Evening star., 1948-07-18
Declaration on States Riohts
BY ihs Assoeiassd Press

lOeCIOF0IIOn on
BY fhs Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Aia., July IT,
FOLLOWING is the Declaration OF
Principles" reported by the Resolu-
tions Committee OF the States
Rights meeting today:
We af1irm that q political party
is an instrumentality for ef1ectu-
ating the principles upon which the
party is founded; that platform
of principles is solemn covenant
with the people and with the mem
bers of the party; that no leader Of
the party. in temporary power. has
the right or privilege to proceed
contrary to the fundamental prin-
ciples of the party, or the letter or
spirit of the Constitution OF the
United States; that to act contrary
to these principles is breach Of
faith, a usurpation OF power. and
a forfeiture Of the party name and
party leadership.
We believe that racial and re-
ligious minorities should be pro-
tected in their rights guaranteed by
the Constitution, but the bold defi-
ance of the Constitution in selfish
appeals to such groups for the sake
of political power forges the chains
of slavery of such minorities by de-
stroying the only bulwark Of pro-
lection against tyrannical majori-
ties. The protection of the consti-
tutional rights OF minority does
not justify or require the deStruc-
tion of constitutional rights of the
majority. The destruction Of con-
stitutional limitations on the power
of the central government threatens
to create a totalitarian state and
to destroy individual liberty in
America.
Bill Of Rights Cited.
We believe that the protection
of the American people against the
onward march OF totalitaAan Gov
ernment requires q faithful observ-
ance of Article X of the American
Bill of Rights which provides that:
The powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution.
nor prohibited by 1t to the States,
are reserved to the States respec-
lively, or to the people"
We direct attention to the fact
that the first platform OF the Demo-
cratic Party, adopted in ls40, re-
solved that: Congress has no power
under the Constitution to interfere
with or control the domestic institu-
tions of the several States, and that
such States are the sole and proper
judges of everything appertaining
10 their own affairs not prohibited
by the Constitution" Such pro-
nouncement is the cornerstone Of
the Democratic Party.
A long train of abuses and usur-
pations of power by unfaithful lead
ers who are alien to the Democratic
Parties of the States here repre-
sented has become intolerable to
those who believe In the preserva-
tion of constitutional government
and individual liberty in America.
Court Domination Charged.
! The executive department OF the
Government is promoting the grad
ual but certain growth of a totali-
tartan state by domination and con-
troll of politically minded Supreme
Court. AS examples of the threat
to our form of Government, the
executive department, with the aid
of the Supreme Court, has asserted
national dominion and control OF
submerged oil-bearing lands in
California, schools in Oklahoma and
lMissouri, ~ primat ttipns III
Texas, South CarUiinas and LoMiSf-
ana, restrictive covenants In New
York and the District of Columbia
and other Jurisdictions, as well as
religious instruction in Illinois. BY
asserting paramount Federal right,
in these instances, q totalitariar
concept has been promulgated
which threatens the integrity OF the
States and the basic rights Of theil
citizens.
We have repeatedly demonstrated
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organization of our party but our
petitions, entreaties and warnings
have been treated with contempt
The latest response to our entreatiei
was a Democratic convention in
Philadelphia rigged to embarrass
and humiliate the South. This al
legged Democratic assembly called
for civil rights law that would
eliminate segregation of every kind
from all American life, prohibit all
forms of discrimination In private
employment, in public and private
instruction and administration and
treatment of students; in the oper-
alton of public and private health
facilities; in all transportation, anc
require equal access to all places
of public accommodation for per-
sons of all races, colors, creeds and
national origin.
This infamous and iniquitous pro.
gram calls for the reorganization o1
the civil rights section of the De-
partment of Justice with substan-
tial increase in a bureaucratic staf1
to be devoted exclusively to the en-
forcement of the civil rights pro-
gram; the establishment within the
FBI of special unit of investigators
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