Evening star., 1948-07-08
Democrats Hear
CI0Demand for
Roosevelt Policy
Negro Groups Press
For Strong Stond on
Civil Rights Program
BY the Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA, July 8.-The
CIO today made a hard-pound-
ing demand that the Democrats
tie their l948 campaign to a
Roosevelt platform" as Negro
organizations pressed for q
strong stand on civil rights.
The civil rights plank and the
Taft-Hartley labor law were key
issues as a Platform Drafting Com
mittee of 10 Democrat leaders, pre-
pairing for next weeks convention,
moved into its second day # pub
lie hearings.
CIO Secretary James B. Carey
urged that the Democrats pleoge:
/. Federal laws against lynching.
poll taxes, discrimination In en-
ployment, and racial separation in
the armed services.
g Repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act.
3. Public housing: price controls:
health insurance; greater social Sc
curity; higher minimum wages;
Federal aid to education; an ex-
cessive profits tax. and other meas
ures.
Congress Call Urged.
More than a score of Negro Or
ganizations demanded plank en-
bodying President Truman's civil
rights program. including anti
lynch, anti-poll tax and fair en-
ployment legislation. One organi-
zation, the National Negro Council,
asked the platform writers to in
dorse an immediate call of the
Eightieth Congress into special ses-
sion to enact civil rights legislation.
Walter White, executive secretary
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, sub
mitted a statement on behalf of 21
Negro organizations. declaring:
The day of reckoning has come
when the Democratic Party must
decide whether it is going to permit
bigots to dictate its philosophy and
policy or whether the party can rise
to the heights of Americanism which
alone can justify its continued
existence"
Mr.. Whites statement concluded:
I'VE, therefore, urge and insist
that the platform of the 1948 Demo-
cratic Convention indorse without
equivocation the entire program OF
the Presidents Committee on Civil
Rights and especially those provi-
Esions to suppress lynching and mob
violence, to ban the poll tax as
voting requirement, to afford equal
ity of job opportunity and to abol-
ish discrimination and segregation
in the armed services, education and
tr4f rtation.
action on Filibuster Urged.
I'm addition. we urge that the
platform pledge the full weight OF
the Democratic Party to the amend
ment of the Senate rules to invoke
cloture by a majority vote in order
that filibusters which have disgraced
America far too long. may be
stopped in the United States
Senate"
Yesterday, the Platform Drafting
Committee gave Morris Sayre, pres
ident of the National Association Of
Manufacturers, a rough afternoon
indeed.
Mr.. Sayre presented the identical
program he had offered the Re-
publican Platform Committee last
month. The Republicans did not
ask him single question. Yester-
day the Democrats bounced ques-
tions and criticisms at him for near
iy two hours.
NAM Head Criticized.
Hubert H. Humphrey, Mayor Of
Minneapolis, who is seeking the
Senate seat held by Republican
Senator Ball, told Mr.. Sayre his
argument was like pretzel." Mr..
Humphrey denounced the NAM as
standing "adamant" In the face Of
great national need for housing
and slum clearance.
Maurice j. Tobin, who Is seeking
election to his former job as Gov
ernor of Massachusetts,, told Mr..
Sayre his arguments against Fed
eral housing didn't mean much.
Concerning taxes. he accused Mr..
Sayre of worrying about the poor
man who has an income of $10,-
000, 0,000."
| Senator Green Of Rhode Island
told Mr.. Sayre: "You were hoping.
suppose, that the Democrats would
adopt your program and lose the
campaign in consequence.
Senator Myers Of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the committee, ridiculed
(See PLATFORM, Page A-3)