By the time the House had flailed its way into the third day of debate over the Administration's civil-rights bill last week, it was like a big classroom of spirited boys with teacher out sick and vacation only a few days off. Good-naturedly, the Southern Democrats exchanged verbal spitballs with Northern Republicans and Democrats while both sides talked on for the sake of the record. Everybody knew that the Southern bloc had delayed the bill* so long that it would never get by the Senate this session. So the proceedings went forward in a spirit of good, dirty, cynical fun.
Sex & Size. Somewhere in the byplay New Jersey's fat (330 Ibs.), jolly T. James Tumulty was needled with the gentle observation that he straddles too many fences. "My dear man," replied Democrat Tumulty. "I am so large I could represent all sections.'' Twitted Pennsylvania's Republican Jim Fulton: "The gap between the front and back of this Democratic Party is just big enough for you to fill."
California Republican Gordon McDonough decided that the bill's specification on discrimination for reasons of "color, race, religion or national origin" should include "sex" as well (amendment adopted). Texas Democrat John Dowdy tried to add "people over 40" (amendment killed); Tumulty called for the inclusion of "size" (shouted down). Louisiana Democrat Edwin Willis wanted to strike out virtually the whole bill with his amendment (killed). Texas Democrat Martin Dies offered some restrictive rules of procedure for the civil-rights investigating commission (adopted).
Warning Fist. Even New York's Republican William E. Miller, who had sponsored the bill, tried to recommit it; he feared that Hitler had come to power by "decrees just like this legislation. In its present form it will destroy more civil liberties and civil rights than it protects." The Southerners greeted this with a standing ovation. Then Minority Leader Joe Martin, trembling, rushed down to the Speaker's well and shook a warning fist at his colleagues. "If you follow the Southern democracy in defeat of this bill," he intoned grimly, "you will regret it every day in the next election." Cracked cocksure Martin Dies: "Are you suggesting there is politics in this?"
There was indeed, and little else. At week's end both sides got together in an attempt to avoid an all-night session. The Southern generals, led by Virginia's Howard Smith, met with Joe Martin & Co., agreed to a limitation on debate. Both sides agreed that the bill would pass the House. But in return for ending their stalling tactics, the Southerners got Martin's promise to postpone a roll-call vote until early this week—just to make dead certain that the Senate would not have time to get to the bill.
*Which would 1) establish a six-man bipartisan commission on civil rights to serve for two years, then file recommendations; 2) create a civil-rights division in the Department of Justice, headed by a new Assistant Attorney General; 3) permit civil suits to be filed in federal courts against violators of civil-rights guarantees; 4) authorize the Federal Government to take legal action—even in the absence of a complaint—to guarantee voting privileges.