The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-05-15
SEE LITTLE
OPPOSITION
TO MEASURE
18th Congress Passes
Bill In Three
Months

WASHINGTON. - tANP)-The
last of 2l8 signatures was secured
Thursday afternoon for the peti.
ton asking discharge OF the judi.
ciary committee and the rules com.
mittee for further consideration oil
H.R. 7. the measure designed tc
wipe out the poll tax in sever
southern states. and the bill was
Immediately scheduled for a vote
by the house Of representatives or
May "a.
Thus job which took a year and
a half of the nth congress was &C.
complisEed in less than three month.
OF the present session. The coalition
bill jointly sponsored by Ave cong.
ressmen but bearing the name o.
Rep. Vito Marcantonio tALP) q,
New York. was introduced on the
first day Of the new session, January
g. The resolution asking the dis
charge was put on the speaker.
table on February %. and an in
tensive drive was begun.
Congressman Marcantonio wa
he first signer. and Congressman
Antonio NJ Fernandez CD of New
Mexico was the last signature az
fixed.
In the drive TO corral the needed
signatures steering committee
which crossed party lines was or
ganized and ctaired by Rep. George
H. Bender of Ohio. He was sup.
ported by Reps. Joseph Clark Bald
win. William L. Dawson. Joseph v
G'vagan. Warren C. Magnusson anc
Tom E. Scanlon.
Handling the campaign outside
the halls Of congress was the Ma.
tional Committee to Abolish the
Poll Tax whose two-day conference
ne in March stimulated pressure
from back in the districts.
Calls for Vigilance,
One hour after Congressman
Bender had announced that the re.
CURED signatures had been OBJ.
tanned Rep. Marcantonio issued Z
statement in which he called FOL
continued vigilance and an intensi
flying OF effort "all along the line
He warned that opponents OF tn,
Dill will seek TO load it down will
amendments aimed at eliminating
property qualifications for voting,
condition now imposed in som
states.
TO combat this strategy" h
said, there must be no let-down
our fight. In fact, we must intensif
lie to the end that every congress:
man will be on TIE floor on tn
day the measure comes up for
vote. and TO fight off every attemr
made to cripple the bill"
Marcantonio also extended appre
citation to the Negro press for thei
cooperation and support. He di
this in telegram to the Associate,
Negro Press in which he said il
part: II want 10 express my per
sonal qualification 10 you an,
through you TO the entire Negr,
press and to the Negro people an,
their organizations for TIE unyield
ing support they have given me ant
my colleagues in this fight. We hav,
cause 10 be glad that a vote viii
take place on anti-poll tax legisla
ton in the house. but We must no
let up our pressure either in IN,
house or the senate"
He also paid tribute to the lat,
Congressman Lee Z. Geyer Of Cali
fornia. father OF anti-poll tax legis
lation.
Fighting for Democracy
Congressman Bender was alst
jubilant over the progress mad,
and so in the success OF the dis
ch3rge petition a strengthening o
our internal morale" and a demon
s;ration ITO our own. people tina
the congress has full confidence il
The democratic will Of our people.
He also viewed il as evidence 4
our allies that the American peopl,
are fighting for democracy and free
dom"
The Ohioan thanked lis col
leagues. and accompanied his state
ment with the announcement tina
Rep. Magnusson will control IN,
time for supporting Democrat
when the measure comes up on IN,
24th. and that Rep. Baldwin vii
do likewise among Republicans.
The National Committee hailec