Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
The Political Mil
G. 0. P. Launches Drive
For 18-Yeur-OId Vote
Constitutional Amendment
Or State Action Required
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

The Republican national organization,
through National Chairman Leonard w.
Hall, with the backing of President
Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon,
is launching drive to lower the voting
age from 81 to Is years throughout
the country. This is the first time one
OF the major political parties has gone
on record, through it's executive heads.
Tor teen-age voters. The proposal has
Its appeal. and 1t is natural that the
Grand Old Party should wish to get
away from the implication of age which
the title bears. Furthermore, during
the campaign Of 1852. young voters in
large numbers flocked to the Eisenhower
standard. The G. o. P. will do all it
can to hold on to them and it is pro-
posing to make an appeal to some
63 million still younger voters. 1t is
estimated that the change in voting age
advocated by Chairman Hall would add
that number to the electorate.
canvass of congressional opinion
indicates that if anything is to come
OF the move to lower the voting age.
a good deal of spade work will have
70 be done. There are two ways to
tackle the proposal One is by
Is to persuade the individual States to
flx ID years as a minimum age
qualification for voting. Only one State,
Georgia. has so far permitted 18-year-
Odds to vote.
Left Up to States.
The Constitution provides that Rep
resentatives and Senators in Congress
shall be elected by the people of the
States, land the electors in each State
shall have the qualifications requisite
for the electors of the most numerous
branch of the State legislature" How
ever, the Constitution has been
amended (a) to give suffrage to women
and CD to prevent discrimination, in
the matter Of voting. because of race
and color 1t looks. therefore, as though
a new constitutional amendment giving
suffrage to 18-year-olds would bring a
national change in voting rights more
quickly and with uniformity.
Representative Doyle Democrat, Of
California is the author of a resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the
Constitution which would permit all
persons ID years of age and older, with
other necessary qualifications, to vote.
u
ciary Committee and so far nothing has
been done about it. With the impetus
OF the Hall proposal, it is expected that
Republican measures will be offered in
both House and Senate.
President Eisenhower, during the
1852 campaign, declared himself in
favor of allowing men who are old
enough to fight-the draft takes them
at Ii years of age-to vote. The Presi-
dent, indeed, put his finger on the most
telling argument so far advanced to
permit the youngsters to vote. There
is large question whether the issue
OF permitting men and women 10, 10,
and 20 years old to vote would have
arisen at this time had there been no
draft OF youth for the armed forces.
There is feeling among some members
OF Congress that boys and girls, just out
OF high school. do not know enough
about important issues to vote intelli-
gently; that they would follow their
parents politically. s."
Southerners Back Plan. tr
p Other members of Congress say that
they believe the question of voting
age should be left to the individual
States, which fix voting qualifications
anyway. Two Democratic Senators
from the South. Senator George of
Georgia and Senator Sparkman Of
Alabama. have declared themselves in
favor of lowering the voting age to 10.
Senator George commented the lower
age has worked we'll in his State. In
Alabama, the State Legislature has
already begun to deal with the matter.
On the Republican side. members Of
both the Senate and House have ex-
pressed interest in the matter, and
appear willing to go along with the
President and the national chairman
II the issue is pressed.
The Census Bureau estimated that as
of July l. 1852. there were 1O0,347 900
Americans 81 years of age and more,
and that there were LOG 669, 600, 10
years of age and more. About 81 per
cent of those qualified by age voted
in the national election last year. How
many of the 18, 10 and 20 year old
men and women would vote If granted
the privilege is anybody's guess. Gen.
orally speaking, however, the young
people have taken large and increas-
ing interest in elections in recent
years. The Democrats, during the
Roosevelt and Truman campaigns,
were able to count upon the support
of many of the younger voters. The
Republicans. having had the advantage
of much of the support of the younger
people in 1852, are going to make q
fight to retain that support.