Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-18
Alabama Votes
County SpIif-up
In Race Dispute

BIRMINGHAM. Ala, Dec. 10
R.--Alabama voters have au-
thorized the Legislature to
abolish Macon County rather
than see it come under Negro
domination.
The decision came in yester-
days election on Is proposed
amendments TO the State Con-
stitution.
| 1t reflects the Deep South's
fear that the Civil Rights Bill
enacted by the last Congress
to enforce voting rights NAV
lead to Negro political control
Of local governments. Macon
county's whites are outnum-
bered. 7 to /.
The county may now be abol-
ished by legislative act and its
territory added to adjoining
counties where whites are in
the majority.
Returns from 1890 Of the
States 2,700 ballot boxes gave
81 ,47e for the Macon amend
ment to 36.820 against.
\ Voting Is Light
\ That was an unusually light
vote, even for an election of
this type. The final vote was
not expected to exceed one
fifth Of the total voter regis
tration of S25.000. That figure
includes $4,000 or more Ne
groes. who apparently did not
vote in much greater proper
ton than whites.
1 Macon's county seat, Tuske-
gee. Is the home of Tuskegee
Institute. famous Negro COL
lege. The Legislature this year
narrowed Tuskegee's city limits
to exclude most Negro voters.
The towns white-owned BUSH
nesses then were boycotted by
Negro residents.
In the county. white voters
outnumber Negroes about 2 TO
/. On the abolition amend
ment. Macon voters favored its
adoption by about 5 to 4.
The Macon amendment came
from its own State Senator.
Sam Englehardt. He is exec
utive secretary Of the Alabama
Association Of Citizens Coun-
ellis, a pro-segregation organ
ization.
No Local Option
|! Some Macon citizens object
ed to the amendment because
it deprived the county Of the
! final say-so on whether the
constitutional change was to
become effective. This provi-
sion usually is embodied in
amendments Of local appli-
cation.
The only organized opposi-
ton against the amendment
was a last-minute appeal by
the Tuskegee Civic Association.
a Negro organization. It said
the proposal was device 70
maintain IAN undemocratic
system Of social relationships,
q system which cannot be JUS
titled morally or politically"
Seven members Of the white
Macon County Bar Association
opposed the abolition measure
lat the present time
4 Senator Engelhardt warned
that the Negro majority in his
county. with the help of the
new Federal Civil Rights Law.
might be able to elect Negroes
to county ONCE.
To Set Up Committee
The amendment provides for
establishing a committee Of
legislators from Macon and five
neighboring counties. 1t will
study abolition possibilities and
report to the Legislature.
Senator Engelhardt said the
committee probably will have
its first meeting early in
January.
Numerous problems of taxa
ton debts and judicial author
ity must be settled in any divi-
sion of Macon among its
neighbors.
Alabama voters gave healthi-
er margins to amendments
providing funds for State docks
expansion and school and hos
pital needs than they did to the
segregation amendment. which
received most prediction pub
lcity.
c. @, Condition. president of
the TuSkegee Civic Association,
said of the vote on the abolition
amendment. I'VE regret that it
went that way. However, it's
nothing more than we ex-
pected."