Evening star., 1960-02-03
SUFFRAGE
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
Johnson. District suffrage could
ride along with poll tax pro-
hibition as a right-to-vote re-
form, they said.
Another was that the local
vote would be aided by some
Southern Congressman as an
alternative to the pending home
rule bill, which they oppose
Representative Loser. Democrat
Of Tennessee, for example, has
spoken out for District suffrage
as member of both the House
Judiciary and District Commit
tees.
Less optimistic was the third
idea that the House vacancies
amendment already defeated
twice by the House would be
handicapped by the poll tax
proviSo.
Washingtonians could vote
after clearance of the proposal
by three-quarters of the State
Legislature, as we'll as by a
two-thirds vote of Congress.
Division Wins Backers
State Legislatures could vote
separately on any one of the
three pieces of the amendment
as it cleared the Senate, how
syer. This principle calling for
division Of issues before the
States won new advocates of
the three-cornered amendment
after Senator Keating's expla-
nation,
Two delegates with powers
to be fixed by Congress could
be chosen to represent the Dis
trict in the House, under the
KeatiRS amendment. 1t calls
for District representatives
equal to the number to which
Washington would be entitled
if it were State. A formula
fixes that representation at
about one House member to
100000 population.
Senator Heating maintained
the District amendment was
as important proposal as any
which could come before Con-
gress to enlarge the exercise
of the franchise.
The continued mass dis
qualification Of all the residents
of the District of Columbia
from their right to participate
in our electoral processes is in
excusable," he told the Senate.
1T is unreasonable. 1t is I'M
democratic"
Stresses Principle
Conceding that the area Of
the District is small, Senator
Heating insisted the principles
at stake were large.
Our action would have in
ternational impact" he ex-
planned. I'VE would be DEM
onstrating to the whole world
that in America democracy be-
gins at home-that we prac-
tice what we preach"
He was Joined by Senator
Case, who warned that denial
of voting rights to the people
who lived in the Capital COM
promised the United States po-
sition at every international
conference. "a
To-day, before the world. we
say that what is good for new
countries in Asia, in Africa, is
not good for our own Capital.
This weakens us at every in
ternational gathering" he
added.
Lists Shameful Facts"
A statistical case for suf-
frage was built by what Sena-
tor Keating called shameful
facts" They were:
First, District population ex-
ceeds the population of IL
States with full representation
rights in Congress-New Hamp-
shire. Vermont, North Dakota,
South Dakota. Delaware, Mon
tana. Idaho. Wyoming, Nevada,
New Mexico, Alaska and Ha-
waii. The District has more
residents than Alaska, Nevada
and Wyoming combined. Yet,
these States have nine rep
resentatives in Congress; the
District, none.
Second, District residents pay
$3.50 million annually in Fed
eral taxes but are taxed without
representation.
Third. more than 100000 Dis
trict men and women served
armed forces in World War
II. Yet, many who died for
freedom never had enjoyed
freedoms essential quality of
franchise" in their own home
land, Senator Keating said.
Hawaii's new Republican
Senator Fong pleaded on the
floor for "self-determination