The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1961-09-16
EDITO TRIAL
The Right To Vote

mitted report TO the President and Congress which doc
racial denals of the right to vote and recommends
remedial legislation and executive action
We hope that Mr. Kennedy and members of Congress
will see fit do what LIBERAL groups and leaders have
been urging them to We hope that the President and
Congress will take action to enact legislation to prohibit
device used to deprive any American of the right
to register and vote.
The report entitled The Right to Vote" is the first
of series of five volumes prepared bv the Commission
five of civil rights: discrimination in voting edu
cation employment housing and administration of justice
Finding evidence of discrimination in some 100 conn
ties in eight Southern States the Commission urged Con-
to enact legislation barring States from denying the
franchise except the basis of reasonable residence
requirements legal confinement at the time Of regiStra-
ton or election or conviction of felony This and an
other recommendation for legislation which would make
sixth grade education sufficient proof of lueracv
DESIGNED TO deal with the use Of educational inter
probation tests devices for disquaving Negro app
Cans In calling for LEGISLATION the Commission noted
that discrimination persisted DESPITE the fact that exisoo
Federal laws have been vigorously and effectively invoked
by the Department of Justice
The Commission report also included:
study of the effect of unequal representation upon
the right to vote
special study Of the status of civil RIGHTS in II rural
counties in the South where NEGROES constitute majority
Of the population but very few and four other
similar counties where Negroes vote in larger numbers
The results Of hearings and investigations in II parish
in Louisiana where the Commission found that variety
Of tochndueS used to deprive Negroes of the right
register and vote.
The Commission declared that malapportonment Of
state and congressional election districts throughout the
United States dlutcs the right to vote and bv operationg
TO the disadvantage of minority in urban
tensife the effects Of racial dsfranchsemen It
nended that Federal law be passed to require that vot
ing districts be substantially equal in population.
In IFS study of rural counties the Commission found
that dependent position apears to be Of
the most significant factors that nhibs Negroes form
iSterng and voting But in voting we'll non-votng
counties all public schools segregated public libraries
provide inferior service at all for Negroes State
povment services subsidized by Federal funds offer only
nSked Jobs to Negroes transportation terminals and fa
clities segregated: Negroes do iueS:
Armed Forces Reserve and National Guard units exclude
NEGROES and recreatona facilities at Federal dams
and lakes are for whites only.
Findnq that unequal conditions exist to extent
in all counties the Commission said it cannot be concluded
that the free exercise of the right to vote necessarily
mission recommended Federal and State action to reduce
economic deprvaons in these counties.
In Louisiana the Commission found that the Associa
ton of Citizens Councils of Louisiana and the state IeoS
exerted pressure against Negro electors that
the LEGISLATURE actively ENCOURAGED REGISTRARS to
retv OF devices to hwart NEGRO appcants Economic 70
prisas in Favette and HAYWOOD Counties Tennessee dis
crminatiorv Of Negroes from the registration ro
in three Louisiana parishes and restrictive voter unaca
ton laws in Mississippi and Louisiana also noted
Other Commission recommendations included nro
poas that Congress- amend the Civil RIGHTS Act TO prohb
arbitrary well discriminatory denas OF the RIGHT II
and that the Bureau of the Census compile voting sta
tistic in State by color and national origin
the reglStrantS.
All recommendations we're unanimous except the cal
for legislation limit State voting qualifications To this
vice-Chaman Robert G. Storey and Commissioner R0ber
6 Rankin dissented with the statement that 1.-The Fedora
Government has sufficient authority to deal with the
denials of the right to vote without altering longstand
ing FederaState relationships in the Federal Constu
ton declaring that the qualifications for electors shall b
left to the several States"
In his letter OF transmitta to the President Chairman
John A. Hannah said:
1T is our hope that the 1861 report will shed import
ant light on the problems and progress in securing equa
protection of the law to all persons.
Other Commissioners are Rev Theodore NJ Hesburgh
President of Notre Dame University: Spottsw00d w Rob
inson TIL Dean of the Howard Law School, and Erwin N.
Griswod Dean of the Harvard Law School.