Evening star., 1948-11-07
Democrats Plan
BIock-Precinct
Setup for D. {.
Central Committee
Would Use System
To Push Suffrage

Inc party organization mere, from
its central committee down through
precinct chairmen and block cap
tains, will wage a vigorous drive for
District suffrage and national repre-
sentatiorl, committee .officials said.
1t also will take strong stands on
other issues such as Federal aid to
education and public housing, they
declared.
Several hundred precincts will be
mapped by the central committee
National Committeeman Melvin D.
Hildreth explained. These will not
follow neighborhood designations
used by citizens associations.
Washington's rapid growth cur
ing and since the war calls for a
wholly new method of assigning
precincts, Mr.. Hildreth saio.. Thus,
parts OF several neighborhood Sec
tions such as Brookland, Woodbridge
and Michigan Park might be in
cluded in one precinct, ne added.
Plans Victory Dinner.
With temporary Office space pro-
vided by the Democratic National
Committee in the Ring Building,
the District Central Committee is
making plans for victory dinner
to raise $4,000. The money would
enable the organization to have a
permanent headquarters and staff
and to intensity its work, Mr.. Hill
dreth said.
The District suffrage project is
being worked out by a subcommit-
tee headed by J. C. Turner and Mrs.
Ernest K. Lindley. Mr.. Hildreth
said the Washington Democratic
organization will emphazise the
lS48 Democratic national platform
pledge for IAN extension of the
right OF suffrage for the people of
the District" 1t also favors and
will fight for national representation
for the district, he declared.
The fact that Washington resi-
dents have no vote in selection of
local and national officials renders
doubly hard the task of obtaining
the right to vote.
Calls Referenda Failures.
Washington City can only present
their case for suffrage and national
representation to Congress by per-
sonal or written contact, appear
ances before congressional COM
mittees or in local referendums.
MIR. Hildreth said previous ref
erendums have been failures and
the Democrats do not contemplate
another. He said the campaign
would be waged by carryingy the plea
for suffrage before individual mem
, bers of Congress and congressional
committees. s.
Each precinct would consist of its
several component blocks - so
thoroughly organized that each
would contain a resident captain.
Committee Chairman A. L. Wheeler
explained. Thus, the central COM
mittee could bring out large rep
resentation of supporters when
action was needed merely by COM
municating through ordinary chan
nels through precinct chairmen and
block captains.
Mr.. Hildreth said 100000 absentee
Democratic voters were obtained by
the local committee in Tuesdays
election. This he said, gives the
District perhaps the strongest talk
ing point it has yet had in the suf-
frage crusade with Congress. Absen-
tee votes exported from District
residents in previous elections, Mr..
Hildreth said, never exceeded 10000.
Now Is Time to Act.
This is the honeymoon period" :"
Mr.. Hildreth said. There won't be
another opportunity like this for
four years. The Democratic plat
form for 1948 clearly advocates suf-
frage for the people of the District
OF Columbia and we intend to fight
Tor it as soon as Congress begins
functioning."
The central committees letterhead
Is specific on the Democrats cam
palgn pledge for Washington. It
quotes not only the 1948 platform
but the platforms of 1914 and 1910.
all of which stated:
I'VE favor the extension of the
right OF suffrage to the people of the
District of Columbia
The Republican National Commit
tee, for the first time, carried a SINH
lar pledge for District suffrage on
its 1948 platform.
Mr.. Wheeler declared the number
OF active, young Democrats in the
organization assuers the prediction
that the fight for suffrage here will
be waged more hotly in 1949 than
1t ever has been before.
In previous years, Mr.. Wheeler
said, the battle for suffrage was
apathetic and uninspired. Even for
their own partisan purposes, the
local Democrats only organized
Washington into the four sections
northwest, northeast, southwest and
southeast.
Echoes Optimism.
National Committeeman Hildreth
ecnoed Mr.. Wheeler's optimism.
This town is growing so fast that
we cannot continue to 60 along on
a village basis any longer" he de-
clared. Were not q shopping CEN
ter for Virginia and Maryland. We
have earned the right to demand
suffrage and we are going to do it."
AS a first step, Mr.. Hildreth said
the committee would do everything
in its power to obtain appointment
Of freshman Senator Humphreys OF
Minnesota to the Senate District
Committee. Mr.. Humphreys, who
defeated Republican Senator Bal
last Tuesday, is an announced
friend of national representation
and local suffrage for Washington
residents.
If possible, Mr. Hildreth said, the
committee would also try for ap.
pointment to the Senate District
Committee Of another freshman
Senator-Paul II. Douglas of Illi.
nois. Mr.. Douglas, former eco.
nomics professor and Marine, bear
Republican Senator Brooks.
- The first step in the Democrats
suffrage campaign will be prepara.
ton of q report of the suffrage sub.