Evening star., 1960-01-27
Johnson Sees
Sound 'Lawon
Voting Rights
Move to Shift Bills
From Rules Group
Expected. to Fail
By J. A. OLEARY
Star stan Writer

Lyndon Johnson predicted to-
day that out of the various
plans now being considered to
protect voting rights will
emerge adequate and sound
legislation"
The Texan said he wanted
to give the administrations new
plan further study before COM
menting on it. The plan, un-
veiled yesterday by Attorney
General Rogers. would substi-
tute court-appointed referees
for Federal registrars to check
on violations Of voting rights.
But Senator johnson ex-
pressed the hope that Mr..
Rogers and all other interested
groups will be given a thorough
hearing by the Senate Rules
Committee, which already is
taking testimony on the regis
trar bills.
Meanwhile, indications were
that a move expected to be
made today by Senator Olin
Johnston, Democrat of South
Carolina, to transfer the SUBJ
ject from the Rules to the Ju-
dietary Committee, would not
succeed.
Rules Jurisdiction Backed
Senator Hennings, Democrat
OF Missouri, is chairman of
both the Rules Committee and
the Constitutional Rights SUBJ
committee Of Judiciary, but he
said today he believes the reg
istrar bills belong in the Rules
Committee. He pointed out that
they deal directly with elections
and that the subcommittee on
elections is a part of the Rules
group.
The significance of the John
ston motion is that the Rules
Committee is likely to act on
some voting rights bill before
the Senate takes up civil rights
on February Is. whereas no
civil rights legislation has been
able to get out of judiciary in
recent years.
The Majority Leader said he
agrees with President Eisen-
hover that the new referee
plan is pretty technical and
will require careful study
But Senator johnson added:
Throughout my public life
I have felt strongly about pro-
viding every possible protection
for every persons constitu-
tional rights. and voting is one
OF those rights. want to do
everything I can within the
purview of Congress and the
Constitution TO protect those
rights for the voters Of every
State"
Both Plans Resisted
But most other Southerners
made 1t clear they will resist
both the administrations
referee plan and the registrar
proposal of the Civil Rights
Commission.
Senators Ellender of Louisi-
ana and Stennis OF Mississippi
today Joined in denouncing all
efforts to impose new Federal
controls on State voting pro-
cedures.
Senator Stennis said the reg
istrar plan was a transparent
attempt" by the Civil Rights
Commission to perpetuate it
self and to change its nature
from an advisory to an ad-
ministrative agency. He called
1t q "ruse to establish a Federal
beachhead in every State to
control voting"
Supporters of the Rogers
plan point out that it over
comes the constitutional objec-
tion to sending Federal regis
trars into a State without any
court procedure. They cite as
another advantage that the
court referee could see that a
citizen voted after registering
in both State and Federal
elections.
The Senate today took up
another civil rights issue-the
constitutional amendment to
abolish the poll tax in five
Southern States that still i'm
pose it. No vote is expected
this week.
Registrar Plans Backed
Meanwhile, there also were
indications that Democratic lib
erals will continue to push the
registrar plan as preferable to
the administration proposal.
The situation on the Repub-
lican side is less clear. Sen
ator Heating. Republican of
New York, said he was gratified
that the Attorney General and
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