YOUR

YOUR

CONGRESSMAN

REPORTS

By Rep. Burr P. Harrison

During the sessions of Congress, I receive many well-informed letter* from citizens of the 7th Congressional District concerning pending legislation. It has been amazing to me, therefore, that I have not been getting mail about the so-called Civil Rights Act of 1956, which the House of Representatives is getting ready to pass.

Even a casual heading of this hill, sponsored by the President, Teveals it as one of the most drastic measures ever to receive active consideration by Congress .

It would set up a federal commission with a staff of snoopers who could roam the length and breadth of the United States, armed with supenas, looking for “civil rights” incidents. One ''of the objectives of this commission would be to advance the idea of complete racial integration in private business. , ~

Any state or local official, any businessman, in fact any citizen, could be hauled before this commission, under threat of a prison term for contempt,and required to answer the allegations of any troublemaker that he had been subjected to “unwarranted economic pressures” whatever they are, because of color, race, religion or national origin

It does not take much imagination to predict where the agents of this commission would do most of their snooping. Under its authority to investigate “legal developments any southern judge sheriff or police chief could expect to receive* a supena if the commission thought the official had not handled a “civil rights”case ih accordance with its ideas of^vhat, civil rights are, and how they should be protected. Judiciary Committee admitted last

The chairman of the House week that the bill would permit charges tp be brought in a federal interposition resolution on tho court against any member of a State Legislature who voted for an