Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-04
Race Bars on Juries

This still was not enough for
the determined liberals and the
core of supporters of President
Eisenhower. who had said repeat
eddy that he wanted no part Of
a jury trial amendment in his civil
rights bill. They argued that one
reason a jury trial amendment
would amount to emaSculation Of
the bill was that Negroes are dis
eliminated against when juries are
chosen in the South. Thus, they
maintained, an effective way to
make the act ineffective would be
simply to empanel all-white juries
in Negro voting cases.
Senator Church who, along
with others Of liberal persuasion.
had helped to bring the Senate
closer to a final solution, thought
he had the answer to this one.
too. He offered still another plan
which would make certain that
Negroes are eligible for jury serv-
ice In Federal courts.
The amendment at this point
was put to a Senate vote. and its
inclusion in the bill was APP
proved, 81 to AZ. Besides the
Southerners. who all along had
been ready to vote for any modif1-
cation of the bill, the O'Mahoney-
Kefauver- Church arguments won
over the votes of such liberal nom
Southerners as Margaret Chase
Smith of Maine. Pastore of
Rhode Island. Murray and Mans
field Of Montana. Monroney Of
Oklahoma, Jackson and Magnu-
son of Washington, Kennedy Of
Massachusetts and Anderson of
New Mexico.
An argument that was perhaps
most succinctly stated by Senator
O'Mahoney obviously had found
great appeal among these liberals.
Said Senator O'Mahoney: Il be-
lieve 1t is utterly impossible to
carve the bill Of rights into diff
ferent pieces If we sacrifice
the right Of trial by jury. the right
to vote will not last long for
any citizen"
But the defeated opponents Of
the jury trial amendment were Of
a different opinion. The bill. they
claimed, had been thoroughly
emasculated-to the point OF hav.
ing been rendered meaningless.
Mr.. Eisenhower denounced the
amendment as bitterly disap-
pointing" thus giving rise to the
possibility that he might veto such
a bill If the Senate version is the
final one.
In the debate last week, there
was little Of the generosity and
magnanimity that had been so
evident in the first three weeks Of
the Senate's consideration Of the
bill. Indeed, at times the seldom
fiouted rules of senatorial courtesy
seemed about to be shattered as
liberal tempers flared at every hint
of new defeat.
The fact that other pressing
Senate business had been backed
UP in q jam behind the long civil
rights debate did not contribute to
even-tempered discussion. The
spending authority of the Defense
Department and the Agriculture
Department expired at midnight
Wednesday. and for more than a
half a day-until the Senate
acted-these two agencies were
without authority TO contract for
spending. Also expiring was the
Small Business Administration.
with its 1000 employees. 1t was
not revived until Friday.
Although the jury trial issue
was settled. the civil rights battle
was not yet over. There was little
doubt but that the bill would be
passed in the Senate Senator
johnson expects final vote around
the middle Of this week.. Geor-
gia's Senator Russell probably
spoke for other Southerners when
he said that, while he thought the
bill, as 1t now stands, will not
work a hardship on the people Of
his State, he will vote against 1t.
After final passage in the Sem
ate, where further amendment
has been made impossible, the
bill will 60 back to the House,
where 1t will be hardly recognizes
able to the Congressmen who
passed 1t on June 10 by a vote of
286 to 1876, and who rejected q
jury trial provision, 251 TO 1853.
In the House, two courses could
be taken: The Senate version
could be accepted intact as rec
ignition Of the fact that II II is
not this bill, there will be no bill
this session, or. ting measure could
be referred to 4 senate-House