Evening star., 1960-06-19
Splendid ACCOMPLISHMENT

On the first page of todayS Star
we have put together in chronological
detail the story of how Congress finally
approved and sent to the States for their
ratification constitutional amendment
giving us in Washington the right to
vote for President and Vice President.
We find it fascinating study of the art
of practical politics applied to the leg
islative process and we commend it to
our readers.
The story answers some questions,
including those relating to compromises
that, as disappointing as they may be
to many of us, were found necessary by
those who bore the responsibility. The
story tells what happened this time,
even If it leaves unanswered the queS-
ton OF why the same thing did not
happen long ago. For no one has ever
vaAdly defended the condition which
Congress has now gone so far to correct.
What happened this time, in our
opinion, was that the right men were
there to take advantage of the right
set OF circumstances at the right time.
Senator Keating took advantage of an
opportunity with force and skill. Sena-
tors Randolph of West Virginia, Case of
South Dakota, Beall of Maryland and
Kefauver of TenneSSee-alI long in favor
of the principle epreSented-gave him
their cooperation and support. Ma
jority Leader Johnson and the Minority
| Leader, Senator DirkSen, undoubtedly
had it within their power to impede if
not prevent the unusual combination Of
constitutional amendments-three un-
related proposals, including the Keating-
Beall-CaSe amendment on District suf-
frage-in one package, and the Senate'S
approval of this package by the required
two-thirdS vote. Instead, they gave it
their support.
On the House side, Chairman Celler
of the Judiciary Committee, fresh from
his winning battle for other civil rights,
was sympathetic and receptive to the
District suffrage amendment and he
found strong and intelligent support
from the ranking minority member of
his committee, Representative McCul-
loch of Ohio. Either one of them could
have made impossible the favorable
action of the Judiciary Committee, but
they pitched in and found a formula
that won practically unanimous agree
ment from one of the most discriminate
ing committees of the House. And from
that point on, Mr.. Celler again demon
strated his ability to get things done.
Representative Howard Smith of Vir-
ginia, one of the most powerful men,
bers of the House, could have killed the
whole business. Instead, he worked to
make it acceptable to the membership
and leadership of the House, with the
result that the resolution was approved
and survived the rigid test on a highly
important point of unanimous consent.
- Senator Lyndon Johnson was re-
SponSible for the surprisingly quick and
effective action in the Senate which
completed the process of approval and
has now left the final result to the
States Yet that would have been i'm
possible had not Senator Keating and
others, including Senator Holland, been
willing to forgo completely valid obiec-
tions, based on conviction, in order to
accomplish the end result.
We think that it is great mistake
to minimize the Importance of what
Congress has done in this case, or to
attempt to belittle it by pointing out
what Congress might have done. For
what has been done is historic 1t is
significant and it will prove, in the end,
of great benefit to the people of this
city. 1t will no doubt lead eventually
to helpful, if not complete, representa-
ton for the people of Washington in
the Congress as we'll as in the Electoral
College.
We congratulate the Congress and
the members who made possible
splendid accomplishment.