The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-11-27
The Anti-Poll Tax Bill

The defeat of the PepperGeyer antipol tax bill by a
buster the reaconary Bourbon senator's is still 1rtner
proof if any needed that legislation of that kind
must passed before political democracy not only IN the
south but in the nation, can be claimed
Here we have example of how small group of arch
reaconars representing the interests of numerically almost
negligible groups the states from which they elected are
able to stop question of vital interest to more than
ten million American cltzens stop 1t because ther
terests jobs representatives of the privileged IN their
states been eopardzed by the passage OF the law
And if the the governing the vote the meas
had made mandatory record VOTE 1t is quite proDaoe ~
the bill would have passed.
However, reprehensbe the actions of the southern SEN
aors bringing about the defeat of this which
had roots in regard for democratic government
their deliberate plan to sabotage the legislation bring
about its by buster should them charges
deliberately ignoring the demands of the effort IN order
- ec their own selfish interests Nothing better than that
can be expected however, from characters like Bbo Rankin
Reynolds and their fellows of their patriotism
and belief in the principles of democracy One would
paying them undeserved tribute by calling them twoD pol
cans Their value to the country whole can be liked
only by symbol of nfny the left hand side of minus
zero. a.,
Manifesy there something wrong with the rules of the
senate when fibusers permissible 1t is mystery
why these arbitrary rules have to be
looked sacred cows and why cour could not De a
piled this is in Others Do august senators
such broadly simple rules for their guidance
their deliberations that special cases can come up Tor con-
sideration
cloture was Limiting debate questions of mpor
tance dangerous procedure but the senator's
majority gifted with degree of common horse
should be able to determine the difference between g
innate the deliberate meaningless harangues OF
ibuster why should cloure applied to the rant
ngs bunch of egostc tmeserver sooges for the priv
groups their home states have tendency to estab
ish precedent which be broken down when
dions arise these rules of divine origin? Should they
broad enough nature to make possible orderly pro
cedure in legislative action and impossible to be used de-
sructive tools by saboteurs.
be definitely stated of that the measure
would enacted into law it had been brought to
Permitting the fbuster to continue operated to delay
other legislation Some senator's recognized as
the liberal order voted against the coture probably
usyng the grounds that limiting debate and expression
dangerous However, these senators should take some time
these senate rules modify them and make sure
that they the requirements of
cedure These southern senators not making any pre-
tense convincing anyone with arguments Their ranng
admittedly designed to and kill time They
should be placed Stangrad in North Africa the Solo
mons what doing job And none of them
the ordeal of learning possible that even the
south might be better Off
There of tremendous implication of sabotage
action of the busterng senator's Ten million negro
people would have become clothed with dig
nty desire to their country had they been given
the right They would have been impressed by feel
ing they had real stake in the government that
is THEIRS that the representatives theirs by their
sent 1t would have given impetus to unity
in the south
The question will up again in the congress. When
does should all lend hand and demand of senators
and the lower house that they do everything
in their power to prevent its sabotage.