The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-08-05
Capital


Congressman VIM. M. Colmer
Poll Tax

Poll Tax
The old biennial House fight
over the poll tax was reenacted
for the fifth time in the House
the past week. Since it's i'm
possible under the rules of pro-
cedure in the House to fill
buster, it was evident from the
beginning that the bill would
pass the House. While the lit
tie band of Southern Repre-
s~entatives was better organized
this year than ever before, they
could only fight a delaying ac-
ton. This was confined largely
to a series of roll calls, the only
weapon available under the
rules of the House. The steer
ing group, made up one mem
Der from each Southern State
representing the Southern
members who organized last
year to fight the Presidents
civil rights program, had a
series of strategy meetings
prior to the calling up of the
bill by Chairman Norton of
New Jersey, an administration
stalwart. Every conceivable
parliamentary maneuver of a
delaying nature was resorted
to.
The closet call came on a mo-
ton to adjourn the House.
When this motion was made,
by prearrangement, as soon as
the House convened, and when
only a few of the members had
gathered in the chamber, the
adjournment motion carried on
a standing vote. Whereupon
Congressman Hays of Ohio OBJ
jected to the vote on the ground
that a quorum was not present.
We raised a point of order
to this parliamentary move,
which was sustained. The OPP
position was at a loss as to its
next move. Then Speaker
Rayburn made a most unusual
move and suggested the pro-
per procedure would be a re-
quest for the yeas and nays.
The motions was made and the
absentees were brought in, and
when the vote was taken the
House refused to adjourn.
1t is significant that on all
Of these votes the Northern
Democrats voted solidly with
the Administration. The sole
opposition came from the mem
bers South of the Mason-D Dixon
Line, with the exception of
twenty-four courageous Repub-
licans who defied the Society
For The Advancement of Color
ed People and the c. /. o.
The bill now goes to the
Senate, where unlimited debate
is permissible, and where it's
generally conceded that the bill
will again be pigeon-holed.
Siunificanco
AS we have repeatedly point
ed out, both here and upon
the floor of the House, we hold
no brief for the poll tax as such.
But, we do maintain that this
proposal is unquestionably un-
, constitutional. We hold fur
Their that if Congress of the
United States can legally and
constiutionally pass a law .
which says that a state a
not have a poll tax as a re-
quisite for voting, the same
Congress can also prescribe
what. if any, qualifications a
state can require for voting.
Thus, the sovereignty of the
state and the control of its
legislative machinery are shift
ed from the state to the Federal
Government. Therein lies the
danger of such legislation. 1t
is but another parcel of the
of the overall plan to ~centralize
the government in Washington
at the expense of local self
government. Therefore, it fol-
lows that the so-called liberals
who foster this type of legisla-
ton, under the guise of giving
additional freedoms to the peo-
pie. would in the end but ac-
hieve the leSsening of the free
dom OF the individual.
When this matter was being
considered by the committee
which reported the bill, we APP
peared and made a rather ex-
tensive statement in OPPOSITION
to it. Anyone interested in OBJ
tanning this statement may drop
me a post card, and l will be
glad to send il to him.