Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-06-15

Camilla, Ga, Howard W. Smith of
Alexandria, Va, ]. Bayard Clark
of Fayetteville, N. c., John J. De-
1aney of New York City, William |
M. Colmer of Passagoula, Miss,
Joe B. Bates of Greenup, KY, Roger
G. Slaughter of Kansas City, Mo-,
Leo E. Allen of Galena, ILL.,, Earl
C. Kitchener of Adrian, Mich,
Charles A. Halleck of Rensselaer,,
Ind, and Clarence ]. Brown of
Manchester, Ohio.
They are members of the Rules
Committee of the House of Repre-
tatives. The first eight are Dem
ocrats and the last four are Re-
publicans.
During the tendency of the FEPC
bill before this committee, l have
watched them perform on several
occasions. Last week l spent prac-
tically my entire reporting time
following their antics. Their
despotic conduct is not confined to
the FEPC issue alone.
I have seen chairmen of other
powerful committees Of the House
and many outstanding Congress
men come that in hand" to the
Rules Committee. l have seen
members of the Rules Committee
subject these men to searching in
quiry about the merits of legisla-
ton which had received long de-
liberation by Legislative commit
tees with as many as twenty or
more members-and after exhaus-
tive public hearings. I've heard
Rules Committee members say 81
don't like so and so about your
bilp-"Why didn't you put in this
or that"-"The Rules Committee
will never vote for such BILL" etc.
And this little group of indivi-
duals, some of them power-drunk,
have it wiAnn their province'5o re-
fuse to let the House of Represen-
tatives consider and vote upon
measure reported favorably by the
majority of a legislative commit
tee.
The FEPC is a case in point. Only
two members of the Labor Com
mittee voted against a favorable
report of that legislation. Exhaus-
tive hearings were held on the
measure. The President of the
United States has emphasized the
necessity for it. But since Feb. %,
attempt after attempt has been
made to get a rule to bring the
legislation before the House. A
majority of the House of Represen-
tatives is believed to be in favor
of the measure.
Six Southern Democrats (includ-
ing Kentucky and Missouri) aided
and abetted by the four Republi-
cans have stymied every effort.
And to make bad matters worse,
chicanery has been added to des-
potism. The Republicans, playing
politics for all it is worth, are sing
ing a song to soothe the Negro
vote-pretending to be ready to
vote favorably on the measure
whenever it comes to vote. But
it is their chicanery which is pre-
venting the measure from coming
before the House.
Only two men have stood four
square for FEPC in the Rules Com
mittee-they are SABBATH, the chair
man, the Delaney of New York.
They have been present at all the
meetings where votes were sched-
uled to be taken, and they have
voted against postponements and
adjournments.
The Republicans have done a
good job of talking about their in
tentions of voting for FEPC-but
their actions have belied their
words. Only with their support
could the motions of Smith of Vir- |
GINA or Colmer of Mississippi for |
adjournment be carried.
The fly in the ointment has been
Slaughter of Missouri. His alb
sence from the last few meetings |
has been used as an excuse for not |
voting-based on a "gentlemen's |
agreement" of which SABBATH, the
chairman, says he knows nothing. |
Slaughter is expected to vote
against a favorable rule when he
is present. This, the Republicans
know-and it gives them a mighty
talking point if they can hold
things up until he returns, then
have the vote come out Go, which |
would keep the measure in COM
mittee. They could then "crow"
how they gave all-out support,
but the Democrats "killed" it. |
Pretty cute, Ell?
But a few people have been let
ting them know their game is
known, and orders have been ex-
pected to come down from the top |
to them to forget the "gentlemen's |