St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-07-10
Democrats Advisory
Group Urges Firm
Rights LEGISLATION

Washington (ANP) - The
Democratic Advisory council
IN e ting recently ma m d
strong civil rights legislation
at the head Of the list of legis
lative measures which Congress
was urged to act upon before
adjournment.
The only dissent for this prop
osaf came from Mrs. Benjamin
Bryan Everett, national commit
teewoman for North Carolina and
a council member.
Butler Heads Council
The 27-member council is head
ed by Paul Butler, chairman, Ma
tional Democratic committee, and
includes such party leaders as
former President Harry S. Tru-
man and twice presidential candid
ate Adlai E. Stevenson.
The group struck a strong blow
at Republican vote government"
1t contended that Congress has
been continuously threatened with
Presidential vetoes in the attempt
to thwart the constructive and nee
essary measures considered by the
Democratic leadership.
The party advisors scored the
Democratic-controlled Congress for
yielding to these veto threats rath-
er than ignoring them. 1t condemn
ed it's own party-controlled legis-
lative branch for making time
consuming efforts to water down
proposed legislations to the limits
of what the President might &C
cept.
1t was brought to the attention
of the President a few days later
that the Democratic leadership in
Congress seems to approach legis.
lation in the view that a half 6
loaf is better than none in order
to get his signature on what il
might propose. Then the question
was raised by a newspaper report
err if the President thought thi'
falls within the definition of ICON
structive legislative work"
President VitaIly Interested
The President replied that he 1
a part of the legislative process b,
provisions of the Constitution. And
he added, he feels that the Amer
lean public expects its Presiden
always to exercise his best Judge
ment in giving approval or disap
proval or qualified approval or dis
approval in such cases.
Whenever any legislative pro
gram is put before him, continued
Mr.. Eisenhower, he must decide
whether in principle it agrees will
the basic beliefs by which he mus
conduct his office, and whether IL
amount of quantity or quality i
comes within the reasonable rang
of what he is trying to get at.
And If it does these things, tn,
President added, he thinks it is ;
disservice to veto anything merel!
because it has failed in some de
tail to go along with the expressed
views of the President.
On the other hand, Mr.. Eisen
hover said, he thinks the Presiden
is not doing his duty unless he ex
presses disapproval of Legislation
which gets out of hand.
Demos Rap Own Leadership
The President was also informed
at his press conference Of tn,
Democratic Advisory council
criticism of its own leadership il
Congress. The reporter invokec
laughter when he reminded MI
Eisenhower that his political OPP
ponents had accused him on
number of occasions of lack o
leadership, but now the shoe i
on the other foot"
THE Democratic Advisory coun
Gil, by implication anyway, is crit
icizing its own leadership in Con
gress, or the lack of it. Could 20,
give us the Eisenhower definition
of leadership in government, ant
could you spell out for us, sir,
little more Of your concept Of tn,
role Of the Presidency now?"
There was more laughter wher
the President replied that h
thought the reporter had Gus
quoted some things which give tn,
best definition Of what Leadership
is not" He said he would let 1
go at that.