Evening star., 1952-03-02
District Primaries
Why Citizens Don't Take More Interest
In Naming Delegates Is q Conundrum
By Don 5. Warren

ton of District convention delegates,
local party officers and District com.
mitteemen is left to the District Re-
publican and Democratic State Com
mittees. which have won recognition
from their national committees and
conventions. Each group adopts Its
own rules.
Both parties permit voting by b
bona fide resident of the District,
who is at least 81 years old, who does
not have vote elsewhere, and who
subscribes to the party's principles
or promises to back the party,s
nominee. There the paths divide.
Democrats Method
The Democrats have a primary
election at an announced date, with
specified polling places in as many
as 10 to dozen locations. The elec-
ton this year will be in June
About a month earlier newspaper
ads will be published calling for NOM
nations. Candidates for the Demo-
cratic Central Committee must post
$25 fees and those running for elec-
ton as national convention delegates
or as District committeeman or Dis
trict committeewomen must donate
5000 each.
The fees go to pay for election
costs, rent of polling places, printing
of ballots and the like. A sec ond ad
is published prior to the election
specifying locations of vot ng places.
Melvin D. Hildreth, Democratic
national committeeman, has some
ideas as to why only All votes were
cast in 1948. First of all, he recalls.
in the spring of that year almost
every one thought the next Presi-
dent would be Republican. Conse-
Quently, he says, Government en-
ployes here anticipated a change to
a Republican administration and
played it safe, fearing they might
lose their jobs if it was discovered
they had voted in q Democratic
primary.
Also, he suggests. some persons
living here may have feared they
would have to pay District income
u
District election.
Republicans Method
The Republicans for years have
adhered to the convention system.
officials say there Is relatively little
cost for rentals and the like. Candi-
dates are required to pay no filing
fees.
In April, 1948, the Republican Gem
tfal Committee ran notices In the
papers announcing five registration
days. to be held at g1B Fourteenth
street NV That Is where some 42b
were enrolled.
The q. O, p. committee agents then
checked this list and, In keeping with
given addresses, assigned the fegs
istefed 10 one Of AZ precincts into
which the District had been divided.
Fhese precincts were, as nearly as
possible, OF equal population, aeeefas
Ing 10 the le49 census,
But this was not all to the req
istlatiea process, Precinct captains
In each district were authorized to
enroll additional qualified voters UP
to certain time limits They cer-
rallied friends, neighbers and rela.
tiVes, This Is what the critics call
'seeret" enrollments-an accusation
denied by committee spokesman,
Precinct Meetings
Precinct captains also were author-
lied, within certain time limits, to
call meetings of registered Republic
cans in their own districts, at hours
and places designated by the cap
tains. These sometimes were at
public places, sometimes at the cap
tains home. There, each precinct
unit elected one delegate each to the
forthcoming convention of District
Republicans,
These 43 precinct delegates later
held a conclave to elect an equal
number of "at large" delegates to
the District convention, bringing the
total to 86.
And, finally the 86 later met at
the Willard Hotel to vote on six
national convention delegates, six
alternates and other officers.
District G. o, P. leaders deny that
the election of the 43 "at large" dele
gates to the District convention has
anything to do with gaining control"
Rather, they say, it is to assure that
the ultimate convention is represents
ative of all groups as to labor. or
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