Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-05-16
The Political Mil
Civil Rights Bill Bottle
Neors Climax in Senote
Southern Democrats Seen
In Position to Block Vote
he Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

With much beating Of Democratic and
Republican breasts the latest battle for
anti-discrimination, civil rights legisla-
ton is drawing to a climax in the Sen.
ate OF the United States, The consensus
has been that II will not be possible to
obtain 81 votes for applying the new
cloture rule on the pending motion to
take up the Fair Employment Practices
bill, II that belief is correct. another
example Of too little and too late" will
have passed into history. Free TO fiii-
buster at will the Southern Democratic
Senators will be in position to block q
vote even to take up this civil rights
measure during the present session OF
Congress.
And If civil rights legislation falls on
its face again in the Senate, President
Truman and the Fair Deal Democrats
will do their best TO convince the Negro
voters Of the country that Republicans
are TO blame. Conversely. the Republi-
cans will attempt to pin the failure on
the Democrats. The probabilities. are,
however, that more Republican Sena-
tors than Democratic will vote for clo-
a ture (Which is tantamount to voting for
FEPC) and many more Democratic SEN
atorS than Republicans will vote against
it.
Real Democratic Split.
The great dificulty the Democrats will
labor under in this clash Of claims il
that the vast number of Republicans in
congress are for civil rights legislation
as is easily demonStrated-while there Is
real split in Democratic ranks, with A
great section of the party opposed to
such legislation and to FEPC In par.
ticular.
ms split in the Democratic PARTY
over civil rights legislation is one reason
Tor the ridiculous antics of the admins
uatlon leadership-which have brought
the FEPC bill before the Senate too
iate. Inc administration was in posi-
ton to call up FEPC last January II il
had so desired. The bill was already on
the calendar of the Senate Or IL could
have brought up an anti-poll tax bill or
an antl-lynching bill For weeks the Re.
publican leadership needed Senator
Lucas. the administration leader. de.
manding that he bring up for considera.
ton one of the civil rights bills-and Mr..
Lucas. giving one reason or another, put
them OF Yet 1t was obvious from the
start Of the session the only chance of
forcing vote on FEPC was to get a
decision early on the motion for cloture.
and If the motion failed. then to hold
the Senate in long. continuous sessions,
until the Southern fllibuster could be
broken. Obviously, a majority of the
Senate has been ready to vote for FEPC.
Party Politics on Scene.
Party politics-Democrati politics
entered the scene. however The admin
istration has been desperately trying to
WOO the States Rights Democrats back
into the Truman fold. with an eye to
1852. Such stalwart supporters Of the
administration as Senators Hill Of Ala
oama. Pepper OF Florida and Graham of
North Carolina all had to stand for
committeeman II the FEPC bill had
been permitted to come up early. it was
impossible to say what might happen
TO them-even though they said they
would oppose the legislation. It was this
civil rights advocacy by President Tru-
man that aroused the Dixiecrats In is4s
and took four States Of the solid South"
away from him.
No one believes now that a filibuster
against civil rights legislation in the
Senate could be broken before the close
of the session. The great appropriations
for the Government must be made, and
other bills Of importance. like social
security. and a bill to reduce wartime
excise taxes. are in the immediate ofYing.
Obviously the Democrats from the South
are in position to slow down all these
must" measures to debate them for
long hours. If they believe that the
administration will seek to bring FEPC
again before the Senate late in the
summer.
Further. If the truth were known. 1t is
doubtful that a majority of the Senator'S
look with favor on a compulsory FEPC
bill-even though majority. for politi-
cal reasons. might vote for one. Even
in the House the administration found
it impossible to get a compulsory bill
passed-and the House passed finally an
educational and voluntary FEPC meas
ure.