St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-04-04
The Truth About
Senotor Toff &
The Negro Citizen

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Continued from page j.
civil rights legislation, Taft ex-
pressed what is probably his basic
objections to real FEPC:
II believe that the bill as franz
ed and introduced would absolute
ly bring about a complete regi-
mentation of all employers in the
United States and all employ
ment in the United States"
He has introduced a bill of his
own which would give a commits
sion the power of study and vol
untary appeal" as he himself ex-
pressed it. Taft has also built up
good paper record in behalf of
anti-lynching legislation.
Furthermore, he always votes
for cloture to end the Southern
filibuster. This voting record is
only nominal and in no way indi-
Gates how he has worked to sabo-
tage civil rights legislation. AS
Republican leader, he has never
been willing to hold the Senate in
continuous session around the
clock, which is the only way to
wear down filbusters. AS a result,
fihbusters are genteel affairs with
everybody knocking off around six
o'clock in the evening. In the end
there Is occasionally one token all
night session and then an agree
mcnt to vote. This is no strain on
Dixiecrat lungs at all.
When the vote does come, Taft
casts his own vote in favor of clio
ture, but he is careful to see to it
that there are always Just enough
mo" votes by Republican Sena-
tors from states like New Hamp-
shire, Nevada, and the Dakotas
WHICH nave ip ANtSip NpiiHNA't'AA
cies. Taft always delivers the
Dworshaks and Bushfields and
Malones on KEEP economic issues
that really interest him; he is
strangely Intellectual with these
same gentlemen on civil rights
issues.
When Taft was traffic man
ager" for legislation In the Re
publican SOth Congress, he cOnsis-
tently refused to give civil rights
legislation the right Of way on the
calendar. As in Cincinnati, he has
done nothing by informal pressure
In Washington. For example, when
racists were kicking up row over
Interior Secretary Chapman's rul-
ing which opened the District of
Columbia swimming pools without
segregation, Taft gave Chapman
no support.
Taft's classic maneuvcr in this
whole field was his mastermind-
ing of the so-Called Wherry res
olution. In 1919, after a big rum
pus over FEPC. the Republicans
in the Senate came forward with a
compromise This was the
Wherry resolution which provides
that il requires constitutional
two-thirds of the Senate t6i
votesl to break a fihbuster in
stead of. as previously two thirds
Of whatever number Of senators
happened to be present in the
chamber at the time.
This compromise" actually
made the passage Of civil rights
legislation inCalCuablv more diff
cult. Yet Taft promoted It, voted
for it. and cynically defended It as
a measure to make passage easier.
Taft has the closest kind of
working alliance with the Byrd
George Russell triumvirate which
rules the DixieCrat bloc. They
work hand in glove on labor,
taxes. price control and other eco
nomic legislation. The fundamen-
tai premise Of this working agree
ment is that Taft Will always find
ways and means Of preventing the
passage of civil rights.
Taft, speaking In Nashville,
Tenn. In September. l9iS, frankly
admitted: There Is a basic agree
ment between Southern Demo
Gratis and the Republican Party"
Yet Taft is not above claiming
credit for his championship of
Negro interests. His literature