Evening star., 1944-09-16
Election Year Sparks
Fly in Senate Fight on
Shepard Confirming
BY DON q. WARREN.


Senate late yesterday when the
proxy-voted Democratic majority
Of the Senate District Committee
urged confirmation of a colored
Philadelphia clergyman to be Dis
trict recorder Of deeds at 5000 a
year.
An immediate challenge came
from Senator Bridges, Republican.
Of New Hampshire, who charged an
attempt to railroad" a political
appointment in the hope Of corral
ing November votes for the Roose-
welt administration.
This was denied vehemently from
the Democratic side and before the
clash was recessed-with the test
carried over to next Tuesdays ses-
sion Of the Senate-leaders on both
sides OF the aisle had entered the
ARRAY.
To Ask Recommitment.
Senator Bridges, backed by other
Republicans, plans to demand next
Tuesday that the nomination be
recommitted to permit committee
members to see and study the quail
f1cations Of the nominee, the Rev.
Marshall L. Shepard, who is active
IN the colored speakers unit of the
Democratic campaign organization.
A half hour running political bat
tie, with eyes trained on the colored
vote In critical Pennsylvania and
other States, developed when Sen
ator Walsh, Democrat, of New Jer-
sey laid before the Senate at $50
pm. the favorable report from the
the District Committee.
Senator Bridges declared the posi-
tion should 60 to Negro from the
District and added:
However, if we are to appoint
some one from outside the District,
from Pennsylvania or some other
State, at least we should have an
opportunity to pass on his fitness
and qualifications.
Calls Action High Handed.
THE appointment should not be
rammed down the throats of the
people Of the District merely to help
Roosevelt carry. or attempt to carry,
the Negro vote in some of the States.
That is the plain issue. We cannot
dodge it."
Declaring the committee action
was ''high-handed," Senator Bridges
protested there had been no meet
ing of the District Committee and
that so far as he knew no one had
been delegated to call meeting.
Rushing to the support of Sena-
tor Walsh, deputy for Chairman
Bilbo who had voted seven Demo-
cratic proxies, Senator Clark, Demo-
crat, of Missouri, challenged Sena-
tor Bridges to name a single Dis
trict recorder of deeds who ever had
been named from among District
residents. The New Hampshire
Senator, he asserted, was trying
to make a political issue out of
something that has been practice
for longer than 100 years"
Contends Job Not Local"
Senator Clark contended that the
recorders job was not local" but
that 1t was Symbol of the recog-
milton of great race" To justify
the selection of the Philadelphia
clergyman, he declared neither past
Republican nor Democratic admins
trations ever had named a recorder
from the District.
Majority Leader Barkley asserted
there was nothing partisan" about
the nomination and declared the
District does not belong just to the
District residents but to all United
States citizens. He brought out
that District Court justices have
been named from the States and
added that no objections were
raised"
A different view came from MI
nority Leader White, who declared
the practice Of polling committees
and voting of proxies in such cases
was "reprehensible" and a habit
that ought to be curtailed."
Chavez Hits Practice.
Senator Chavez, Democrat Of New
Mexico said that although ne would
vote for confirmation of the Rev.
Mr.. Shepard, naming of outsiders
to District jobs was still wrong"
no matter how long the Republicans
or Democrats have been doing it.
1T Is about time we do away
with such system" he declared.
Directing attention to the practice
OF selecting lawyers from various
States to be Judges on the Dis