Ig of Tnefacts As They Are
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aes massive ph epicting Miss Elaine Jensen, Chairman 9th Grade Civics Class La Follette High School men's o his 702 Pfiaum Road Madison, Wisconsin 53716 Dear Elaine: I wish to acknowledge with thanks your recent letter signed by a awber of your classmates in the 9th grade at LaFollette j^*rf'*6-< tic High School in Madison, urging me to vote against the oause Civil Bights bill and justifying your opposition on the - following grounds: 1. Passage of the Civil Rights Bill will aid the cause of Communism. 2. It will deprive the States of their Rights and give urage— too much power to the Federal Government. 1 3. It will give enforced equality to the Negro which i.i. 3 V ,'J fi lit": : ' V'1 / > he has neither earned or proved he deserves. tU ne^^-eiJ^tf P At the outset, I think it is only fair to state that ,jJL f ^IFf-^fr^GT,*•&•_ I have coconsistentlx en1 y and wholeheartedly supported the enact- ment of an effective Civil Rights measure and I'm constrained w position, but rather have convinced me that they are based A on a mistatement or misunderstai ig of tnefacts as they are. For example, it is my firm conviction that nothing - would so effectively obstruct the cause of communism than the speedy passage of the pending civil rights bill. I say this because the Communist movement has over the years made more ideological and political capital over rascist incidents in the United States than of any other single issue. Pravda and other official communist publications never fail to feature screaming headlines and massive photographs depicting police brutality, clubbings and the use of cattle prbdders aa equarixy upon Negroes as proof positive of man's inhumanity to his fellowman in these United States.• // And~srake~ no mistake-- a these photographs are given widespread and intensive circu lation throughout uncommitted -na~tio~fiS~as examples of the inhumane treatment of notr-whites under our so-called democratic • system. I submit to you that nothing willadvance the cause of Communism and undermine our respect in the eyes of the free world , particularly the newly emerging nations so much as our fsLlure to enact a civil rights bill./ .-i./y I am all for the preservation of States Rights; n but I am unalterably opposed to the perpetuation and encourage- ment of States wrongs—wrongs against human conscience in maintaining a status of inequality and injustice among our i Negro citizens. J As individual states or -as—anation7~r~be- •we#w. Rut f J lieve we have a basic commitment to our eonscience aneV our j $** ideals to eliminate discriminatidn—neither to practice it^ ourselv-es_nor to tolerate—i^t- among others.} The mass migration of Negroes from the South in recent years is ample testimony to the insufferable economic and social status imposed upon Negroes in the South and it has placed an unconscionable economic burden upon the municipalities of the North./1 believe that the Federal Government has a Right-~indeed a moral obligation to see that all the States share in the responsibility for seeing that the American Negro is given dema a stake in the high educational, employment and general living standards that we boast of to the rest of the world as the ^American way of life." / 3 3v And finally, you say that the Civil Rights bill will give an enforced equality to the Negro which he has neither earned nor proved he deserves. I recognize, of course, that legislation cannot eradicate prejudice. But it can work to eliminate conditions which perpetuate social injustice and inequality of opportunity. That the Negro has failed to earn or prove that he deserves social equality derives from the fact that he has been deprived in many places of his birthright to a decent education, deprived of the opportunity for employment in anything but the most menial jobs, deprived of all but the most substandard housing and living conditions; In fact the American Negro has been gla i . <- ' j *^3r ^ / so completely ^deprived axxagkaxxlx of opportunity/that it is virtually impossible for him to achieve a degree of dignity and self-respect, ietralohe prpve~-th*t he deserves it f^rom others. But given a reasonable equality of opportunity, there is no reason.to believe either from the annals of history , anthropology or sociology that the American Negro won't measure up. The religious leaders of this Country—Roman Catholic, Jewish, the National Council of Churches and all Protestant denominations have taken a clear and outspoken position against racial bigotry and issued a clarion call for legislation to secure these rights and opportunities for our Negro fellow citizens. OUr moral principles and religious consciences demand that we respond, and unless this Congress