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Box 17, Folder 14, Document 58
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Others Have Rights,
We ympathetic WK desire of the Ne-
gro Face in America to obtain the full civil,
educational and economic rights to which they
are entitled under the U.S, Constitution, al-
though the bellicose attitude shown recently
by some Negro leaders makes us doubt their
wisdom and self-control,
Burt we are emphatically opposed to that part
of President Kennedy’s‘‘civil rights’’ program
in Congress that would force a man in private
business to serve customers against his will.
This attitude is based on legal and moral prin-
ciples which would hold true even if the ques-
tion of race were not involved.
' In the yarious discussions of this issue which
‘we have read recently we have found nowhere a
point which seems vital to us -~ the difference
between a public utility and a purely private
business. Yet it is one that is clearly recog-
‘nized in law.
When a city, a county or a state enfranchises
a public utility such as telephones, electricity,
fas or ransportation itis usually granted a mo-
nopoly. In return, it agrees to serve any per-
|son who can pay for its services. The reason
for this is obvious: if it didnot do so the citi-
zen could not obtain the service anywhere else,
He would be forced to do without a necessity
of life.
In like manner it can be argued with some
plausibility that any citizen, particularly any
tax-payer, is entitled, to any services offered
by the Federal, state, county or city govern-
mients,
But a p usi Such as a restaurant,
hotel, : Barber shop falls in neither
cbtovori Je is nota public utility with a mono-
poly franchise, nor is it a public institution.
Private businesses of the type named are many
14.
in number and operate in
each other. In Atlanta
dreds of them are operat
Negroes. It is only logical and Mehr that oth-
ers are operated by white persons for an ex-
clusively white patronage. (As a matter of fact,
many such businesses will not admit white pa-
trons whom they consider undesirable),
If the owner of such an establishment agrees
voluntarily to accept Negro business -- as many
in Atlanta recently have Jone -- he has a
perfect ri:ht to do so, Thatisa very lif*-rert
thing from being coerced into doing it by the
power of the Federal Government. But those
who do not care for Negro business are not
depriving a citizen of some needed service.
There,are many other places where he can ob-
tain it.
The air is filled these days with cries of
“minority rights’’. But what about ‘majority
rights’’, including the right of any citizen to
establish a legal business and conduct it as he
sees fit, so long as he operates ithonestly and
within the law?
This right is so fundamental to the American
system of free enterprise that we do not believe
Congress will abridge it.
Senator Richard B, Russell of Georgia and
other Southern senators already have made it
clear that they will conducta‘‘last-ditch”’ fili-
buster to prevent passage of this part of the
pishre: program.
will not-he negessary.
© many men in both the House
nited States
ministration’s attack on what has been a car-
dinal point of American freedom.
TieAELANTA CONSTITUTION, Friday, July 12, 1963
adge Sees Rights Terr
Constitution Washington Boreauw
WASHINGTON—There would be
‘terror throughout the land’ if
President John F, Kennedy’s civil
rights bill became law, Sen. Her-
man Talmadge said in a radio
interview Thursday night.
“Tt would take troops all over
America to enforce this,” the
Georgian said.
But he said he didn’t believe the
Senate would ‘approve’ this. bill
in its present form."
Talmadge hit hardest at the
three principal seetions of the
seven-section bill. He seored those
parts that would . desegre-
gatioM Of some: Inisinesses
allow the Justiée artment to
, |of civil rights and taxes, the ap-
have federal voting registration
referees appointed and give the
President power to withhold fed-
eral funds from government pro-
grams under which segregation
was practiced.
The senator also predicted that
Congress would pass very little
other legislation this year. At one
point he said, ‘‘it is doubtful that
action on the tax bill can be com-
pleted this year.”
Later in the inferview (on CBS
Capital Cloakrgom) Talmadge
seemed to indicalée he felt the tax
bill had a chanee,
“T suspect that @utaide the field
propriations bill will be about they
only major legis ihab will
result,”’ he said.
