Evening star., 1950-02-25
The Political Mill
Toft's Leadership
Seen in FEPC Fight
Democrats Helped Poss
Substitute 6. O. P. Version
By Gould Lincoln

When Republican bill-a major piece
Of egiSlation-passes Democratic House
Of Representatives it's news. It's unusual,
extraordinary and amazing. And it hap
pened when the House put through the
Mcconnell voluntary and educational
FEPC, having substituted it for the Tru-
man administrators compulsory meas
ure. II the bill is permitted to come up
in the Senate-and should pass that
body too-President Truman would have
to decide whether to approve this Re
publican FEPC or kill 1t by veto. Not
q pleasant decision, with a congressional
election coming I'D in November.
Once more, too, it has been demon
strated that this 81st Democratic Con-
gress is more inclined to follow the lead
Of Republican Senator Taft Of Ohio
than 1t is to follow that of Democratic
President Truman-on important do
mestic legislation.
New Bill Is Twin Of Taft Plan.
The Mcconnell FEPC bill is almost a
twin OF bill which Senator Taft has
had before the Senate for long time.
It was Mr.. Taft who rewrote the admin
istration's labor bill-which set out to
repeal the Taft-Hartley Act and restore
the old Wagner Labor Relations Act
WHICH, IL WhS Uc1OIc Gilc Selldlc ldSG ycdIs
until it was perfected Taft-Hartley Act
and no more. The Administration gave
up the ghost-so far as Taft-Hartley
repeal was concerned-for the present
Congress.
The Republicans. in their 1948 plat
form and in their recent statement Of
party principles and objectives, promised
FEPC legislation. Their leaders in Con-
gress now maintain that the Mcconnell
bill lives up to this promise. This is
disputed by some of the so-called liberal
wing of the party.
Certainly. however, the Republicans
in their party platform and recent state
ment declared against further centrali-
zation of government in Washington and
bureaucracy. No measure on the Tru-
man program goes further along the
line of big government and bureaucracy
in Washington than the administrators
FEPC bill, which by it's compulsory fea-
lures would have reached from the Ma
tional Capital to tell employers all over
the country whom they should employ
for that is the effect of the proposed
legislation. If the Republicans failed
to slap this one down, then their pro-
tests against bureaucracy would sound
like utmost hypocrisy.
Adroit COP Leaders.
The Republican leadership OF the
House. in dealing with the FEPC prob
lem, was adroit. It was able to substi-
tute the Mcconnell bill, offered by Rep.
Mcconnell of Pennsylvania. ranking Re-
publican member of the House Educa-
ton and Labor Committee, for the adj
ministration's bill, sponsored by Chair
man Lesinski of the committee, by allying
with itself the conservative Democrats
of the South, who are violently opposed
to FEPC and other items of the civil
rights program. And when the substi-
tuition had been made, the Republican
leadership was able to get the bill passed
with the aid of administration Demo-
Gratis, among them Majority Leader Nc
Cormack and young Franklin D. Roose-
veIt, while most of the Southern Demo-
Gratis lined up against the measure, be-
cause they want no FEPC legislation
at all.
FEPC legislation has been threat to
an early adjournment of the present
session Of Congress. The new and unex-
pected (by the administration turn in
the House on this issue may change the
situation materially, especially II 1t be-
comes clear that the administration can
get no more out of the Senate than it
did out of the House.
What then, will Mr.. Truman tell the
country about this Democratic 81st Con-
gress which apparently is failing him on
his two most important campaign
pledges? And how will he be able to
explain his own failure?