Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-07-27
RIGHTS

hours Of conversations between
Nj. Nixon and committee mem
bers, the Platform Committee
reversed its previous adoption
OF a comparatively mild version
at an all-night session that
ended about 7 am. Monday
The final plank nevertheless
contained amendments, some
OF them by Southerners who
succeeded in toning down its
language in some respects.
The plank emphasized at the
outset that racial discrimination
exists in many parts of the
country. 1t said this is a prob
lem that confronts the North
as well as the South and does
not affect Negroes alone. It
claimed that more progress in
the area of civil rights has been
made by the Eisenhower adj
ministration than in the pre-
ceding eight years of Demo-
cratic occupancy of the White
House.
Reaction among committee
members as we'll as convention
delegates in general varied from
serious doubt and diSappoint-
ment to elation that a suitable
and reasonably strong plank
had finally been hammered out
after a week of toll.
Committee Chairman Charles
H. Percy praised it as embody-
ing "a great many ideas of
Richard Nixon that he has
been fighting for" He conceded
that compromises had been
made but he said he regarded
the plank as "a realistic and
sound statement"
Joseph F. Carlino of New
York, a Rockefeller ally who
headed the civil rights subcom-
mittee that voted 81 last Sat-
urday for a relatively mild
plank, said he thought the
plank had been seriously
weakened" from the strong
version he had advocated in
the subcommittee.
No Floor Fight
Thomas Stage, jr., of Louis
lana, a leader of the group
backing a moderate plank, was
dissatisfied with the version in
some respects but indicated he
and other Southerners would
not fight it on the convention
floor. He described it as
going most of the way Mr..
Nixon wanted"
Mrs. Hazel Barber, Vir-
, GINA member Of the commit
tee, said she was not displeaSed
by the plank. She said she did
not expect Southerners to OPP
pose it on the floor.
j. Flipper Derricotte, District
member of the committee de-
clared: 1T is a good plank and
will serve the people right. 1t is
legally and morally right"
Southern Republican chair
men huddled after the civil
rights plank was released, and
convinced themselves that at
least it was less offensive than
the one adopted by the Demo-
Gratis at Los Angeles.
G. Harold Alexander of Flor
ida, chairman of the Southern
Association of Republican, State
Chairmen, announced that he
saw no indication of a. floor
fight from the Southern group.
Were not entirely satisfied,
but we believe the plank is one
we can live with and campaign
on" Mr.. Alexander said.
Ten States There
Ten Southern States were
represented at the closed meet
ing. The Southern chairman
participating all said they
spoke for their delegations, ex-
cept the South Carolina and
Texas chairmen who agreed
with the sentiments of the
others. But they reserved the
right to refer the matter back
to caucuSeS of their delegations.
Mr.. Alexander said the
Southerners generally felt the
civil rights proposal was a
strong plank, but moderate in
comparison with that of the
Democrats.
I. Lee Potter of Arlington,
who is director of Vice Presi-
dent Nixon's presidential cam
paign in the Southern States,
agreed that the civil rights
plank ''leaves a lot to be de-
sired. but I still believe that
we will demonstrate that ours
is a moderate position as con-
trasted with that adopted in
Los Angeles.
Yet, even as the weary Plat
form Committee finished its job
and prepared to present the
platform to the convention,
more attention was being given
to a comparison of the Demo-
cratic and Republican civil
rights pledges.
The ocratic plank
adopted in Los Angeles two
weeks ago set 1868 as a desired
deadline for school districts to
comply with the Supreme Court
desegregation decision. The
centennial of Lincoln'S Eman-
cipation Proclamation comes in
that year.
1t commended peaceful dem
constructions" such as sit-in pro-
tests and termed them a
signal" for everyone in the
country" to make good at long