Evening star., 1948-05-13
The Political Min
Trumon's $ Rights Program
Is Rapidly Begging Down
Little Chance of Amy Approval Seen
in Present Session of Congress-
*H1 M.!H!
By Gould Lincoln

Little finance OF ANY Approval Seen
in Present Session of Congress
By Gould Lincoln
President Truman's civil rights program,
which pleased Republicans and enraged South
ern Democrats. Is rapidly begging down, with
little chance Of any part of it being approved
during the present session of Congress. Only
an early decision of the Republican leadership
to force the issue Of Senate nlibuster. either on
an antilynching bill or on an anti-poll tax
measure. could breathe life into any Of the
proposals. The Republicans are set on adj
journing Congress by June 19-just before ths
Republican National Convention opens in Phil
adelphia There Is q mass Of important work
outside of the civil rights program-still to be
done.
mild, but effective, filibuster has cropped
up. with Southern Democrats using delaying
tactics. even%on the draft, and Wayne Morse
Of Oregon and others who believe as he does
opposing the Southerners' bill to permit joint
State action for construction of institutions
Of higher education for the colored.
These delaying tactics, intentional at least
on the part Of the Southern Democrats are
not causing the Republicans too much grief.
They realize that if Republican Congress CO.
operates with Mr. Truman to force any part
OF this civil rights program through the wrath
Of the Southern Democrats, now directed
against the President. may be turned on the
COP and its presidential nominee.
An Old Senate Game.
It's an old Senate game The House has
passed an anti-poll tax bill. 1t has an anti
lynching bill on its calendar, favorably reported
by its Judiciary Committee. It, too, can pass
the House any time the Republican leadership
gives the nod. The Senate Judiciary Commit
tee has finally gotten around to reporting the
anti-poll tax bill. However, q Senate subcom-
mittee has been working on an antilynching
bill. There has been an idea that an anti
lynching bill would have the greatest appeal
OF these civil rights measures-and that II
anything drastic should be attempted, 1t should
be on an antilynchng measure. But even that
idea seems to be dying.
Southern Senators, in the Armed Services
Committee, have sought to write an amend
ment into the selective service bill which would
permit draftees to say whether they wished
to be In white or Negro military units They
plan to continue the fight for this segregation
proposal on the floor of the Senate. and to
take up plenty Of time, with Senator Morse
and other opponents also using time.
1t seems entirely likely that the House will
pass the antilynching bill before adjournment
That, however will be merely gesture unless
the Senate Republicans 60 to the mat and
force cloture on such . bill. The report
earlier this year was that the Southern Demo-
Gratis could not hope to defeat . cloture mo-
ton in the Senate.
There is another angle. II there Is to be
this civil rights legislation, the Republicans
would like to put it through when they are
10. - lo&l
tive branches OF Government. Undoubtedly
they will tell the Negro voters during the fall
campaign that what's needed Is the election
of Republican President and the reelection
Of = Republican Congress.
Hayden Submits Views.
Senator Hayden Of Arizona, Democrat
member of the Judiciary Committee, has sub
mitted his own views on the anti-pol tax bill,
proposing that the whole of the House measure
be stricken out and resolution proposing a
Constitutional amendment banning poll taxes
be substituted As matter Of fact, Senator
Hayden has taken a resolution offered In the
House."by Representative Landis Republican,
Of Indiana and adopted 1t as his own.
The Arizona Senator's argument has merit.
The anti-pol tax bill has for years been OPP
posed on the ground that it is unconstitutional.
And on that ground it has been defeated, by
being sidetracked, in the Senate several times
1t requires 4 two-thirds vote to adopt .
resolution proposing a constitutional amend
ment. But in the Senate a two-thirds vote
is required, too. to adopt a cloture rule ending
debate and filibuster. 1t is probable that the
required vote could be more easily obtained
for o constitutional amendment.
In the opinion of Senator Hayden, the friends
OF i-poll tax legislation have lost six years
or more striving to pass bill, when they might
have had a constitutional amendment The
woman's suffrage amendment to the Consti-
tuition, he points out, was ratified within Is
months after it was submitted by Congress to
the States. Only seven States today have poll
taxes, while 10 States denied women the prvi-
lege of voting at general elections when the
suffrage amendment was submitted. Why
waste more timer, Mr. Hayden asks.