Evening star., 1940-07-23

function in the District, just as in
any part of America. There was a
time in the developing growth Of
the District OF Columbia when most
of the individuals who settled In
this city came as employees Of the
Government or as tradesmen to
carry on the needed commercial life
of the city, but during the last
81 years or more sons and daughters
have been born to the men and
women who came here and they are
now Of voting age They cannot
under any legal means or any
stretch of the imagination estab-
lish bona fide voting residence
in any State Of this Union. Why
should these young men and women
as they become 81 years of age be
kept from voting for a President of
the United States. just as young
men and young women do in the
States Of Kansas or Illinois or my
own State of West Virginia? Why
should these fine Americans not
have the rights and responsibilities
of voting also for representation in
Congress. and later, perhaps. there
should be some form of local suffrage
in the District of Columbia?
Mr.. Mundt-Mr. Speaker, will the
gentleman yield?
Mr.. Randolph yield to the gen.
tleman from South Dakota.
Mr.. Mundt-As one who is en-
tirely open-minded on the subject
of suffrage in the District of CO.
lumbia, I wonder If the gentleman
could explain to the House for our
information just what is contem-
plated by the plank in the Demo-
cratic platform on this subject
Does it mean giving the residents
of the District only the privilege
of voting for a President, or does
it perhaps mean giving two Sena-
tors as we'll as Representatives to
the District in addition?
| Mr.. Randolph thank the gen.
tlemen for raising that question
The plank simply declares for an
extension of suffrage to the resi-.
dents of the District of Columbia
We believe that those who are in
terested in the subject matter ir
this Congress will arrive at legis-
lative vehicle we can use to bring
about partial suffrage. If not 8
complete suffrage, for the Distric,
of Columbia. l believe it only fail
to say that in my discussions over
the last few years with members so1
this body have found many more
Of them in favor of giving vote
for President to residents of the
District of Columbia than for any
other part of the national repre-.
sentation or suffrage program.
Mr.. Mundt-I thank the gentle
man. The thing that has worried
me about this subject is giving two
Senators, for example, to such 8
small segment Of our country, geo.
graphically with regard to the loca-
ton of the population, speaking, as
the District would be, if it were
given the status of q State How
ever, simply voting for Presiden,
would seem to be exercising a per-
fectly logical constitutional privi-
lege.
Mr.. Randolph again thank the
gentleman for his contribution.
do wish to say, however, that the
latest census figures for the Dis
trict of Columbia show that we have
a population of upward Of 100000
OF course, as the gentleman from
South Dakota we'll knows, this Is q
larger population than many States
have which have two Senators rep
resenting them. I say this in all
good humor.
Mr.. Mundt-Yet geographically
those States are larger, and the
problems they face are tremendously
larger than those the District has
to face.
Mr.. Randolph-That is exactly
right. The only reason made such
comment is that the gentleman car
ried his observation not only to geo.
graphical location but to population
as well.
Mr.. Leavy-Mr. Speaker, will the
gentleman yield?
Mr.. Randolph yield to the gen.
tleman from Washington.
Question by Leavy.
Mr.. Leavy-I happen to know that
the gentleman from West Virginia
appeared before the Democratic
Platform Committee and presented
the case on behalf Of the people Of
the District of Columbia as to the
right of suffrage. I compliment the
gentleman upon the forceful pres
entation he must have made, judg-
ing by the results he obtained.
I now want to ask the gentleman
if he knows whether that matter was
presented at all to the Republican
Platform Committee at Philadelphia
and whether it was even suggested
to them that they might write q
similar plank in their platform?
Mr.. Randolph want to say In
answer to the inquiry Of the gentle
man from Washington that / dc
not know what action was taken
by Washingtonians who were
members of the District Of Colum-
bia Republican delegation at Phil
adelphia. In years gone by that
subject has been presented tc
Republican conventions and has
been presented. of course, to Demo-
cratic conventions, but this time We
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