Extensions of Remarks 31789 Extensions of Remarks the Election of William L
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November 13, 1985 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 31789 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS THE ELECTION OF WILLIAM L. Frank M. Karsten, who previously had publicized involved in civil rights activities, CLAY AS MISSOURI'S FIRST spent twelve years as Cochran's secretary in Clay had for many years been prominent in BLACK CONGRESSMAN Washington. Like Cochran, Karsten was a the labor movement. Throughout the dura staunchly liberal Democrat, strongly favor tion of the 1968 primary campaign, Clay ing public housing, federal aid to education, constantly emphasized his commitments to HON. LOUIS STOKES incre&sed minmum wages, and expanded achieving racial equality and social justice OF OHIO social security and Medicare benefits. Both at home and ending the nation's military IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Cochran and Karsten had compiled unblem presence in Southeast Asia. ished records in behalf of civil rights legisla Wednesday, November 13, 1985 The Democratic Congressional primary tion during their respective congressional was held on August 6th. During the first Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I would like careers. hours after closing of the polls, Clay main to take this opportunity to share with my The First District had also voted Demo tained a small, but inconclusive, lead over colleagues an interesting paper on the elec cratic in every Presidential election since Carpenter. By midnight, it was projected tion of my good friend and colleague, Con 1928. In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy that Clay would win the primary by roughly had carried the District by 66,031 votes pro gressman WILLIAII L CLAY, to the U.S. 7,000 votes. Th~ official statistics were as viding him with several times his 9,983 follows, William Clay, 23,758; Milton Car House of Representatives. The paper was statewide margin of victory. Four years penter, 16,927; Ernest Calloway, 6,405; presented by Dr. Philip A. Grant, associate later, Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson had Harry S. Leahey, 1,571; and John J. Reilles, professor of history at Pace University outpolled Republicans Barry M. Goldwater 1,258. Clay's primary victory was accom during the 70th annual convention of the 143,325-45,364 in the District. In the 1960 plished by polling nearly all his votes within Association for the Study of Afro-American and 1964 presidential contests, it was esti the St. Louis city portion of the district, Life and History in Cleveland. mated that Kennedy and Johnson averaged while Carpenter was sweeping the suburban At this time, I would like to insert the ar ninety percent of the Black vote in the First communities of St. Louis county. The con ticle detailing the historic candidacy and District. trast between the city and the suburbs was It was virtually certain that, if Congress election of Congressman CLAY into the documented by the following breakdown of man Karsten chose to seek re-election, he the electoral figures: CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: would be challenged by a Black candidate in THE El.EcriON OF WILLIAII L. CLAY AS the 1968 Democratic primary. Karsten was a MISSOURI'S FIRsT BLACK CONGRESSKAN good-natured man, who had served his dis St.Louis City County On June 28, 1967, the Missouri Legislature trict in a conscientious manner during his passed a bill to reapportion the state's exist eleven terms on Capital Hill. Although a ing ten congressional districts. The legisla genuine liberal, in his political philosophy, 22,015 843 tive reapportionment was necessitated by he was not especially dynamic and had ~'tm~ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : ::::~::::::::::: 9,150 7,777 the historic Supreme Court decision of Feb never aspired to a leadership role. On ruary 17, 1964, WesbeTrll v. Sanden, a ruling March 4, 1968, the United States Supreme Because the First District was heavily mandating that congressional districts Court permitted Missouri to conduct its con Democratic in party enrollment, relatively within individual states be roughly equal in gressional elections under the 1967 redis little attention was focused on the Republi population. According to the 1967 plan, the tricting plan, and on the following day, de can congressional primary. Only 8,033 Re ten new districts varied in population from a ciding not to engage in a strenuous primary publicans cast primary ballots. The Republi minimum of 420,180 to a maximum of contest, Karsten announced his retirement. can victor was Curtis G. Crawford, a Black. 453,100. Within a few weeks after Karsten's an The primary figures were: Curtis C. Craw Among the reapportioned constituencies nouncement, it was quite evident that the ford, 3,551; Lloyd E. Baker, 1,825; Walter L. was the new First District of Missouri. The two principal contenders for the Democratic Abrose, 1,104; Marvel B. Schilze, 1,097; and new First District consisted of all or part of nomination in the First District were Milton Morton L. Schwaz, 436. Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 Carpenter, a White, and William L. Clay, a Because of the solidly Democratic com and 27 of the city of St. Louis and five sub Black. Carpenter was a former State treas plexion of the First District, it was consid urban townships in neighboring St. Louis urer of Missouri, who had always carried ered almost certain that Clay would win the County. Located in close proximity to the the city of St. Louis by sizeable margins in general election. Since both the Democratic Mississippi River, the revised district was his past campaigns. Clay, who had previous and Republican nominees were Black, Mis overwhelmingly Democratic in political reg ly served five years as an alderman from souri in 1968 would definitely elect its first istration and approximately fifty-five per Ward 26, has spent most of his adult life as Black congressma.11. The principal question cent Black in racial complexion. a civil rights activist. was whether substantial numbers of white During the decade of the 1960s, the over Carpenter was a sixty-three year old polit Democrats would consent to vote for Clay. all populaltion of St. Louis declined from ical moderate with close ties to Missouri's Crawford was 47 years of age and a former 750,000 to 622,236. While tens of thousands Democratic establishment. He had spent 8 Democrat. Unlike Clay, he had never before of white residents were systematically mi years as St. Louis' city controller and four sought political office. During the 1968 cam grating to suburban communities, St. Louis' years as Missouri's Director of Revenue, paign, Crawford expressed unqualified Black population between 1960 and 1970 prior to becoming State treasurer in 1961. agreement with the conservative themes was to increase from 216,022 to 254,268. Carpenter's views on nearly all domestic voiced by Richard M. Nixon, the Republican Thus, by 1970, Black would constitute 40.9 issues were identical with Karsten's. Al presidential candidate, and Spiro T. Agnew, percent of St. Louis' population. Since the though highly respected for his expertise on his outspoken running mate. Crawford ad vast majority of these Blacks were inhabit economic problems, he had seldom ex vocated "law and order" and demanded less ants of the new First District, it was widely pressed opinions on foreign policy questions government spending. Arguing that Federal assumed that in 1968, the district might and had remained curiously silent on the programs were impractical and wasteful, elect a Black congressman. Vietnam War. Carpenter's campaign strate Crawford urged "self-help" projects for Traditionally, the First District had been gy was based on the expectation of attract blacks. steadfastly Democratic in its voting pat ing the bulk of the District's suburban vote Clay, reasserting the issues stressed terns. Indeed, the District had not elected a and benefitting from his longstanding name during the primary campaign, insisted that Republican congressman since 1910. Be recognition. the National Government had to do more to tween 1927 and 1947, the District had been Clay, 37, and a graduate of St. Louis Uni alleviate the suffering of the impoverished represented by John J. Cochran, an un versity, had been a political maverick during citizens of St. Louis and other urban centers waivering supporter of the domestic policies his tenure on the Board of Alderman. He throughout the Nation. Denouncing the of Democratic Presidents Franklin D. Roo had frequently lead civil rights demonstra Vietnam War at every opportunity, he com sevelt and Harry S. Truman. From 1947 to tions and at one point had spent 105 days in plained that tens of billions of dollars ap 1967, the District's congressman had been jail for contempt of court. In to his well- propriated by the Pentagon should instead e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member of the Senate on the floor. Boldface type indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. I ' 31790 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 13, 1985 I· be utilized for humanitarian purposes. Clay TRIBUTE TO HON. JOSEPH York State Commission Against Discrimi repeatedly assailed Nixon and Agnew, DIFEDE nation. charging that the Republican candidates For 10 years between 1945 and 1955, Joe were pursuing a cynical strategy of catering to the prejudices of southern whites. HON. MARIO BIAGGI DiFede was a successful private attorney specializing in administrative law. As men On election night, Clay took a command OF NEW YORK ing lead in the early returns. Within an tioned, this specialty Joe DiFede also car hour after the final ballots were cast, it ap IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ried into the classroom as a professor of peared that Clay would outpoll Crawford by Wednesday, November 13, 1985 law at New York Law School.