enacts a civil rights bill now—a bill that imparts meaning to the language of our constitution, and gives substance to the 7 /7 er • -c*v*> VMM ' x / American dream of "One Nation, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all" - we shall have betrayed our Founding Fathers, lost our self-esteem at home and sacrificed our position of leadership abroad. This Nation cannot pre sume to hold up the torch of freedom and justice for the rest of the world aad at the same time deny Negroes their basic right to vote, to work, to learn andlive in decency and dignity that is the birthright of all free people. I appreciate your writing to me as you have, and I am glad to have this opportunity to enunciate my thoughts on this serious and crucial issue confronting the Congress and the prople of this nation. Sincerely yours, ingle iimm aewer fall to \ - ba M itirni - — *• t ff &>i «C Insert A ^fux^Aj^^'., cu>~J{ I am doepfry distressed, oven appalled that the lessons aa a alt tit torn m facts aa they are and attitudes of bigotry and prejudice—the cardinal com mandments of many self-styled champions of patriotism in .ft ao affaotl'-1 this country—have been so effectively planted •i;n the minds of our young people, thi "V Stfmtfk ~x*x T&$ '~1" &U e Insert B - At the outset, I think you should know that the House of Representatives has already passed the Civil Rights bill by an overwhelming and bipartisan majority I, myself, have consistently and wholeheartedly supported the enactment of an effective Civil Rights measure and I am constrained to add that none of your arguments has succeeded in altering my position, but rather have con vinced me that they are based on a mistatement or misunder standing of the facts as they are. roamalum Corporation FTB 1 2 A.M. MADISON PLANT EXECUTIVE OFFICES ROUTE 2. FISH HATCHERY ROAD 3RD FLOOR 1ST NATIONAL BANK BLDG. MADISON 5, WISCONSIN ENID, OKLAHOMA PHONE ALPINE 7-4481 PHONE ADAMS 7-5401 OR 7-5596 World's First Commercial Producer of FOAMALUM Aluminum Foam ADDRESS REPLY TO: Madison, Wisconsin February 7, 1964 Hon. Robert Kastenraeier House of Representatives Washington, D„ C. Sir: Enclosed is a memorandum suggesting much needed changes in the proposed Civil Rights bill. It summarizes an analysis made by the Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce, I believe that the bill should be defeated for the reasons set forth in a recent letter of the Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce (copy enclosed) but, if it cannot be defeated, at least the changes should be made which are suggested in the memorandum. Yours very truly, FOAMALUM CORPORATION By "jf^a^**** ^?\K^^T^~ Marion L. Roberts MLR:rv Enclosures oamalum Corporation F^ISA.M. _ I OFFICE* 3RD FLOOR /ST NATIONAL BANK 3 ayiD, OKLAHOMA 1 OR 7-559 (20515) February 18, 1964 Mr. Marion L. Roberts Foamalum Corporation Routs 2, Fish Hatchery Road Madison 5, Wisconsin Dear Mr. Roberts: I'm grateful to you for sending on a copy of amendments to the Civil Rights Bill proposed by the Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce. > gh L1» )y the Wisconsin State Chan. As you ho doubt know, this bill has passed the House and is now scheduled for debate in the Senate. Several of the suggested changes In Title VII by the Chamber of Commerce deserve serious consideration. Accordingly, I urge you to call this memorandum to the attention of Wisconsin's two senators, if that has not already been done* s verSincerelyy tru , JrOAMAJLUM C-ORJ' ION \ \ ROBERT W. KASTENMEIER Member of Congress RWK.mfa CLASS OF SERVICE SYMBOLS This is a fast message DL=Day Letter unless its deferred char WESTERN UNION NL= Night Letter acter is indicated by the proper symbol. TELEGRAM SF-1201 (4-60) • -r International W. P. MARSHALL, PRESIDENT 05 The filing time shown in the date line on domestic telegrams is LOCAL TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is LOCAL TIME at point of destination 7°~ BUA035 CTB126 MB2S9 M MDA192 NL DP MSTOUGHTON WIS 25 MAR 2 6 1964 U 1. REP ROBERT KASTENMEIER fU* V HOUSE OFFICE BLDG WASHDC L URGE IMMEDIATE ACTION AGAINST PROFITEERING BY MEAT PAKERS AND CHAINSTORES IN RETAIL PRICE FIXING OF MEAT HOG AND BEEF FARMERS ON VERG OF BANKRUPTCY WORST FARM DEPRESSION SINCE 30»S EIGHT CHILDREN TO SUPPORT CANNOT HOLD OUT MUCH LONGER WILLINAM FORRER RURAL ROUTE ONE ST0UGHT0N WIS 1900 EAST NORTH STREET • WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN • Liberty 7-3391 Corporation March 26, 1964 WAR 3 0 B6< Congressman Robert W. Kastenmeier House Office Building Washington, D. C. Ret Civil Rights Act of 1963 (HR 7152) Dear Congressman: I wish to direct your attention to the subject Bill which has been passed by the House of Representatives and particularly to Title VII (Equal Employment Opportunity Section).