Evening star., 1944-07-19

Randolph, BaIdeTson |
Predict Adoption Of |
D. {. Suffrage Plank
~ WILL z. KENNEDY.
otar ota1 0ssrsDsaasat.
CHICAGO. July H.. Chairman
Randolph q the House District
Committee. Russell Balderson, act
ing national Committeeman for thel
District and chairman Of its deleea-
tion, and Melvin Hildreth, Districtl
representative on the Platfcrml
Committee. expreased confidence to-
day that the District suffrage plank |
will be included In the Democratic
platform. Both Mr.. Randolph and
Mr.. Hildreth made pleas for In
clusion of the plank ct hearings be.
fore the Platform Committee.
II have received assurances from
ut least members Of the subcom-
mittee Of - drafting the platform
that the District suffrage proposal
will be adopted" Mr.. Randolph
said. Il am informed there Il gen.
eral support from al sections OF the
country to reafarm the 1910 plank
on the subject"
Mr.. Randolph included Repre-
sentative Mary T. Norton, co-chair-
man Of the subcommittee and for
mer chairman Of the House District
Committee, and Representative
D'Alessandro, . present member Of
the District Committee and Of the
Platform Committee, among those
pledging their support.
McCarran Supports Plank.
Senator McCarran, former chair
man Of the Senate District Com
mittee, who Is presiding over the
Platform Subcommittee, said he
would do all he could to have the
District plank included. House Ma
jority Leader Mccormack, Platform
Committee chairman, is among
those who pledged their assistance
to Mr.. Hildreth. Among Others, are
George J. Burke, Michigan; Doris
I. Byrne, New York; Senator Pep
per, Florida; Stanley j. Nichols,
Alaska, and Judge william H. Heen,
Hawaii.
Mr.. Hildreth said that "the sit
uation in the District has been
given repeated emphasis during the
last two days. when more than 70
delegations appeared before the
Platform Committee protesting
against certain types OF discrim-
ination affecting their own inter-
ests.
For example. Philip Murray in
presenting the program Of the Ma
tional Citizens Political Action Com
mittee said. The simple. elementary
right to vote is still denied to whole
sections Of our population Arguing
FOR immediate passage Of the anti
poll tax bill, he also added, and
elimination Of other restrictions on
the right to vote
Most Of those organizations" Mr..
Hildreth pointed out. have called
attention to the fact that it Il gross
ly unfair to demand that q man
tight for his country and at the
same time refuse to give him the
right to vote in his country's cleo
tions. That is the exact situation
We have in the District. Oui young
men are taken in the draft, directed
to report to q training camp: they
are sent overseas and in many in
stances they have lost their lives. |
And vet they are being denied the
right OF making any expression as
to whom they might prefer as their
commander in chief
Point Out Injustice.
'The District OF Columbia dele
gates, in all of these hearings have
utilized every opportunity to point
out that the injustice which these
delegations insist exists in other
parts of the country exists to an
even greater degree in the National
Capital
I'VE have been greatly encouraged
to note that when the District stu
alton Is called to their attention.
they respond with assurance of SUD-
port in our effort to bring about an
adjustment. l am convinced that
1t is not hostility toward the Ma
tion's Capital, but ignorance of the
situa ton in the Capital, that causes
continuance Of an unjust situation
We have worked for and are still
urging the adoption Of the following
plank:
We favor amending the Consti-
tuition 50 as to provide that there
shall be in Congress. and among the
electors Of President and Vice Presi-
dent. members elected by the peo-
pie of the District constituting the
seat of Government of the United
States
The members OF the Resolutions
Committee. and of various groups
who have been making these pro-
tests, are impressed when we tell
them that the District of Columbia !
has more potential voters-422, ,OO0-
than there are in II States, namely:
South Dakota. North Dakota, Mon
tana, Idaho, Utah. New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Arizona, Vermont,
Delaware wyoming and Neveda. The |
District has more potential voters |
than the States of Nevada, Wyom-
ing and Delaware combined
1922 .0OO, while those States have
nine presidential electors. six Sen
ators and three House members"
Contact All Opponents.
Mr. Hildreth, Mrs. Eunice Blake
Thomas, who Is also a member of |
Ohio Delegate Dies |