Evening star., 1948-03-07

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Federal legislation to punish the c
demand has been for Federal legis-
lation to prevent discrimination ir
employment, transportation and
education.
All this agitation eliminated in
President Tuman's civil rights mes
sage to Congress- message which
has stirred the Democrats of the
South to white heat and brought
threats that the "solid South, upon
which Democratic presidential can
didates have counted since the days
of reconstruction, would revolt -
What has particularly angered these
Southern Democrats is that the blow
should have been leveled at their
institutions" by q Democratic
President from Missouri.
Mr.. Truman wrapped up all these
proposals to interfere with the
local affairs Of the South In a 10
point program. His chief proposals
were for antilynching, antipoll tax
and FEPC legislation. 1t Is the
third which has aroused the greatest
resentment. To the Southerners, 1t
spells Federal force to prevent segre-
CATION of the whites and the Ne
groes, at work, in school, and on all
kinds of transportation.
Filibuster Was Weapon
One weapon the Southern Demo-
Gratis have counted upon in the past
to prevent this Federal attack upon
their affairs is the Senate fill
buster'-made possible by the rule
of unlimited debate in the upper
house. Time and again it has been
effective, killing off antilynching,
antielection and antipoll tax mea-
sures which would have passed with
out doubt had it been possible to
bring them to vote in the Senate.
A score of years ago, however,
the Senate amended its rules to
provide for mandatory closing OF
debate, if two-thirds Of the Sena-
tors present and voting so deter
mined. This change in the rules
was brought about, however, not
because of filibuster of Southern
Senators against any measure in
which the race issue and States
rights were involved, but because
of the filbuster of a little band
of willful men"-so called by Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson-who made
1t impossible to pass the armed
ship" resolution before this country
entered World War I. The Senate
was so disturbed that it was possible
to bring about this change in its
procedure. But the cloture rule, as
it is called, was still bound round
by limitations, which Southern Sen
ators have relied upon to aid then
in filibuster against Legislation
which they considered discrimina.
ton against their States. This re-
lance is gone. A poll of the Senate
has indicated that a resolution pro.
posing cloture on an antilynchine
bill would prevail today.
Force Bill Filibustered
1t was in 1889 that the Lodge bill
the original force bill" so-called-
was offered by Henry Cabot Lodge
of Massachusetts-then member
of the House, who later became
Republican leader of the Senate.
The measure was passed by the
House. In 1901, however, when it
was brought up in the Senate, in
charge of Senator Hoar, Republican,
of Massachusetts, it ran into a
prolonged filibuster by opposing
Southern Democratic Senators.
Senator Faulkner of West Virginia,
set the pace and made new record,
holding the floor for 13 hours.
The measure was considered during
one of the old short sessions" Of
Congress, with which every Con-
gress used to end its two-year life.
They opened the first Monday in
December and closed at noon March
4. With Southerners using their
privilege of unlimited debate, it be-
came apparent that they could hold
the floor to the exclusion of all other
business until the end of the session
So the force bill" was eventually
laid aside.
This bill was a voluminous affair,
containing 81 sections and covering
70 printed pages. Its effect would
have been to give the Federal Gov
ernment virtual control of the eiec-
tions in the States, for President
and Vice President, Senators and
Representatives, If and when in
voked by a comparatively small
number of voters-100 in a judicial
district. 1t was aimed particularly
at the South, where State laws
were making it impossible for Ne
groes to become registered voters.
There seems no doubt, however, that
had this character Of legislation
been enacted, eventually 1t would
have placed its grip on all the
States-as minority groups demand
ed it-and the Federal Government
would have controlled elections.
Antilynch Bill in 1922
From 1889 to 1922 half a hundred
bills proposing to amend the elec-
ton laws in one respect or another
many of them similar to the original
force bill-were introduced in the
House and Senate. More recently,
the attack has been made through
bills to prohibit the imposition Of
poll taxes by the States. Several
times these antipoll tax bills have
passed the House. Only seven
Southern States still cling to the
poll tax as a necessary qualification
for voting.