Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-24
LETTERS TO THE STAR

States the Negroes predominant
and, after voting qualifications
are removed, will hold the bal
ance of power.
The most lamentable as
pect Of this misguided action
by the House is that so many
Of our elected officials (includ-
ing the President) did not hes
itate to sacrifice an immemor-
ial, fundamental, constitutions
al right Of the people to po-
litical expediency. The Senate
should insist upon inclusion Of
the jury trial amendment. Un-
less it does so. the South will
never submit and endless strife
and turmoil will result.
Old ReactiOnary
4
Congratulations on your
June 16 editorial, Jury Trials
Denied" and on the Berry
man cartoon of the same issue
dealing with the same subject.
That editorial and that car
toon should be required study
for Congress.
The House has acted. And
unfortunately. in the case Of
a majority Of the Republican
members. it has acted upon
political expediency and not
even long-range. enlightened
expediency. For those who
voted to defeat the jury trials
amendment disregarded the
rights Of every accused person
to a trial by Jury. And they
did this at the demand of the
NAACP in the hope of captur-
ing the Negro vote. which can
no more be delivered by the
NAACP than can the vote of
working men and women be
delivered by labor bosses.
At the same time, these
same Republicans are eager
to gain Republican seats from
the solid South" BY de-
feating the jury trials amend
ment. they have greatly les
sened their chances to make
any gains in the South. They
have also practically ensured
defeat of the civil rights bill
by a fllibuster in the Senate.
Whereas acceptance Of the
jury amendment might have
won enough Southern votes to
result in passage Of the bill.
Those who demand 100 per
cent or nothing. usually get
nothing and rightly so.
Aside from the democratic
principle of according a trial
by jury to everyone accused
of crime. there is a more prac-
teal consideration in view of
recent opinions of the courts.
These opinions, hailed by some
left-wing columnists and radio
commentators as "a victory
for the rights of the individ-
ual," are in reality a victory
for only certain types Of indi-
viduals - mainly Communists
and subversives. The rights of
the great majority of decent.
law abiding citizens are en-
dangered by these decisions.
The courts have already
encroached gravely upon the
prerogatives OF the executive
and legislative branches of the
Government. Should they be
permitted to encroach upon
the rights OF the individual to
the extent of taking away his
constitutional right to trial by
jury? Z. Mclean johnson.
n
Thank you for your editorial,
Jury Trials Denied" 1t is
refreshing to find an honest
appraisal OF Southern prob
lens in a District Of Columbia
publication. It is not refresh
ing to realize that a majority
Of the Congress Of the United
States is too dense and lor
politically greedy to recognize
that the danger inherent in the
bill referred to affects the en-
tire Nation-not the despised
South against whom they
fight. Frances r. Minis.
Homer, La.
~
The so-called "civil rights"
legislation now before the
Senate must be most carefully
clarified lest we lose not only
the right TO trial by jury but
many more rights without
which we cannot live in free
dom regardless Of our race.
Article ~. Section 4, Of our
Federal Constitution guaran-
tees ito every State in this
Union a Republican form Of
Government" and Federal pro-
lection against foreign in
vasion; and ION application
Of the Legislature, or OF the
Executive when the LegiSla-
ture cannot be convened)
against domestic violence" 1t
is likely that the proposed form
Of civil rights" bill would abb
rogate this section Of Article
~. Mrs. Charles NJ. Clegg.