Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-24
LABOR
Civil Rights Issue
Swoys Southerners
Continued FROM First PagI

Continued From First Page
Of failing a man without jury
trial.
One Of the main battles over
civil rights legislation has CEN
tered on prosecution Of VIOLA
tors for contempt Of court In
defying lnjunctions. Contempt
is punishable by the judge
without o jury. The Mcclellan
bin Of rights also provides for
intnnctions against union offi-
cials who interfere with mem
bers freedom Of speech and
other rights,
Southerners also apparently
were worried by the contention
that Senator McClellan's bill OF
rights could be used to force
racial indignation Of unions.
This argument was based
mainly on a provision that
would guarantee equal rights"
to all union members. In adj
dition, the bill of rights con-
trips a definition Of member"
that could conceivably be used
TO torbio exclusion OF workers
from unions.
Fights for support
II don't know whether they
.(Senators Kennedy and john
SOM can scare them (the
Southerners) or not" Senator
Mcclellan told a reporter. He
undoubtedly hopes to argue his
wavering Southern colleagues
back in line. Most of them sup
ported him when the Senate
adopted his labor bill Of rights
by a one-vote margin Wednes-
day.
Senator Mcclellan angrily
branded the civil rights argu-
ment "just plain silly" He said
other enforcing sections of the
Kennedy bill also provide for
injunctions.
But Senator Kennedy re-
ported happily that some
Southerners nov are reading"
what they voted for Wednes-
day. Senator Stennis. Demo-
crat Of Mississippi, was one OF
the Southerners who confirmed
that he was having second
thoughts.
Authorities said several rarely
used devices are available for
cutting the bill of rights out
of the Kennedy bill by major
ity vote.
The Senate could pull a.
chunk of the Kennedy bill out,
with the Mcclellan amendment
in the middle. and substitute
different language - either
without a bill of rights or with
a greatly diluted version.
Or the Senate could at the
end of debate strike out the
whole Kennedy bill and sub
stitute a new measure, with
out the bill Of rights.
Or the Senate could send the
Kennedy, bill back to commit
tee with instructions to remove
the bill of rights. There are
doubts about the validity OF
this recommittal move under
parliamentary rules, because
the committee instruction
would contradict earlier floor
action. 4
Or the Senate could amend
the bill Of rights to remove!
some Of organized labor's OBJ
iections. There were no i'm
mediate indications whether
Senator Mcclellan would COM
promise.
Humphrey Leaves Again
Senators absent for Wednes-
days vote rushed back to-
the Capitol yesterday, but
one of them, Senator Hum
phrey, returned to California
this morning.
The Minnesota Democrats
aides said Senator Humphrey
had entered a pair with Sena-
tor Carlson, Republican of
Kansas, canceling out each
others votes. Senator Carlson
left town also.
While Senator Humphrey
anticipates no close votes on
crucial issues, the aides said,
he is keeping in close touch
and would try to return to the
Capitol If needed. Other
wise, he is due back next
Monday.
If no votes switched, the Nc
Clellan bill of rights might lose
a new test by a slim margin.
Margin of Safety
Pressure on the Southerners
is designed to provide a margin
Of safety by switching their
votes.
Senator Goldwater. Republic
can of Arizona, told a reporter
he still is hopeful" of sustain
ing the bill of rights on a new
vote. He said some opponents
of the Mcclellan proposal may
change sides in resentment at
the contemplated parliament
airy maneuver.
In the first vote today a
handful Of Senators rejected an
amendment by Senator Clifford
Case, Republican of New Jersey,
to require all unions to file
financial reports with the Gov
eminent. The Kennedy bill as
it stands exempts unions with
fewer than 200 members and
less than $4,000 in gross an
nual receipts, unless the Secre-
tary of Labor revokeS the ex-
emption.
Meanwhile. the ALL CLIO
issued an analysis of the bill of
rights charging sit largely de-
stroys the historic concept Of
a union as voluntary associ-
alton" entitled to run its af-
fairs without excessive Govern
rnent interference. Unionl