Evening star., 1957-08-30
RIGHTS

GOubA1uCo EEum ElH8b rage
The politically dictated persecu-
tion which may await us can
eventually outrage the sense Of
decency inherent in the masses
OF the American people Of to-
day"
Substance Of Measure
Here is what the bill will do:
/. Empower the Attorney
General to seek Federal in
functions against anyone who
is interfering with the voting
rights Of another citizen.
2. Set up q six-member civil
right commission with sub
poena power, to investigate
complaints for q period Of two
years. to determine whether
further legislation is needed.
3. Provide for a new assist
ant attorney general to spe-
cialize in the enforcement Of
civil rights.
Passage Of the bill will be
the distinguishing mark Of this
session Of Congress. It also is
a feather in the cap Of Sen
ate Democratic Leader john
son Of Texas, because for many
years all civil rights bills have
been fllibustered to death in
the Senate.
Election Issue Set Up
The bill undoubtedly will be
an issue in the 1858 and 1860
elections in the big Northern
States, where the Negro vote
is an important factor. Which
party gains the most from it
may depend on how 1t works
out in practice.
The Republicans are expected
to tell the voters that o Re-
publican controlled Congress
would pass q stronger bill. The
Democrats will reply that 1t
took q Democratic Congress to
pass the first legislation on the
subject since reconstruction
days.
One thing is certain. The
Democrats are better OF politi-
cally than If the Southerners
had followed their time-hon-
ored custom Of blocking the
bill with a filibuster.
They apparently became con-
vinced that. with the recent
trend Of Supreme Court deci-
sions against racial segregation,
the next session Of Congress
would have q bill more dis
tasteful to the South.
Harmony Increases
They also have made possible
a greater degree Of harmony
than has existed for a long
time between the Northern
and Southern wings Of their
party.
The final roll call came after
the Senate had been in con-
tinuous session for 80 hours.
most of which was taken up by
Senator Thurmond's last-ditch
stand.
On this roll call 81 Repub-
licans and % Democrats voted
for the bill. The Southerners
provided all is mo" votes. Ma
jority Leader johnson and his
Texas colleague. Senator Var
borought, and the two Tennes-
see Senators, Kefauver and
Gore. supported the bill.
The civil rights issue had
held the center of the stage
since the House first passed
the bill on June 18.
The House measure was broad
enough to permit use OF Fed
eral injunctions to prevent ra-
cial segregation in all public
places. or to protect any civil
right. It also made no provis-
sion for trial by jury for persons
charged with contempt for fall
ure to obey the injunctions.
Limited TO Voting
With some Republican help,
Senate Democrats succeeded in
limiting the scope of the bill to
the protection Of voting rights.
The Senate also adopted an
amendment requiring jury trials
in criminal contempt cases
under this or any other Feder=i
law.
In this form the bill passed
the Senate on August 7. Then
followed weeks Of stalemate be-
tween House and Senate lead
ers over the jury trial issue. At
times 1t threatened to put of
flnal action until next year.
Last week a compromise was
reached under which Federal
judges will have discretion to
try criminal contempt cases
with or without a jury. But II
they proceed without a jury
and impose a penalty Of more
than $500 flne or more than
IS days in jail, the defendant
may demand q new trial with
q jury.
The compromise also limits
the jury trial provision to this
bill, thereby eliminating its ap-
plication to labor. antitrust
and other laws.
Southerners contended the |
compromise is unconstitutional,
and this belief may be another