The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1926-07-03
CONGRESSMAN DYER RAP S
REPUBLICANS FOR FAILURE
OF ANTI-LYNCH BILL
Has Hard Words for Senate Judiciary
Committee

COIiCIeuCc Oi inc NdtioHdl ASSoCidliOh
for the Advancement Of Colored Peo-
pie, Representative L. G. Dyer, of
Missouri, blamed Republican Senators,
especially those on the Judiciary Com
mittee, who failed to support the Nc
Kinley-Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill,
which would make lynching federal
offense and provides for fine of $10,-
600 to be imposed upon any county
in which lynching occurs, such sum,
to be recoverable by dependents of
the mobs victim.
"A sincere and earnest effort has
been made by the House of Repre-
sentatives in the past several Con-
crosses to pass this measure" said
Congressman Dyer. "In the 9th
Congress this legislation passed by
very large majority. The United
States Senate failed in that Congress
to pass it. The House of Representa-
tives has been ready, and still is, to
pass this legislation at any time. 1t
has been considered useless, however,
to do so, in view of the action of the
Senate when this legislation went be-
fore them in the 9th Congress. They
allowed a small number of Senators
to put on a hlibuster and stop its
passage there. We all know that the
Senate could then, and could now, if
it wanted to, adopt cloture rule
which would limit debate and enable
its members to vote With the House
in favor of it, it could have become
law, signed by the President, who
has stated many times that he ia
vors it.
"A hearing was held by the Judi
ciary Committee of the Senate upon
the bill introduced by Senator Nc
Kinley, in the Senate, the same one
that l introduced in the House. At
the hearing on February 10th, num-
Der of friends of this legislation APP
peared in favor of it. Among them
was Mr.. James Weldon Johnson, sec
rotary of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People
He made very splendid address and
furnished very complete data and rea-
sons for the enactment of the legis1a-
ton into law. In addition to that, he
furnished an able legal brief showing
the constitutionality Of the legislation
No one appeared at the hearing in OPP
position to the bill Notwithstanding
this, the Judiciary Committee Of the
Senate not only has failed, but it has
refused by a vote Of its members to
favorably report this bill to the Sen
ate.
Since the Judiciary Committee of
the Senate has had this legislation d.
rectly before them, as stated above,
and as they have had hearing upon it
and then refused to report it to the
Senate, it is apparent to everyone that
the fault lies entirely with the Sen
ate, and that it would not only be
foolish from legislative standpoint,
but that it would be insulting to those
who are especially urging this legisla
ton to keep repeatedly passing it in
the House
"A number Of the Senators who re-
Gently have failed of denomination
had my opposition. The chief respon-
sibility and the chief failure to act, so
far as this Congress is concerned, lies
with the Judiciary Committee of the
Senate That the friends Of this 1egis-
lation may know who these Senators
are and where they are from I give
informing touching this, to wit: Re
publican members - Senator'S Albert
B. Cummins Of Iowa, William E.
Borah of Idaho, George w. Norris Of
Nebraska, Richard p Ernst of Ken
lucky, Rice W. Means Of Colorado,
]. w. Harreld of Oklahoma, Charles
S. Deneen of Illinois, Frederick H.
Gillett Of Massachusetts,, and Guy d.
Golf Of West Virginia. Democratic
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Lee S. Overman
Of North Carolina, James A. Reed Of
Missouri, Henry f. Ashurst Of Ari-
iona, Thomas J. Walsh of Montana,
Thaddeus H. Caraway of Arkansas,
William H. King Of Utah, and M. M.
Nicely Of West Virginia"
Mr.. Dyer quoted from press state
ment Of the National Association for
the Advancement Of Colored People,
showing that four Senators had voted
for the measure in Committee: Cum
minis, Ernst and Deneen, all Repub-
licans, and Ashurst, Democrat.