Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-07
D. c. Residents Register
For Delegate Elections
Officials Hail
Partial Return
Of Voting Rights
BY JOHN v. HORNER

Voter registration began in
Washington with obvious enthu-
siaSm.
The exuberance of a people
who have not been franchised for
80 years and have now acquired
part of the privilege, marked
formalities held this morning at
the District Building.
District residents can vote for
national and local party COM
mittee members and select dele
gates to the political conventions.
About $50 citizens who assem-
bled for the historic occasion in
terrupted the proceedings with
frequent bursts of applause as
they waited for their chance TO
sign up.
All three Commissioners and
four of their predecessors at
tended the exercises held under
auspices Of the Board Of Elec.
tons.
Supervises BaiIoting
Chairman Newell Ellison ex-
planned that the board il
charged with responsibility Of
setting up machinery for voting
and also of supervising the bal
loting. The first necessity. he
continued, is to register so 1t
can be determined who is elegihle
to vote here.
This is not casual OCCASION"
he said. I'VE in the District
have been denied the right to
vote too long. This is an i'm
,portant occasion. For one thing,
Ethe people of the District will
vote to select delegates to the
political conventions at which
the President and Vice President
Iof the United States will be
nominated"
In addition, national and local
party committee members will
be chosen through the District
voting. The first election here is
scheduled May l and registra-
ton for that will continue until
April Is. For about two months
1.-THE only place to register will be
; the central headquarters in
Room 8 on the ground floor Of
the District Building. It is
planned later to open a number
of branch Offices throughout the
city.
Spencer Signs First
Chairman Ellison told the
crowd this morning that the
Elections Board deemed it ap-
l.. propriate for Commissioner
Spencer as the city's senior Of
fetal, to be the number one reg
istrant.
NJ. Spencer advanced to the
board table and signed up while
the spectators applauded and.
flashbulbs lighted the room.
Then the Commissioner thanked
, Mr. Ellison and his board assoc
ciates. Arnold Levy and West A.
Hamilton, for the efficiency and
speed with which they have or
ganized for the first election.
This is a significant mile
stone IN the history of the Dis
trict of Columbia" Mr.. Spencer
said. All of our people should
look upon this registration as a
:, real civic duty. And all should
vote next May l."
I Large Turnout Urged
Commissioner Robert E. Nc
Laughlin was the next to regis
ter. He urged a large turnout
at the polling places. The Engi-
neer Commissioner. Brig. Gen.
Thomas A. Lane, said that all
though he is ineligible to register.
he was greatly impressed with
the Importance of the occasion
, to the people OF the capitol.
! Next in line were the local
chairmen of the two major
political parties. They are A. l..
Wheeler. Democrat, and George
l.. Hart, jr.. Republican.
Il After that the board registered
the two national committees
women from the District, Mrs.
j. Borden Hartman, Democrat.
and Mrs. Howard Coffin. Republic
can. Then came the two COM
mitteemen. Clyde D. Garrett. Re-
publican. and Melvin D. Hildreth.
Democrat.
That concluded the formal
ceremony and the rest of those
present registered.