Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-14
Mundt Offers
Substitute for
Rights Bill
Says Measure Has
Changes the South
Con Live With
BY J. A. O'LEARY

By j. A. O'LEARY
Senator Mundt, Republican
of South Dakota. moved yes
terday to make the administra-
tons civil rights bill more ac-
ceptahle to the South.
He offered the Senate a sub
stitute which may become the
basis for a bipartisan compro-
mise. since it embodies some
amendments already offered
separately by Democrats.
The Mundt proposal would
limit use of the. injunction
process to the protection of
voting rights. provide for a
limited form of jury trial and
curb the investigating powers
of the proposed civil rights
commission.
Part of the Mundt substi-
tute is the same as an amend
ment introduced earlier yes
terday by Senator Russell,
Democrat Of Georgia. leader of
the Southern opposition. It
would strike out a section of
the House bill permitting the
Federal Government to seek
civil court injunctions in all
types of civil right cases.
Senator Russell has charged
this section, known as Part
Three of the bill, would enable
the Federal Government to
force the South to accept inte-
grafton in the schools and other
public places.
O'MahOneyD Plan
The Mundt substitute also
embraces the amendment sug-
|gested by Senator O'Mahoney,
Democrat of Wyoming, to au-
thorize Federal judges to grant
jury trials if questions of fact
are involved to persons cited
for contempt for alleged vio-
lation of injunctions.
Senator Mundt also proposed
that the new civil rights COM
mission be given subpoena
power only in cases involving
voting rights. On all other
complaints it would be limited
to hearing voluntary witnesses,
and to making recommended
tons to State Legislatures.
Congress and the President for
new laws on civil rights.
In unfolding his substitute
late yesterday, Senator Mundt
said he believes a reasonable
and rational" compromise can
be worked out that will protect
the voting rights of all citi-
zenS without giving new police
powers to the Federal Govern
ment."
He called his substitute a
measure the South could live
with. He said extremists on
both sides of the issue will OBJ
ject, but reminded them that
compromise is the process by
which legislation usually is OBJ
tanned and indicated a sub
stantial number of Senators
favor a middle course.
Trusts South on Jury
The South Dakota Republic
can said he believes the South
can be trusted to operate the
jury system, and challenged
the argument of supporters of
the House bill that a jury trial
amendment would emasculate
the bill.
Senator Mundt quoted from
recent editorial in The Star
entitled Swapping Civil
Rights" and compared the
present attempt to omit the
jury trial from this bill with
the effort to pack the Supreme
Court with additional judges
in the New Deal era. The SEN
ator said Congress was correct
in refusing to pack the court.
and believes this Congress will
be correct If 1t preserves the
principle Of jury trial in the
civil rights bill.
There was no immediate re-
action to the Mundt substitute
because all but a few Senators
had gone home when he de-
livered it after 6 o'clock last
evening. The Senate ended its
sixth day of debate on a mo-
ton to take UP the bill at $50
pm.
Earlier, Senator Aiken, Re-
publican Of Vermont, held out
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