the hope to precinct off,
cials that the plebiscite would bring
suffrage to Washington.
United States Marshal John Colpoys
and former Police Judge Isaac r. Hit
were among late voters in Chevy Chase.
Some voters went to the polls in
overalls. Some, last night, appeared
in tuxedo or tails, en- route to social
functions.
Romance was not lacking. Two
pretty girls arrived at the Bancroft
School with their escorts. The girls
looked a bit too young to be voting
and they admitted they were, respec-
lively, 18 and 20. They were not per-
mitted to vote. but their escorts, who
proved they were Of proper age, stood
in line and marked their ballots.
And age had its fling as well as
youth.
Limping war veterans from the
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