The President and his legisla-
tive leaders have said the tax bill
shares “uppermost” legislative
priority with civil rights, ~
Asked to prediét how Presi
Kennedy would ruin my =
elections, Talmadge ngeli
said it was too far
South meant Sen
ter of, Arizona, We
h, Talmadge said he did
not believe the President's loss
“had been translated into a par-'
ticular party or any particular
candidate,”
|
We ympathetic WK desire of the Ne-
gro Face in America to obtain the full civil,
educational and economic rights to which they
are entitled under the U.S, Constitution, al-
though the bellicose attitude shown recently
by some Negro leaders makes us doubt their
wisdom and self-control,
Burt we are emphatically opposed to that part
of President Kennedy’s‘‘civil rights’’ program
in Congress that would force a man in private
business to serve customers against his will.
This attitude is based on legal and moral prin-
ciples which would hold true even if the ques-
tion of race were not involved.
' In the yarious discussions of this issue which
‘we have read recently we have found nowhere a
point which seems vital to us -~ the difference
between a public utility and a purely private
business. Yet it is one that is clearly recog-
‘nized in law.
When a city, a county or a state enfranchises
a public utility such as telephones, electricity,
fas or ransportation itis usually granted a mo-
nopoly. In return, it agrees to serve any per-
|son who can pay for its services. The reason
for this is obvious: if it didnot do so the citi-
zen could not obtain the service anywhere else,
He would be forced to do without a necessity
of life.
In like manner it can be argued with some
plausibility that any citizen, particularly any
tax-payer, is entitled, to any services offered
by the Federal, state, county or city govern-
mients,
But a p usi Such as a restaurant,
hotel, : Barber shop falls in neither
cbtovori Je is nota public utility with a mono-
poly franchise, nor is it a public institution.
Private businesses of the type named are many
14.
in number and operate in
each other. In Atlanta
dreds of them are operat
Negroes. It is only logical and Mehr that oth-
ers are operated by white persons for an ex-
clusively white patronage. (As a matter of fact,
many such businesses will not admit white pa-
trons whom they consider undesirable),
If the owner of such an establishment agrees
voluntarily to accept Negro business -- as many
in Atlanta recently have Jone -- he has a
perfect ri:ht to do so, Thatisa very lif*-rert
thing from being coerced into doing it by the
power of the Federal Government. But those
who do not care for Negro business are not
depriving a citizen of some needed service.
There,are many other places where he can ob-
tain it.
The air is filled these days with cries of
“minority rights’’. But what about ‘majority
rights’’, including the right of any citizen to
establish a legal business and conduct it as he
sees fit, so long as he operates ithonestly and
within the law?
This right is so fundamental to the American
system of free enterprise that we do not believe
Congress will abridge it.
Senator Richard B, Russell of Georgia and
other Southern senators already have made it
clear that they will conducta‘‘last-ditch”’ fili-
buster to prevent passage of this part of the
pishre: program.
will not-he negessary.
© many men in both the House
nited States
ministration’s attack on what has been a car-
dinal point of American freedom.
TieAELANTA CONSTITUTION, Friday, July 12, 1963
adge Sees Rights Terr
Constitution Washington Boreauw
WASHINGTON—There would be
‘terror throughout the land’ if
President John F, Kennedy’s civil
rights bill became law, Sen. Her-
man Talmadge said in a radio
interview Thursday night.
“Tt would take troops all over
America to enforce this,” the
Georgian said.
But he said he didn’t believe the
Senate would ‘approve’ this. bill
in its present form."
Talmadge hit hardest at the
three principal seetions of the
seven-section bill. He seored those
parts that would . desegre-
gatioM Of some: Inisinesses
allow the Justiée artment to
, |of civil rights and taxes, the ap-
have federal voting registration
referees appointed and give the
President power to withhold fed-
eral funds from government pro-
grams under which segregation
was practiced.
The senator also predicted that
Congress would pass very little
other legislation this year. At one
point he said, ‘‘it is doubtful that
action on the tax bill can be com-
pleted this year.”
Later in the inferview (on CBS
Capital Cloakrgom) Talmadge
seemed to indicalée he felt the tax
bill had a chanee,
“T suspect that @utaide the field
propriations bill will be about they
only major legis ihab will
result,”’ he said.
The President and his legisla-
tive leaders have said the tax bill
shares “uppermost” legislative
priority with civil rights, ~
Asked to prediét how Presi
Kennedy would ruin my =
elections, Talmadge ngeli
said it was too far
South meant Sen
ter of, Arizona, We
h, Talmadge said he did
not believe the President's loss
“had been translated into a par-'
ticular party or any particular
candidate,”
|
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