Evening star., 1949-09-13
The Political Mill :
New Tryin Senate Seen !:
For Civil Rights Action
Negro Vote Believed Sorely Needed
by Lawmakers of Several Areas
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
The Truman administration has not given
up hope of getting at least one of the Pres
ident's civil rights measures through Con-
gress before the adjournment of the present
session. If one is tried out it will be either
the anti poll tax or the antilynching bill.
Plans are being laid to try for showdown
with the Southern Democrats in the Senate
who for years have been able to block all
so-called civil rights legislation via the fill
buster route.
There Is reason, very practical reason,
why this effort may be made President
Truman and his lieutenants promised dur
ing the 1948 campaign that if he were
elected-and a Democratic Congress with
him-the civil rights program would be
enacted into law. Up to date, however. after
eight months of continuous session, none of
the civil rights bills has passed Mr..
Trumans promises were made to large groups
OF Negro voters in Northern and Western
States-voters who could easily hold a bal
ance OF power in close elections, or even
elections not SO close.
Impelling Motive.
Again it becomes necessary to go to the
polls in vital congressional elections-the
first senatorial election in New York next
November. There are Democratic Senators
in the Northern and Western States, as we'll
as members of the House. who will be in
jeopardy in next years elections. They may
Sorely need the Negro vote in their States.
Senator Lucas of Illinois, Democratic
leader of the Senate, is one. Others are
Senator Myers of Pennsylvania, assistant
floor leader; Mcmahon of Connecticut.
DoWney of California and Magnuson of
Washington. Irrespective of the merits
OF the civil rights legislation, the need for
tA &c Ill,
legislation at this session. II it. is put of
until next year, it may be still further de-
layed.
Early in the present session the admins
tration forces, aided by Republican Senators,
put on show for civil rights They set
about amending the Senates cloture rule.
so as to make it easier to put an end to-
flibustering tactics. First they tried to do
this through a ruling of Vice President
Barkley, holding that the cloture rule could
be applied to end debate on a motion to take
up bill. In the end, a compromise was
adopted, amending the rule by making it
possible to end debate on a motion to take up
by constitutional" thirds vote of the,
Senate This means that two thirds or
more OF all the members of the Senate
must actually vote to impose the cloture &.
In measure, this was a gain for the
antlflllbusterers. In the past it has been
held cloture did not apply on motion to
take up, although once a bill was before
the Senate two-thirds of those voting, if
a quorum was present, could invoke cloture.
Leaders Anxious To Try.
1t is under this new rule that the admins
tration now hopes to get favorable action
on civil rights bills. The Democratic
leaders are anxious to try it out They
believe 1t would work, despite the efforts
OF the Southerners, for example, on the
anti poll tax bill.
A program that includes passage of civil
rights legislation may we'll keep Congress in,
session here throughout the fall until snow
For there remains much important legisla-,
tion which. has to be, cleared before the
Senate could turn it's attention to breaking
filibuster. The pending reciprocal trade
bill has to be passed; the arms for Europe
bill is expected to follow and to occasion
lengthy debate; an agricultural bill and a
plethora OF other less important but necess-~
airy measures
An anti poll tax bill has passed the House
similar to bills which in the past have four
Tunes been put through the House only to-
Ole IN the Senate. An antilynching bill
mas been reported to the Senate and is on
the calendar, as well as an anti poll tax bill.
ana Dill establishing a permanent Fair
Employment Practices Commission has been
reported to the House and is on the calendar
there. The last which would break down
segregation in employment, is opposed des-
perately by the Southerners- would be
opposed by other Senators, too, to a degree
1t would probably be impossible to get a:
tWo-thirds vote to end Senate debate. =
Inc administration leadership, therefore, :
is IN position to strike for civil rights at
this session, If 1t has the fortitude.