Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-03-25

registration district Whenever the
President determines that there is
no further need for q Federal reg
istrar in a particular registration
district, he shall abolish such Of
flee.
A Federal registrar, as appoint
ed by the President, shall have
authority to register individuals
in the registration district whom
he finds to be qualified under the
laws Of the State to vote in Fed
eral elections; such registration
shall be effective for a period of
years unless the Federal registrar
determines earlier that an indiv-
idual who is registered is no longer
qualified to vote under the laws
of the State.
Individuals registered by a Fed
eral registrar shall have the right
to vote in Federal elections and
the Attorney General is authorized
to enforce such right by appropri-
ate proceedings in the district
courts Of the United States.
Later, when we consider this
particular feature Of the proposed
civil rights legislation, I intend to
discuss certain constitutional as
poets Of the proposal I shall have
some technical amendments to Of
fer.
As one studies these problems
and consults with legal counsel
one gains new information. I be-
lieve improvements surely can be
made to the bin introduced earl
Ter this year. have sought the ad-
vice and counsel of competent law
yers; and I believe that 1 shall
have some suggestions which may
be worthy of the attention Of my
colleagues. For years we have
heard allegations that Negroes
were being denied their right to
vote in certain southern districts
and we have heard denials of this
by white State officials. So we es-
tablished an official Commission
to investigate, and the President
made sure that the Commission in
Guided members who represented
the white southern viewpoint. And
these six men have unanimously
reported to us that in fact quail
fled American citizens are being
denied their right to vote in sub
stantial numbers.
I believe it is fair to say that the
evidence as to the denial Of the
right to vote Is Of such quality that
it cannot be successfully contra
dicted We have a unanimous re-
port by a Commission authorized
by the Congress and appointed by
the President 1t Is representative
Of the different sections Of our
country. This unanimous report
states that qualified American cit
liens in substantial numbers are
being denied their right to vote.
Those are words from the Com
missions report. I say to my col
leagues, therefore, that the Senate
ought not to be trying to use time
to prevent some action but, in
stead. should be on fire with a
desire to do something about the
problem Who Is there among US
who feels he Is 30 omnipotent that
he can stand idly by and see the
rights of other people denied Z?
The denial Of a right to one man
may lead to denial Of the right of
another. The denial of other peo-
pies rights today may mean denial
Of our rights tomorrow.
The full test Of democracy is not
that we concur always with the
majority but that we stand I'D for
the rights Of the minority. This,
indeed, is at least a test of what I
call a true democrat-with a
small ID" When evidence is be-
fore the Congress that citizens of
the United States, who are required
to fulfill all citizenship duties, are
being denied the right to vote.
ask myself, What is wrong with
this Congress, that it does not be-
stir itsek-does not move noun
tains, 30 to speak-to correct this
injustice?"
Instead, we argue about how we
can protect the injustice, rather
than remove It. wish the Senate
had as much concern at all times
with the procedural and constitu-
tional rights Of the citizenry as the
Senate has with regard to this in
stituion. Senators have become ex-
perts in parliamentary law, in the
rules Of the Senate; and we as
Members Of the Senate almost take
a blood oath to protect those rules,
as II they were sacred. There Is q
rule In the Senate over and above
the manual Of the Senate rules,
and that rule Is the Constitution
Of the United States.
When the evidence before US Il
replete with factual testimony that
substantial numbers Of our fellow
citizens are being denied the right
to vote, wherever they may be, II
seems to me the requirement Of a
legislator who haS taken the oath
to uphold the Constitution Is To
move with due and deliberate speed
to protect those rights I happen
to believe that II we truly protect
the right to vote, many Of the
other rights about which we are 90
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