Evening star., 1944-01-16

The paradox Of the votes-for- soldiers
Issue is that 1t commands universal sup
port and yet has become so involved in
political and sectional passions, not to
speak of subtle constitutional compleXi-
ties, that it carries more dynamite for
the home front and battle-line morale
than any other confronting the second
session of the Seventy-eighth Congress.
With prospect that by summer the
armed services will have absorbed H.
100000 men and women, or, roughly,
one-flfth of the country's entire voting
strength, every one agrees with Senator
Theodore F. Green (Democrat, Rhode
Island, that these hosts constitute so
large proportion of the electorate that
any national election in which they did
not participate could hardly be called
representative" Every one agrees with
Senator Scott W. Lucas Democrat), IL
linois, that "they are citizens under
arms and their ballots must be counted"
Even Senator James o. Eastland Demo-
soldiers should be permitted and en-
couraged to take part in elections"
But when Congress reaSsembled last
Monday it appeared likely to become the
cockpit of battle to the death between
rival methods for effectuating a policy
upon which all factions are in principle
united. The walls of the senior chamber
still reverberated with a denunciation by
Senator Joseph E. Guffey (Democrat),
Pennsylvania, of what he branded as
IAN unpatriotic and unholy alliance of
Republicans and Southern Democrats"
and with counterthreats of filibuster
and even of a secession of Southern
commonWealths from the national Dem
ocratic party.
Insists on Right to Vote.
What may prove the decisive factor
is mounting pressure from without, in
the form of heavy mail and telegraphic
protests which are flooding members of
Congress from their constituencies and
of vehement agitation against disfran-
chisement which is emerging in the
armed forces, with the Stars and
Stripes. published in Cairo, as spokes-
man for the military. This journal has
insisted on the right of soldiers to fight
the battle of democracy with ballots as
well as bullets.
At any event the presidential election
of 1914 promises to be held under con-
oitions entirely novel in American his
tory. No presidential election occurred
during American participation in World
War I. During the Civil War the Fed
eral Army consisted largely of units
which maintained their identity as State
groups, so that it was possible to send
out commissions which carried the elec-
ton of 1864 to the battlefield Today's
streamlined army ignores State dis
tlnctions and is scattered besides
throughout the globe. incidentally, the
soldier vote did not materially effect
the defeat of Mcclellan by Lincoln. It's
principal consequence was that of pro-
viding a majority of ATS in favor of an
amendment to the constitution of Mary
land which abolished slavery in that
State.
AS of this week. the Congress has
three choices for disposing of the prob
lem. 1t can leave unchanged on the
statute book an act of September 16,
1912, which provided "a method of vot-
ing, in time of war, by members of the
land and naval forces absent from the
place Of their residence" and which
suspended for the duration, in behalf of
such voters. all State requirements re-
lating to registration and payment of
poll tax as qualifications for the
franchise
Or else it may adopt one of two meas
ures which are proposed as substitutes
for the 1912 act and which in effect
would repeal it. One is the third version
of a bill sponsored by Senators Green
and Lucas in the Senate and by Repre-
sentative Eugene Worley, Democrat, of
Texas in the House. This measure has
not been passed in either chamber 1t
was indorsed, however, by the Senate
Committee on Privileges and Elections,
of which Senator Green is chairman,
and has the backing of the White House.
The second bill was proposed by Senator
Eastland in behalf of himself and two
other members from the South, Senator
Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee and
Senator John L. Mcclellan of Arkansas.
1t was adopted in the Senate on De-
cember 5 by vote of AZ to 81.
On Friday Worley was repudiated by
the House Elections Committee of which
he is chairman, which balloted, 7 to 5,
in favor of reporting out an amended
version of the Eastland bill The latter's
principal advocate in the House is Rep
resentative Rankin of Mississippi.
Right to Vote Limited.
The three measures have several basic
points in common. All described them
selves as emergency. legislation, to term
mate with the conclusion of the war
All include members of the armed
forces whether overseas or in the
United States. All maintain the Sc
crecy of the ballot, and provide for alb
sentee voting, thus suspending the re-
quirement for physical presence of elec-
tors at their place of residence. All
leave final authority for canvaSsing,
counting and certifying ballots in
charge of appropriate State election
officials in the precinct, district or
county of the voters residence.
Lastly, because of the refusal of the
War and Navy Departments, for mill
tary reasons, to handle any but general
elections, soldier and sailor voters, in all
three measures, are in effect disfran-
chised in primary and special elections.
The chief consequence OF this circum-
stance would be felt in those Southern
States where primaries are decisive.