Evening star., 1949-07-28
The Political Mill

Anti-PoII Tax Bill Seen /.
Doomed Again in Senate
Way Open to Force Action, However,
If Administration Will Take 1t
By Gould Lincoln
The slst Congress, after being in session
for nearly seven months. has passed through
the House one Of the so-called civil rights
bills-anti-poll tax bill-and there seems
little probability that it will be able to run
the gantlet of the Senate before adjourn.
ment Of the present session.
OF course. there is q way to force action
In the Senate If the administrator leaders
and the Republicans who claim to be a
strongly welded to the civil rights program
were willing to 60 through with 1t. The
Congress could be held in session indefn-
1tely, and when all the appropriation bills,
the arms for Europe bill, the bill extending
the life of the reciprocal trade agreements
system. and a minimum wage bill have been
disposed Of, the Senate could settle down
to the anti-poll tax bill 1t could force
the opponents Of this measure to talk until
Christmas, If they chose to filibuster.
Further. it could try out the new Senate
cloture rule which permits the application
Of cloture (the ending Of debate) on .
motion to take up a measure. Under the
old rule. cloture could not be applied to
such a motion. and the Southerners were
able to talk interminably on motion
merely to take up an anti-poll tax bill,
or one Of the other civil rights measures.
Passed House Five Times.
This anti-poll tax legislation has passed
the House for the fifth time. Senate fill
busters we're responsible for its death in
earlier Congresses. The bill now passed pv
the House has been referred to the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration.
headed by Senator Hayden, Democrat OF
Arizona Mr. Hayden has no liking for
the measure and insists that the issue could
have been settled years ago by putting
through Congress a proposed constitutional
amendment outlawing the poll tax. He
has turned the anti-poll tax bill over to
subcommittee whose chairman is Senator
Stennis of Mississippi, and whose other
members are Senator Withers. Democrat,
of Kentucky, and Senator Wherry of Me-
braska, Republican leader of the Senate.
With q Mississippi Senator sitting on the
lid, the bill may easily smother to death.
The extreme slowneSs with which the
civil rights program is moving in the pres
ent Democratic controlled Congress, scarcely
matches up with the promises Of President
Truman during the last campaign, nor with
the Democratic platform. The attitude OF
Southern Democrats is responsible. Not only
have they taken their stand against the
civil rights program but they have definitely
demonstrated to the Administration 1t can
not count on them for so-called square
deal" measures which Mr.. Truman has
demanded Of Congress, too. Administra-
tion leaders realize that to prod further the
Southern Democrats with demands for civil
rights legislation Is not going to make 1t
easier for other Truman bills.
Bills Awaiting Action.
Anti-lynching, anti-segregation and FEPC
bills still await any action at all in either
House. The anti-poll tax bill. in some quar-
ters. is regarded as the least offensive OF the
civil rights program. However, there Is
more to the anti-poll tax row than the race
issue. Constitutionalists argue, and with
Justice that law prohibiting State from
imposing poll tax as a requisite for exer-
cising the franchise violates the Constitu-
ton itself which leaves to the States the
matter of deciding the qualifications OF
voters. If such a law is passed and upheld
by the courts. they maintain the Federal
Government could go to any lengths 1t
desired, either promulgating or forbidding
qualifications for voting.
Only seven States still retain the poll tax.
The chances are that even in those States.
it will ultimately vanishlas it has in others.
But the States Fighters do not intend to
permit the Federal Government to dictate
in this matter. if they can help 1t.
The right time to fight out in the Senate
the issue over civil rights never arrives
at least 1t never has arrived up to the
present. The adoption Of the amended
cloture rule this session was the nearest to
an accomplishment along this line. And
that step took weeks, including hlibuster
Of parts.
Congress Is anxious to get away for rest
and from the intense heat in Washington.
However. should it be held here by business
until after Labor Day and the heat has
passed it might be possible to force show
down on civil rights.