Evening star., 1941-05-06
Senate Subcommittee
Gets Petition Urging
Vote for District
Copper-Sumners PIon
Backed by 30 Civic
And Trade Bodies
By ]. A, O'LEARY,

A petition signed by officers of
more than 80 Of the principal civic
and trade organizations of the city
in support of the Capper-Sumners
resolution for District suffrage was
filed today with the Senate SUBJ
committee. which plans to bring its
hearings to a close tomorrow aft
ernoon.
The petition was presented by
Jesse G. Suter on behalf of the
Citizens Joint Committee on Ma
tional Representation, and the other
citywide cooperating groups in the
fight for suffrage. Mr.. Suter told
Chairman McCarran that Senator
Capper, Republican. of Kansas, had
suggested presentation of the petit
tion to the subcommittee. Senator
Capper plans to offer a copy of it
in the Senate.
Most OF the morning session was
devoted to opposition witnesses. who
defended the present commission
form of local government. and
argued statehood would have to be
conferred on the District to give it
representation in the Senate and
House
Near the close of today's hearing,
however, Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley,
made stirring appeal for the vote
on behalf of the Woman's City Club
and the District Legislative Council
Mrs. Margaret Hopkins Worrell of
the Columbia Heights Citizens
Association and of the Wheel of
Progress also spoke briefly in sup
port of suffrage.
do you think the founders of the
Nation intended the people of this
District should have the vote and
States?' Chairman McCarran asked
Mrs. Wiley.
Il do not think they foresaw
city of more than 100000 inhabitants
here-they could not have foreseen
it," Mrs. Wiley replied.
Sees No Interference.
When Senator McCarran asked If
the founders envisioned a seat of
government that would be free from
the political influence of any State.
Mrs. Wiley replied that she did not
believe national representation for
the residents of Washington in the
House, Senate and Electoral College
would interfere with that theory OF
what the seat of government
should be.
What do you lose by not having
a vote for President?" Senator Nc
Carran inquired.
II think I am entitled to vote for
the President of my country, as an
American" Mrs. Wiley replied, add
ing that she also felt there should
be some one in the Senate and
House to whom she could go as her
representative on legislative prob
lens.
Signers of Petitions.
Those who signed the general
petition filed by Mr.. Suter in sup
port of the proposed constitutional
amendment, which would give Con-
eress discretionary power to grant
both national representation and a
greater degree of local self-govern-
ment, were:
Theodore w. Noyes, chairman,
Citizens Joint Committee on Dis
trict of Columbia National Repre-
sentation; James E. Collihower.
president, Board of Trade; Harry N.
Stull, president, Federation Of Citi-
zens' Associations (65 member Or
ganizations) John Locher, presi-
dent, Central Labor Union Q50 local
unions); Mrs. Ernest H. Daniel,
president, Federation of Women's
Clubs (32 clubs; Mrs. M. o. Lorenz,
president, Voteless D. C. League of
Women Voters: Arthur Sundlun,
president, Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association; William Payne,
jr., president, District of Columbia
Building and Loan League; Francis
w. Hill, president, Bar Association;
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Cox, president,
Women's Bar Association; Louis j.
Bowdler, president, Federation OF
Business Mems Associations; Joseph
p. McCurdy, president, Maryland
State and District of Columbia Fed
Grafton OF Labor; Fred Cast, chair
man, Interfederation Conference;
Theodore w. Noyes, president, As
ISOLATION of Oldest Inhabitants;
William NICK Clayton, president,
District Delegate Association;
Evan H. Tucker, president, North
east Washington Citizens Asso-
citation; Waverly Taylor, president,
Washington Real Estate Board;
George B. Burrus, president, Adver-
(See SUFFRAGE, Page A-6)