Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1956-09-14
DEMOCRATS. REPUBLICANS AND THEIR
CANDIDATES ON CIVIL RIGHTS
BY Alfred Baker Lewis
The Party Platforms


The Republicans trying to repeat their feat In carrying
states they and the
Democrats have tried TO write platform planks civil rights
which will gain the support both Of Negro voters and OF pref
udeed white southern voters obvious impossbty The
civil rights plank in neither platform is anything for Negroes
rejoice about therefore The Republican plank makes no
promises concerning federal legislation equal
ploymen opportunities outlaw the poll require
en for voting or for Federal Antilynehing Law
however accept the Supreme Courts ruling that racial
segregation education unconstitutional along with bow
TO the south by recognizing that there complex and
aeuey emotional problems created by this decision In GER
tain parts of the country.
The Democratic civil rights plank contains words which
clearly indicate their support for Federal Fair Employ
practice law Federal AntPo Tax legislation and Fed
eTal AntiInchng legislation when says that the Demo-
viii work end discrimination Of all kinds in rela
ton full rights 10 vote, full rights in useful
occupations and full rights enjoy security of the person
Concerning the Supreme Courts decision against racial
cation education the Democratic platform merely mentions
5ooisia,
part Of the Law Of the land"
more intelligent approach 10 the question Of civil rights
in the campaign IS examine the record of the living
former presidents, Democrat Harry Truman and the
other Republican Herbert Hoover also the record Of
the presidential candidates, Eisenhower and Stevenson
The Record OF the former Presidents
Iooyers record civil rights be briefly stated lie
has got any When he office Negroes
relief in far higher proportion than whites and plenty
whites relief and federal relief for the
employed provided Segregation and discrimination
universal In the armed forces The idea of federal action 10
provide employment practices woudve occurred TO
Herbert Hoover and in fact he has this day 10 the
best of knowledge endorsed this time policy of Pres
ident Roosevelt
Harry Truman is made of different lie appointed
Civil Rights composed people prominent in
various walks of life and drawn from Catholics Protestants
Jews and Negroes which up with unanimous
mendatons for federal action end discrimination and seq
regaton in practically every aspect Of social life upon
which the federal government could take action President
Truman promptly moved carry that recommendation
by ordering end TO segregation in the armed forces As
result the Air Force ended segregation promptly and efee
lively the Army did the but slowly and the Navy
opened up other Naval rating besides the department
to Negroes but kept and is still keeping the mess depart
ment segregated according to my latest information.
Truman was able to do this because the President is
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and he did
need congressional action
But Truman also kept calling Congress to
civil right legislation particularly Federal Fair Employment
Practice law with enforcement powers Federal AntLynch
ing law. Federal Anti-Pol and Law against segre
CATION of passengers In Interstate travel
How Senate Rule No. % Was Adopted
Unfortunately, Truman's legislative program block
ed by mbuster or the practice allowed by the Senate rules
of unlimited end rreveant speeches TO lega-
tive action Such busters could be stopped only by % vote
When Aben Barley vice president elected Trumans
running he made ruling which would have reduced
the right" fbuster He said that fbuster could
be carried against motion take up bill But his ruling
was overturned by by of 46 to Ill
pubicans against the ruling limiting flbuser by %
the Democrats despite their representation
from the southern where the white usually
afflicted with high degree of racial prejudice, voted by
IS 10 % in favor of the ruling Thus majority of the Re-
publicans voted to uphold hibusters by which civil rights
legislation is blocked in the senate and the majority of
Democrats voted against flibuster.
The mainly sectional with all the from
the southern states voting wrong from the point of civil
rights. all the New England voting right
the significant thing from political point of view that
there that divided in their party rep
in the senate having both a Republican and
Democrat senator namely Colorado Delaware Minnesota.
Montana Pennsylvania Utah. and Washington In all these
the Republican voted wrong and the
Democratic voted right In addition Senator Morse
from Oregon who then Republican but who has since
become Democrat voted right while his Republican fellow
senator from Oregon voted wrong.
When Barkey's ruling defeated Senate Rule No D
adopted This made the situation for permitted
be voted end ibuSter only by % of all
the senator's not just those and voting Thus
those who favor rights counted
against cloture, they i'll unavoidaby absent when
the taken.
Since then opposition Senate Rule No p has been
of the main items in the demand for civil rights We
make possible to stop fbuster by majority of the
The motion adopt Senate Rule No % made by
Senator whey the Republican floor leader in the
Incidentally the Democratic platform for 1856 has
ton calling for majority rule congress- and this part of
the platform carried Rule No % would
be ended But the Republican platform silent this
Truman o Fair Employment Practices
Although President Roosevelt's wartime Fair Employ