The Omaha guide., 1937-08-21
OPINIONS
Anti-Lynch Bill Sec
Ond for 81 Session


withdraw his motion but he, stood
pat.
A motion to adjourn was made.
If this motion had been successful.
it would have dislodged the anti
lynehing bill from consideration
and would have permitted the SEN
ate to take up other bills the next
day. The motion was lost by a vote
Of 1927.
Borah Speaks Against Bill
Senator Borah took the floor and
made a long speech against the
anti-lynching bill charging that it
was attempting to remove the au-
thority from the states over their
own affairs. Finally the Senate re-
cessed until August 18th and over
night, desperate efforts were made
to bring order out of chaos. Be
hind the scenes, there was fever
ish activity on the part of Senate
leaders to effect some kind of ar
rangement by which the snarl of
legislation could be untangled.
Pressure was brought to bear on
senators favorable to the admin
istration and also favorable to the
9nti-lynching bill to get them to
choke off the anti-lynching bill and
bring it up later.
Finally there a proposal that
the bill be made a special order of
business for the next session and
given a place on the calendar. This
proposal was finally agreed to by
Senators Wagner and Vanuys
late Thursday afternoon, August
18th.
With the pressure from the POI
werful sugar bill lobby and from
the District of Columbia Airport
bill lobby and with the great desire
of all senators to close the session
and go home, it is believed that the
agreement on the antilynching bill
was the wisest move and that con-
tinual pressure for action at this
time, in the closing days of the
session, would have aroused antag
onism which would have made it
very difficult for the bill to come
up again.
AS it is now, the bill is on the
calendar: is scheduled to be the
second n considered in the new
session and will not have to fight to
have a place for it on the calendar.
AS for the chances of passage,
the United Press, in a story on
II, declared that support
ers of the bill claimed 10 votes and
'test votes indicate that they are
not exaggerating."
The New York Herald Tribune
correspondent in Analysing the
bills chances declared that it is al
most certain of passage" now that
it has won a place on the calendar.
Galaries Crowded
Notice of action on the anti
Iynching bill drew crowded CALLER
les to the Senate. Colored people
came from far and near, some of
them as far as Westchester county,
New York. The galleries were
'rowded for the first time since
supreme court bill fight.
The discussion on August 18th
a long speech by Senator
.orah and the discussion on Aug.
18th, until, the action was taken
putting the bill off until next ses-
sion, was featured by the usual
larangue from Senator Tom Con-
lally of Texas.
Senator Borah was heckled and
questioned repeatedly during his
by Sens. Shermon Minton
II Indiana, and j. Hamilton Lewis,
If Illinois. Others who fought to
he last ditch for the bill we're
Boone of Washington, As
lurst of Arizona and Senator Cope
and of New York. Among the most
lctive in the support of the bill was
Senator Bennett Champ Clark, of
Missouri. 1t was through the eff
'orts of Senator Clark that pic
ures of the Duck Hill, Mississippi,
torch lynchings, which were
90 horrible to print in newspapers
we're displayed on a bulletin board
the Senate Chamber.
When the motion to make the
lnti-lynching bill a special order of
BUSINESS in the next session was
made, Senator Ashurst o to say
hat he would not vote for 1t un-
ess it read "shall become and re-
the unfinished business"
Senator Harrison of Mississippi
aid that his group was not willing