Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-15
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mid-afternoon conference to try
to organize a floor fight.
The plank as it now stands is
not as strong as the Northern
liberals wanted. On the other
hand, by mentioning the Su-
preme Court at all, it goes fur
Their than the South wanted the
convention to go.
The Southerners argued dur
ing days of elaboration that no
court decision should have to
rely on the endorsement of a
political party to make it effec-
tive. They also contended that
the South never asked for a
similar endorsement of earlier
decisions, which for more than
half a century upheld the doc
trine of separate but equal
school facilities.
Farm Plank Fight Feared
There were reports that con-
troversy would develop in the full
Platform Committee over the
agricultural plank, which also
was made public last night.
The Democratic statement on
foreign affairs is the only plank
still to be made public.
Just before the Drafting Sub
committee emerged from its con-
ference room to announce adop-
ton of civil rights plank, re-
porters heard a series of out
bursts of applause, as though the
members were congratulating
each other on their efforts to
avert a party split.
Even if a minority report
emeres from the full Platform
Committee. Chairman McCor-
mack of Massachusetts is pre-
dictin the majority report will be
adopted by the convention.
In advance of its disclosure,
former Gov. Battle of Virinia
predicted the plank will not be
what the South wanted.
LAS matter of fact" he
added, ut will be distasteful,
very distasteful to the South.
But from what I know of the
situation it will not be anything
like as severe as was originally
proposed by many people living
In the North and East"
Gov. G. Mennen Williams of
Michigan was one of several
liberals who made known to the
drafting subcommittee yesterday
their belief the party should
adopt strong civil rights plank
But persons close to the Mlchi-
gan Governor say he is not dis
posed to promote a floor fight.
Other Plahks Revealed
Next to civil rights, interest
centered in how far the plat
form builders will go in criticiz-
ing the Eisenhower foreign
policy.
Meanwhile, the drafting sub
committee yesterday disclosed a
series of planks on the following
subjects:
Natural resources - Charging
the Eisenhower administration
with having "despoiled future
generations of their heritage by
utter failure to safeguard nat
ural resources" 1t recalled the
DiXon-Yates contract for a pri-
vate power plant in the IVA
area, which was later abandoned.
1t criticized existing plans for a
low-level Hell's Canyon dam in
the Northwest.
Free enterpriSe-Which ac-
cused the administration of al
lowing giant corporations to
dominate the economy, and
promised various forms of as
sistance to small business.
AS first released this plank
also promised legislation to help
American industries adversely
affected by commodity imports
produced by sub-standard for
eign labor. But it was announced
this plank would be revised.
This was somewhat out OF
line with Democratic advocacy
OF the reciprocal trade program
and several hours later it was
eliminated in a revised plank,
which pointed out that the basic
concepts Of the reciprocal trade
program were devised by the
Democratic Party. The new
plank condemned the admins
tration Of the program by the
Republicans.
II was explained that the first
draft was only the suggestion OF
one committee member and was
inadvertently included in the
official draft through a clerical
error.
LabOr-Which promised repeal
OF the Taft-Hartley law anc
criticized President Eisenhower
for failure to keep a campaign
promise TO eliminate unjust pro-
visions of the law. 1t also urged
an increase in the minimum wage
law from 81 to SIPS an hour.
Agriculture-Which promised
the farmers a return to 80 pei
cent Of parity price supports anc
other types of aid designed tC
restore the full 100 per cent Of
parity the Democrats claim the
farmers enjoyed prior TO thi,
administration.