The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1956-12-22


every American the "numoer Oh
civil liberties issue before the
nation" the American Civil J'N
critics Union announced this week
a major organizational ehor.
the South to provide new sup
port for the national campai "a
to eliminate discrimination.
The Unions decision was dis
closed in a statement common.
Grating the 165th celebration OF
Bill of Rights Day, the anaiver-
sary OF the final adoption Of the
first ten amendments to the Con-
stitution. The statement was re-
leased by Patrick Murphy Malin,
ACLU executive director.
Malin declared that the focus
of the ACLU effort would be to
build a larger corps of volunteer
lawyers who would be avai1ablS
promptly to handle all kinds of
civil liberties cases for all groups
in the community. Special atten-
ton also will be given to eStab-
fishing new ACLU units in
Southern states and localities. Tht
immediate detectives. he said. arr
North Carolina. and Texas, where
interest in ACLU activity is
mounting. The Union in the last
year and one-half has establish
ed affiliateS in Louisiana, Ken.
lucky and Florida.
"While many civil rights, adj
VanceS continue to he made in
the South" Malin said, "the op
position to the Supreme Courts
decisions has caused serious civil
liberties problems. The denial OF
voting rights in the last election
to large numbers of Negroes and
the barriers set up to block the
work of the National Association
Of Colored People and the Urban
League mean that First Amend
ment rights of free speech and as
Sociation are threatened"
AS result Of these attacks, tn
ACLU head said, there is need for
other groups to build local or
CARNATIONS which will stress tn
full observance of the Bill OF
Rights. AS local violations of civ;
liberties occur, he MD +
volunteer lawyers on the seem
will he available to give legal aid
as needed.
"Our effort will not be a.
Northern-i m p o d campaign"
Malin continued. There are
great numbers of people within
the South itself who want to up
hold the Bill of Rights. S o m e
of them have asked our organi-
rational aid, and we are respond
ing to this need"
Nor does the emphasis on
Southern organization mean that
other areas of the country have
clean records, Malin said. "Seg-
regation and discrimination are
still national problems. They
exist in the North, East and West,
too, and must be equally opposed
there" Malin said that the ACLU
23td affiliates are working ac-
lively to help achieve intsgraticn.
The civil liberties spokesman
also called attention to the need
for quick Congressional action on
two fronts. One is 10 revis
ate Rule %, which now serves
to allow any minority bloc t. IL
buster Objectionable legislation to
death. THE refusal Of Senote
minority to permit important civil
rights legislation to come to a
vote is a thwarting of the demo-
cratic process of free decision
after adequate debate. We h o p e
and urge that Senators will join
the effort being planned to change
this obStructioniSt rule when the
new Senate conveneS on Jan. g."
The other major and immediate
need in Congress is for legiIa-
ton aiding refugees of the Hun
garian revolution who are seek
ing political asylum in the United
States, the ACLU asserted.
CONGRESS should act swiftly to
provide statutory authority for
the admirable emergency action
in bringing $1,000 refugees to our
country. On the basis of expert
ence at the refugee centerS in
Austria, Congress should consider
if speedier means of processing
these unfortunate victims of
Communist tyranny can be found.
And Congress should also con-