Minneapolis spokesman., 1959-01-30
Humphrey And Douglas Renew Civil
RIGHTS Battle

ON yesterday Thursday Januoy 20 u this week strong
civil rights bin placed n the u Senate hopper by Senator
Hubert II Humphrey Minnesota Democrat and Senator Paul
Douglas, Illinois Democrat
The bin a. outlined n a conversation with this newspaper
bv senator Humphreys office Monday places congressional
support behind the US supreme Court decisions school n
epraton ud the right of the ballot This Is important need
1T this moment Of open defiance Of the Federal Conrta
provides for the support which the executive branch o
the government apparently to obtain compliance with
school desegegaon II acknowledges the prob
lem poaed by which resist the court order hy providing
and the help o the Us attorney general 10
school boards obey the aehoo ntegraon rulings
The Humphrey Douglas measure would also restore Title III
of the original Civil Rights bin Of 1851 which allowed the u
attorney entertain complaints filed by ndvduaia who
felt that civil rights had been violated IN voting any Of
the denials of citizenship rights
This the section eliminated with tho vote and eoopera
ton o southern pemoera prmoeras ike senator
Frank Church. presidential aspirants like Senators Estes Ne
of Tennessee aud John Kennedy ~ Massachusetts,
Subsequent experiences OF the Us Civil Rights Commits
sion IN Ia attempt investigate registration violations
in the Alabama proved how important Section Ill would
have been IA the carrying ont work the commission
Il presumed that the attempt TO write neaningful
civil rights legislation designed to strengthen the present law
will bipartisan support President Eisenhower 40 his
state Union asked for additional legislation plus
Lyndon ionsous granstand civil rights propoaas Of
the 1867 civil rights battle ia the Senate Reahieae
Senators oncd with Humphrey aud Douglas led by majority
leader William knowland who with eye the Negro vote
IN California finally joined np for real aSh rights campaign
This finally produced the rat civil rights legislation 50 years
which while down better than nothing and broke
for bre the longtime coalition If northern Repuh
licaus and southern Democrats
From this distance chances for the rasage of tho
which Humphrey and Douglas introduced yesterday
do appear particularly bright This reaction despite
Humphreys optimistic prediction to this paper that
civil rights legislation will be passed ia this session
Humphrey position and beliefs may have been heghuned
y the that the clever manipulation the pemoera majority
leader Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson has announced his
cv rights program proposals which Senator Kepneth y
keatiuR n Y Republican calls e A delusiou aud snare
Humphrey aud Douglas appear determined 70 for
good sound civil rights legislation and ct The chips fall where
bcy may II they get enough public support behind he
proposals. and help from Senate liberals both sides ot ht
chamber they moy force showdown the Douglas charge
that tho Lyndon johnson rules change strong enough
10 uyadate the huster tactics employed long to defea
Legislation ha, could have been defeated 10 any other
the meantime II bohooycS every true lover If this count
~ Individual Bit 20 bring pressure bear g
additional civil rights legislation with enough teeth
pance with the law Individuals may help hy writing all % chs
Us In the Congress an of the Representatives
securing similar support frum their unions their trade assoca
tons clubs and all organized groups who want th
US 10 advance rapidly towards the fnfmgpt u th
ideals for which this republic supposed stand