Evening star., 1949-01-25
Hays Gives Talk
On 'CivI Rights
At Luncheon
Bv Jeanne Roaers

phases of the civil rights program
will be included in separate bills tt
be thrown in the hopper" this
week by Brooks Hays, Representa-
tive of Arkansas.
Mr.. Hays, who termed himself a
Democrat and a Southerner and
don't hyphenate the word" chos,
Civil Rights" as the subject OF
his address yesterday before a
luncheon meeting Of the Woman's
National Democratic Club.
The bills will deal with antilynch-
ing and the Fair Employment Prac-
tices Commission. Mr.. Hays de-
fined three phases of the program
the poll tax, segregation and the
FEPC-as belonging to social as.
pirations," while antilynching legis-
lation strictly falls under the head
ing of civil rights.
The antilynching bill will ask
that the State attorney general be
given the authority to prosecute
and to transfer the case to another
county because of "pressures on the
prosecutor locally and the atmos-
phere in which the jury deliberates,
Mr.. Hays said.
Even If a State is meeting this
test, but is not prosecuting, then
the Federal Court should be given
the right to come in,' he empha-
sized.
A counSeling service to be set up
in the Labor Department will be
included in bill No. 2, he declared
THE answer to nondiscrimination
is fairness in the plant worked out
through education-not law" Mr.
Hays stated. There's nothing
wrong in the colored mans com.
plant that there must be equal pay
for equal performance. If we NEE
the challenge of production, we meek
every idle man who wants a job.
Mr.. Hays said the poll tax should
be handled through constitutional
amendment. "The South ought tt
get away from the poll tax" the
Representative declared. 1T ought
to retreat or advance backwards, il
you will"
The speaker pointed out that tn,
Supreme Court upholds nc segrega
ton in interstate commerce. H,
asserted, however, that the non
segregation policy should be limited
to interstate and all local situation
left to the States.
Il don't like the word segrega
tion," Mr.. Hays said. 1T should b'
aggregation. I wouldn't offend an,
member of minority group-It
give up my Office first" The speak
er added that in his opinion tn,
Southern members of Congress gen
orally feel this way.
Unless we get rid of old pat.
terms and forms and come down tt
what's right. man to man. We won
solve these problems" Mr.. Hays as
serted. "The extremists have hat
their day. They repudiated a goot
leader. Now it is time for tn,
middle-of- f-the-roaders to come for
ward. The solid thinkers of tn,
South will support some Of this leg.
islation, I believe.
If our party, which involves oul
emotions, makes good in its nev
opportunities, it must get out O
the way some Of the inconsequentia
issues that slow up Congress. Com
promise will clear the way for NOR,
important issues"
Mr.. Hays said he thought ther
twas too much emotion in tn
States rights viewpoint" in answe
to a question, but added that tn
State knows its own problem
best"
The speaker was introduced b
Mrs. Charles F. Brannan, who's
husband is the Secretary of Agri
culture. Mr.. Hays said that he ha,
served on the National Democrati
Committee in 1888 and 1884 will
the club president, Mrs. j. Border
Hartman. Mrs. Hays was CUES
at the luncheon.