Evening star., 1945-11-21
Truman S Stand
SpursHopefo for
Dc. Suffrage
Problems Involved
Can Be Worked Out,
President Believes

'SSioeHt OSHeVeS
A declaration by Presiden
Truman that the right of suf.
frage should be extended to thu
residents of the National Cap,
ital inspired new hope today
that Congress will act soon tx
cure the long-standing denia
OF democracy to District citi.
zens.
Pending before both the Senat'
and House Judiciary Committee
Is the proposed constitutions
amendment which would enabl,
Congress TO grant the District thu
vote in national elections and rep
resentation in its National Legisla'
ture.
The President was not specific
as to how the suffrage question
should be handled - whether i
should be national or local, O.
both. But his remarks at his pres
conference late yesterday gave {
definite lift to the spirits of Dis
trict suffrage advocates, both II
and out of Congress. Praise cam'
from many leaders in the cause.
Sentiment Registered.
A recent newspaper poll of senti.
ment here showed an overwhelm.
ing majority of those interviewed
favored the granting of both loca
and national suffrage to the bona
fide District resident. This con.
firrned many earlier petitions ano
formal testimony and a 1888 CITY,
wide referendum vote, when $4,000
Washingtonians voted 13 to l in
favor of national representation
and 7 to l for local suffrage.
President Truman said be believed
every citizen of the United States
should have the right to vote. He
made clear he included District
residents in the reference.
He added there are some prac-
tical difficulties involved in the re-
lationship between the Federal and
District governments, but expressed
the conviction these should be
worked out and that he believed
they would be.
Congressional and civic leaders
were quick to laud the Presidents
views and to suggest that with a
little practical pushing from the
White House the. suffrage could be
effected. One civic leader sug-
gested the President send spe-
cial message to Congress urging
adoption Of suffrage measures.
Previous Record for Cause.
Special note was taken, also, that
President Truman is being con-
sistent in his suffrage views be-
cause he served, when a member of
the Senate, on the Democratic Con-
vention Platform Committee, which
recommended successfully the in
clusion of plank in the party
platform calling for extension of
suffrage to the District.
1t was noted also, that President
Truman is the first President since
Andrew Jackson (1829-1833) to issue
a public call for suffrage for District
residents. In Jackson's day the Dis
trict was still village and its popu-
lation then was so Sr.s-i President
jackson suggested no more than a
District delegate in the House. Suf-
frage advocates insist that if he had
been able to envison the Districts
present teeming population, he
would have favored full voting rep
resentation in both House and Sen
ate.
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico, who heads a Senate SUBJ
committee which recently made a
favorable report on the Summers
Capper measure for a national rep
resentation constitutional amend
ment, was elated by the Presidents
declaration.
The Presidents comments he
said, emphasize the need for pas
sage of the constitutional amend
mellt as proposed and pending now
before the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee.
Sees Incentive Resulting.
Until this proposal is adopted
there is no method by which the
intergovernmental difficulties to
which he refers can be worked out
This could be done by congressional
act once the proposed constitutional
amendment is adopted, for it would
enable Congress to grant repre-
sentation in such measure and un-
der such terms as are equitable and
consistent with the nature of the
District as the seat of the Federal
Government"
Senator Hatch predicted the
Presidents statement would aid in
consideration of the 'Sumners-Cap-
per measure.
Senator Capper. Republican, OF
Kansas, one of the authors of the
pending suffrage plan, shouted
That's wonderful: that's fine" last
night Yhen he heard Of the Presi-
dents remarks.
1t will be a big help to the
cause" he said. Il am beginning
to believe the legislators on the Hill
realize now that the people of the
District have not been given a
square deal on this voting business
In fact, they have been treated out
rageously!
1--WE are hoping for favorable &C.
tion by the Senate judiciary Com
mittee on January 49," (This is the
date set aside by the Senate COM
mittee for decisive action on the
District representation and other
proposed amendments to the Con-
stitution)
McCarran Against State Status.
Views on the suffrage question
however, were not entirely unani-
nous. Senator McCarran. Demo-
crat; of Nevada, who Is chairman OF
the Senate Judiciary Committee
reiterated his thought that the Dis
trict should not be given anything
like the status of State.
Il am not prepared to say that
the difficulties cannot be worked
out so as to give a vote in national
elections to the people who make
their homes In the District" he
said. "But I am prepared to say