Evening star., 1939-12-11
Leaders Plan
To Confer TODAY
On Suffrage
Dorr and MondeI|
To Discuss Placing
Plea Before Congress

Leaders of the District Suffrage
Association planned to confer today
on placing before Congress a de-
mand for local suffrage, which has
been stricken from the District re-
organization plan by the District
Commissioners.
Seton Darr, president of the Dis
trict Bar Association, announced he
would see William H. Mondell. vice
president of the Suffrage Associa-
ton, on a program to place before
Congress. Mr.. Darr and Mr.. Mon
dell were designated spokesmen for
the association. and recently pre-
sented their plea to the Commis-
sioners.
Il feel that this is our oppor-
tunity to place the matter before
Congress In a very forceful way"
Mr.. Darr said. Now that the pro-
vision for local suffrage is dropped
from the proposed reorganization
plan the issue becomes more i'm
portant than ever.
Wants Provision Included.
There should never be a re-
organization of the District govern
ment without including a provision
for suffrage Explaining that he
favors strongly both national repre-
sentation and local suffrage, Mr.
Darr declared that in the reor-
ganization bill 1t would be possible
for Congress by legislative enact
ment to grant local suffrage to the
District without waiting for a Con-
stitution amendment, which will be
necessary, he said, before national
representation can be achieved.
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee today also re-
iterated his belief that any reor-
ganization of the municipal govern
ment here should include suffrage
as fundamental"
II have always believed and have
so publicly stated" Mr.. Randolph
said, that in any plan to reor-
ganize the city government of the
Nations Capital suffrage should be
included as matter of course.
MY views were made perfectly
plain at the last regular session of
Congress when the plan presented
by Representative Ambrose Ken
nedy was being considered"
Called COURAGEOUS"
Mr.. Mondell charged that it was
courageous that the Commissioners
should show such utter disregard Of
the overwhelming wishes of the peo-
pie of the city.
This proposal he said, "is some
thing new in municipal government
half commission form and half not
commission form. There is no rea-
son to believe 1t is going to be sue
cessful. They only have a pious hope
for its success. Not to include modi-
flcation machinery is stupid. In this
instance modification should be in
the form of an elective legislative
body. 1 doubt the good faith of the
Commissioners in ignoring the i'll
telligent, orderly presentation of the
people of this city that they want
suffrage included in the reorganiza-
ton plan
Expected to Help Fight.
Mr.. Darr indicated he will take
an active part in the new fight to
include suffrage in the pending Seal
plan for reorganization of the Dis
trict.
There cannot be a real substan-
tial reorganization of the District
government without suffrage he
declared. IF the Commissioners
want the power to levy taxes they
should ask it for the people of the
District of Columbia, and there is
no better way in which this power
can be handled than by an elected
city council
1T is incumbent upon the Com
missioners to make some representa-
ton to Congress on the matter of
suffrage in the reorganization plan.
They should tell Congress that they
either agree with the people or that
they are against suffrage"