Evening star., 1960-06-17
SUFFRAGE
D. c. Vote Plan
Going to Stotes
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OOHHS "
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vote that the New York Legis-
lature would ratify the proposal
next year.
He was lauded on the Senate
floor for performing the mas
ter stroke" that cleared the way
for both Senate and House
votes.
Case LaudS Keating
Last February 2, Senator
Keating proposed the suffrage
measure as an amendment to a
separate constitutional amend
ment to abolish the poll tax as
a requirement for voting. Dis
trict suffrage, although reported
by a Senate subcommittee, had
failed to move out of the Sen
ate Judiciary Committee at
that time.
Senator Case. Republican of
South Dakota, a pioneer in the
suffrage movement, said the
most helpful interest was the
earnest and unrelenting in
terest" taken by Senator Keat-
ing. as a member Of the Ju-
dietary Committee.
"The New York Senator took
up the cudgels for the amend
ment in a most effective fash
ion." Senator Case said.
Senator Case himself reused
Senate attention last year
when he proposed the presi-
dental vote as a substitute for
a bill to create locally elected
government in the District.
He told the Senate that
President Eisenhower had
urged him in 1852 to fight for
District suffrage. The PreSi-
dent spoke very feelingly upon
the fact that he believed taxa
ton without representation
was contrary to the principle of
our country" Senator Case
said. The interest of the
President has continued through
the years"
Beall Draws Praise
Senator Beall, who co-spon-
sored the original Senate
amendment with Senators
Keating and Case, also drew
praises for laying groundwork
for action.
The Senate was reminded of
bipartisan efforts to win the
District a vote by Senator
Randolph, Democrat of West
Virginia. who termed the
amendment "a franchise of
freedom"
Senator Heating, however,
expressed disappointment with
the amendment, though he
voted for it.
The House took its Judiciary
Committee recommendation
limiting the number of District
electors to three and omitting
the first Senate-passed proviso
for District representation in
the House.
Senator Keating said the
congressional suffrage action
had been marred by what he
termed the take 1t or leave
it" attitude shown by the
House.
Unfortunately, the House of
Representatives has proceeded
In the direction of cutting
down, rather than building up,
the relief which we approved
for the District Of Columbia,
he maintained.
Celler Accepted Limit
The Senate first had ap-
proved Keating language gear
ing the number of electors to
population, according to the
formula followed for the
States.
But House Judiciary Chair
man Celler, Democrat of New
York, a personal champion OF
broader suffrage, accepted the
limit and cut District repre-
sentation in the House to in
sure passage.
The House limitation in the
view of Senator Heating would
make only "a three-fourthS
citizen or a three -fifths citizen
Of every resident of the Dis
trict."
This concept of fractional
citizenship is a new one. which
to me is abhorrent," the New
Yorker said. But he told the
Senate that the choice, in the
rush toward adjournment, was
the House resolution or moth
ing.
The measure also drew criti-
cism from Senators Javits, Re-
publican of New York and Hol-
land. Democrat of Florida, be-
cause the poll tax amendment
was dropped.
Both pledged themselves to
renew efforts in the next Con-
gresS to ban poll tax voting re-
quirementS by Constitutional
amendment.
Senator Holland also scored
the District suffrage plan as a
reversal of the desire of found
ing fathers to screen Congress
from local pressures in the