Evening star., 1946-11-07
Suffrage
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learning details Of the Districts
election day plebiscite and felt the
results should be heartening to those
seeking suffrage.
1T should focus the attention of
Congress on the Districts plight,
the Senator said. 1T should COLI
vince Congress that the people Of
the District want the vote and
should have It,"
Francis School Vote Tailed.
Meantime, plebiscite headquarters
made public results Of the voting
at one of the polls which was miss
ing in the returns Tuesday night.
This ballot box, from the Francis
School, Twenty-fifth and N streets
NV. showed registration Of 872
voters.
/ The results:
Local suffrage, yes, 826: no, 81.
National representation, yes, 821 I;
no, %.
Eight absentee voters had voted
yes" on both local and national suf-
frage up to noon today.
Incorporating results from the
Francis School breakdown Of af-
firmative and negative votes, and the
absentee ballots, the overall total
figures from Isl Of the l52 polls now
stand as follows:
Registration, 16S,662.
Local suffrage. yes, 1888; no,
4s, 100.
National representation, yes, 14o,-
101; no, 26,7l0.
Washingtonians moved today to
carry out the mandate Of the plebi-
scite in which District residents
backed both national and local suf-
frage by large majorities
Wilbur S. Finch, president Of the
Central Suffrage Conference, said
the groups board Of trustees wilt
meet some time next week to discuss
the plebiscite results.
To Prepare Legislation.
The conference has directed
several committees to prepare leg
islation. Among these are its COM
mittee on local suffrage and its
committee on national representa-
ltion! s@
A bill designed to grant local suf-
frage is being drafted, Mr.. Finch
said For national representation,
constitutional amendment will
probably be necessary, he explained.
James S. Beattie, chairman Of the
National Representation Committee
Of the Conference, has been asked
by Mr.. Finch to confer with the
Citizens Joint Committee on
National Representation for the
District of Columbia, which for
years has carried the fight in this
field. Jesse C. Suter is acting chair
man Of the joint committee, sue
ceeding the late Theodore w.
Noyes, who served as chairman for
many years.
Interest Renewed In Fight.
| Plebiscite Chairman James E.
Collif1ower, on behalf Of the Board
of Trade, which sponsored the ref
erendum, pledged renewed interest
in the fight by that organization.
Reactions of other civic leaders
In the plebiscite results:
Austin F. Garfield, president Of
the Bar Association Of the District
of Columbia, said:
II think that everybody is entitled
to express himself on who should
hold public Office. The plebiscite
afforded at least some expression
on the part of the people of the
District Of Columbia as to how they
felt. To deprive people of the right
to vote, in my opinion, is to take
away one of their liberties. And !
hope the result of Tuesdays plebi-
scite will point the way to early
congressional action, thereby assur-
ing the people of the District Of
Columbia Of the right to vote"
Caudle Favors Vote.
Assistant Attorney General Theron
Lamar Caudle, in charge of the
Criminal Division of the Justice De-
partment and also president of the
Federal Bar Association, explained
that he sends people to Jail in other
parts of the Nation for keeping
others from voting.
In the District, where people are
not permitted by law to vote, Mr..
Caudle says the situation is queer
and ironical"
One of his official duties is to see
to it that every woman and man
who has the right to vote should be
allowed to register and vote, and