Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-01-29

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ton in his State of the Union
message, Congress was surprised
when Speaker Sam Rayburn OF
Texas urged Democrats in the
House to sign a discharge peti-
ton which would pry the civil
rights bill from the rules com
nIittee where four southern DEM
ocrats with the assistance OF four
Republicans have been keeping the
bill bottled up despite the insist
ence Of four liberal Democrats ON
the committee that the bill should
be placed on the House calendar.
Another development which
shook the Congress and the nation
was the introduction OF q measure
by Senator Hubert n. Humphrey,
Minnesota Democrat with an as
Sist by Senator Joseph Clark DEM
ocrat Of Pennsylvania which would
provide for Federal appointed vote
registrars who would see to IL that
all qualified voters in the south
would have the opportunity to
register and vote.
This proposal brought the opin-
ion by President Eisenhower at a
press conference that such a meas
ure might not be constitutional.
The Washington POST writer
Robert c. Albright said Hum
phrey's proposals backed by Sem
ator Clark were as hot a potato
as his civil rights amendments Of
II years ago which rocked the
Democratic convention In Phila-
delphia- This time however it also
rocked the Republicans who win
be forced to provide some Of the
support for civil rights measures
because of the coming campaign.
The first Republican to answer
in effect was Rep. Charles EKsdlec1r
of Indiana, House minority leader
who, while unwilling to give open
support to the Rayburn Democra-
tic moves to get the House bin
out Of committee by the discharge
petition route, said blandly In a
New York speech that this Con-
gress viii pass "a good civil rights
bill"
cor. short On Signatures
Prior to that statement HaIleclk
on the defensive because only 30
house Republicans including Con-
gresham Walter Judd Of Mime
sofa had signed the discharge peti-
ton claimed he didn't Hike the dis
charge petition method Of getting
bill before the house.
Halleck said there were enough
Democrats on the rules COMMITTEES
to vote the bill out. He was correct
except that four Of the Democrats
hail from below the Mason Dixon
line. II Halleck's four Republican
comrades on the rules COMMITTEES
would stand with the four northern
Democrats on the committee tina
bin could be voted out.
Halleck didn't answer why he
In not insisting on this approach.
Lyndon johnson Turns Rlghts
Advocate
In New York the spectacle Of
Senator Lyndon Johnson Of Texas
majority leader suggesting that
through his leadership a civil rights
bill was going 10 be passed left
old-timers in the civil rights arena
gasping. One southerner visiting
New York City was heard to gasp,
"A man viii do almost anything
to be Presidentl"
At the Democratic dinner in
Washington Saturday night John
son referred to civil rights when
he accused the Republicans Of
never initiating anything In the
Congress. He said they have IN
itiated none Of the meaningful leg
islation passed in the past three
decades. In listing the important
measures the COP had failed to
sponsor johnson included civil
rights.
A wag seated at an adjoining
table to this reporter said: II never
thought I'd see the day when Lynn
don johnson mentioned civil rights
except as a cuss word"
At last weekend the release OF
a secret list showed only 1Ss Con-
gressmen had signed the discharge
petition OF the number 1856 were
Democrats and only 80 Repubh-
cans.
COR. Alarmed
With the release OF the list
northern Republicans became al
armed Those from the big cities
with large Negro votes began to
(COnfinued On Pnoa AZ