Evening star., 1953-01-03
The Political Mill
Civil Rights Issue Still
In d Middle in Senute
Voluntary FEPC Measure
Might Yet Be Worked Out
By Gould Lincoln

Senator Taft OF Ohio, Republican
leader of the Senate, is confident that a
64-vote "a constitutional two-thirds)
of the Senate can be mustered to end
debate and vote on civil rights legisla-
ton, in the new, 83d Congress. That is
the requirement for closing debate under
the Senate rules as they now stand. II
Senator Taft Is correct, the talk OF
amending the rules to make it possible
to close debate by a mere constitutional
majority Of the Senate-49 votes-or by
a vote of two-thirds of the Senator'S
present. seems idle.
However, q vote by constitutional
two thirds Of the Senate membership.
or by majority Of the Senate, could be
reached only after knock down, drag
out night. since the siZeable bloc of
Southern Democratic Senators may be
counted on to conduct a desperate fili-
buster in either event, to prevent vote.
Mr.. Taft's contention Is that during
20 years Of Democratic rule-except for
the two years of the 80th Congress when
the Republicans controlled Congress
no really serious effort was made by the
Democratic leadership to force such a
hight. Always the Democratic leadership
found some reason for putting of until
another day showdown with the
Southerners on any civil rights legisla-
tion, and particularly on compulsory
Federal FEPC. One obvious reason for
this procrastination was desire not to
split the Democratic Party completely,
both In the Congress and in the country.
Politics Again To the Fore.
Now that the Republicans have taken
over control of the Senate and the
House, however. politics rears its head
again in the civil rights fight. With
Republican control of the Senate hair
trigger matter. it is clear that the Eisen-
hover administration must rely at times
on Democratic votes-particularly those
of the conservative Southern Demo-
cratic Senators. Can the administra-
tion afford to kick these Southern Dem
ocrats in the teeth, and help to grind
them down in long, gruelling. con-
tinuouS debate in the Senate to force
votes on measures the SouthernerS will
not swallow? 1t may be that the Re-
publicans. by uniting with the Fair
Dealers among the Democrats. could
bring about cloture on a civil rights
bill. But in SO doing they would be
hooking up with their desperate enemies
and turning their backs on their more
natural allies, the conservative Demo-
Gratis of the South.
The whole civil rights issue, therefore,
still seems in muddle. The Lehmans.
the Humphreys and other Fair Dealers
in the Senate may be suspected Of try
ing to put the limelight on civil rights
legislation, through present attack on
the cloture rule of the Senate, to en-
barrass the Republicans-and, more i'm
portant, to keep the Negro vote in the
Democratic ranks as it has been pre-
ponderantly since the early days of the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt administra-
ton.
Something Equitable" Could Be.
Possibly the Republicans will be able
to work out something equitable and, in
great measure satisfactory, to both sides
in this fight. The crux of the civil rights
fight now appears to be Federal law
for fair employment practices. The Fair
Dealers insist that this must be COM
pulsory law, with penalties to be i'm
posed by the Federal Government for
any infraction. President Truman, who
has adv located such law since he took
over as Chief Executive, and Gov. Adlai
Stevenson of Illinois both campaigned
on that issue last fall PreSident-elect
Eisenhower, on the other hand, never
committed himself to such a measure.
He indicated he might go along with a
voluntary" and educational" law for
FEPC. That has been the position of
Senator Taft for some years. In many
quarters IN the South, a voluntary meas
ure OF this kind might be accepted.
since it would leave the measure of fair
employment practices largely in the
hands OF the States, in cooperation
with the Federal Government.
II such voluntary bill comes before
the Senate, or the House, the Fair
Dealers will have to make up their
minds whether they would go along with
if. They might prefer to hold for all
or nothing-a compulsory law or no
law. II they did, it would be construed
as a desire on their part to keep the
civil rights issue alive, and to hold the
Negro vote as long as possible.
The new Congress will have plenty
on its hands, in the way of important
legislation and appropriation. Never.
theless IN these early days of the ses-
sion, there may be time fora real show
down on civil rights-provided the Re-
puollcans are willing to press for it,