Evening star., 1944-07-18
DC. Delegates Hopes
Rising for Suffrage
Plank in Platform
BY WILL r. KENNEDY,
Star star CORRESPONDENT.


CHICAGO. July la.-Russell Bal
derson, chairman Of the District
delegation to the Democratic Ma
tonal Convention, and Melvin D.
Hildreth. District member of the
Platform Committee, received en-
couragement today in their effort to
have . District suffrage plank in
cluded in the party platform.
They pointed particularly to the
active cooperation they are receiv-
Ing from Senator Pepper of Florida
ana Mrs. j. Borden Hartman, ma
tional committeewoman, who is So
liciting the support Of women men,
bers Of the Platform Committee,
and to the strong appeal made yes
eerday by Chairman Randolph OF
the House District Committee.
Text Of Proposed Plank.
The proposed plank says: I'VE
favor amending the Constitution so
as to provide that there shall be IN
Congress and among the electors of
President and Vice President men,
bers elected by the people of the
District constituting the seat OF
Government of the United States"
Meanwhile, the District delega-
ton planned caucus this afternoon
and Mr.. Balderson said a commit
tee would be named to survey candi-
dates for the vice presidential nomi-
nation to determine which one
seems most likely to strengthen the
campaign and the party. In one
unofficial tabulation, the Districts
six votes were claimed for Vice
President Wallace.
The District delegation is pledged
to vote for President Roosevelt and
will adhere to the unit rule in
casting its ballot. There are IL
District delegates with one-haf vote
each.
Committee and honorary assign
ments for members of the District
delegation have been announced as
follows:
Platform Committee. Mrs. Eunice
Blake Thomas and Mr.. Hildreth;
Credentials Committee, Mr.. Balder-
son; vice chairman of the delega-
ton, Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox:
Committee on Permanent Organ.Xa-
ton, Arthur Clarendon Smith; hon
orary assistant vice chairman of
the convention. Oliver Quayle; Rules
Committee, John Wattawa; Com
mittee to Notify Presidential Nonl-
inee, Miss Meredith Howard; Com
mittee to Notify Vice Presidential
Nominee, Edward Williams; homo
rary convention secretary, William L.
Houston, and honorary assistant
secretary, John P. Davis.
d. c. Contribution $4,000.
With contribution of more than
e86, 900, the District led all the States
in the Democratic National Com
mittees drive for funds, it was an
nounced, meanwhile by Treasurer
Edwin w. Pauley of California. So
far ahead OF all others was the
District that its contribution ex-
ceeded the sum of that recorded for
the two largest State returns
Texas. $52,l76.50, and California,
s32 99243.
Other States on the honor roll
were Oklahoma, S24,725; Florida.
s18,056.50; North Carolina, s15,ol1,
and Pennsylvania, $l196866.
New York turned in only $2,325,
and National Chairman Robert E.
Hannegan's home State, Missouri,
gave only $3.50 Ohio raised $5.317;
Virginia, s2,647.50, and Maryland,
s2590.
Mr.. Balderson opposed an attempt
In the committee to reduce the Dis
trict's representation from six to two
delegates. The majority report.
submitted by Senator Green of
Rhode Island. recommended that
the present system and quotas
should be continued.
Mr. Balderson said the proposal
to reduce the Districts representa-
ton was unfair.
1T is the only way in which
422 1000 residents in the District have
any share in their Government, and
most of them are Democrats" he
said.
The majority report was adopted
by the National Committee after
debate, in which Mayor Edward J.
Kelly, the official host of the con-
vention; David l.. Lawrence, chair
man of the Pennsylvania delegation:
former Gov Culhert r. Olson of
California, Edmund C. Shields of
Michigan and other committee
members from large Northern States
participated.