6. That the passage of this legislation will result in the defeat of the statesman-politican by the demagogue, for it will pit the appeal of logic against the appeal of false issues, prejudice and newspaper headlines.

7. That any person, organization, or political subdivision subject to investigation because of "allegations" will be required to pay both the cost incurred by the inquisitors and the cost of the defense, thereby causing the taxpayer to pay for the prosecution in tax and for his defense in fees.

Gentlemen, will not Senate bill 83 permit discrimination against all? Will it remove the evil of discrimination? Or-will it spread discrimination?

If the argument that the rights of a minority have been violated is accepted by the Congress, should not the Congress likewise accept the argument that the solution should not be the violation of the rights of all?

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County have no way of knowing the thinking of this committee or the type of bill the committee will draft.

But on behalf of the organization, I wish to thank you for allowing us to let you know our thinking as a grass roots organization. You have been most kind and exceedingly patient, and we do thank you for the trouble you went to to let us get here.

Mr. SLAYMAN. Thank you for being here.
Mrs. Beulah Goss, the legislative chairman.

STATEMENT OF MRS. BEULAH GOSS, LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN, ORGANIZED WOMEN VOTERS OF ARLINGTON COUNTY, VA.

Mrs. Goss. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee; being chairman of the legislative committee, I am privileged to bring all of these and read all of these.

Before I say anything, I should certainly like to thank the displaced person, whoever he was.

I am sure he must be a southerner and I never knew I could like like a DP so well.

I am to discuss delegation of authority by the Congress to the executive branch of our Government.

I am Beulah Goss, chairman of the legislative committee of Organized Women Voters. My purpose in appearing before you today in behalf of the Organized Women Voters is to oppose the delegation by the Congress of its duties and responsibilities to the executive branch. Article 14, section 5, of the Constitution of the United States says specifically:

The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

It seems so stupid to quote that again to you learned gentlemen who have heard it so many times.

If the Congress feels that an investigative body is required then the Congress should create its own joint committee which would operate under rules laid down by the Congress as has been done in the past rather than create a committee of appointees of the executive branch subject neither to the Congress nor to the will of the people.

It is the opinion of this organization that Congress has a direct responsibility to its constituents to retain the power granted in article 14, section 5; that any action to the contrary represents a breach of faith with the people who elect you.

If the Congress intends to surrender all of its powers to the executive branch, it would be my personal opinion (though not necessarily at this time the opinion of the Organized Women Voters) that we women at the grass roots might well take a vacation every 2 years and abolish both Houses of Congress.

It is obvious that the Government and the people are growing too far apart-we experience that in our own area- and that Government by the people and for the people will be a Utopia lost by the creation of this Civil Rights Commission.

I call your attention to S. 83, page 11, lines 16-21:

The Commission shall submit interim reports to the President at such times as either the Commission or the President shall deem desirable, and shall submit to the President a final and comprehensive report of its activities, finds, and recom mendations not later than 2 years from the date of the enactment of this statute.

Why is the Congress, the elected representatives of the people, bypassed? It is not that the executive branch is not trusted. Rather that the collective wisdom of the 435 Members of the House of Repre sentatives and the 96 Members of the Senate is to be trusted more. Your attention is further directed to page 14, lines 21, 22 and page. 15, lines 1-7:

Whenever any persons have engaged or are about to engage in any acts or practices which would give rise to a cause of action pursuant to paragraphs first, second, or third, the Attorney General may institute for the United States, or in the name of the United States but for the benefit of the real party in interest, a civil action or other proper proceeding for redress, or preventive relief, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order.

Gentlemen, who will determine that your constituents are about toengage in any acts or practices which would give rise to a cause of action pursuant to paragraphs first, second, or third.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my own very personal opinion in answer to the question just posed: The creation of a Civil Rights Commission as proposed under S. 83 not only usurps the power of Congress but in fact sets up a "Little Gestapo" within the framework of the Office of the Attorney General.

That is my own personal opinion.

I would hate to leave here today with the thought that our appeal to you, our elected representatives, is in vain.

In closing, the Organized Women Voters petition you not to delegate the authority vested in you by the creation of a committee of appointees of the executive branch subject neither to the Congress nor the will of the people.

Thank you.

Again thanks to the "D. P."

Senator ERVIN. Mrs. Goss, as I understand it, your organization, the Organized Women Voters of Arlington County is a nonpartisan organization?

Mrs. Goss. Yes, it it. I think this is the nearest, Mr. Chairman, that we have ever gotten anything like this before the body.

Senator ERVIN. As I understand it, anyone who is interested in public affairs is eligible to join?

Mrs. Goss. If she is a taxpayer and a resident of the county, even though she is a temporary resident. She must be a taxpayer.

Senator ERVIN. On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you and Mrs. Renfro, Mrs. Bussey, and Mrs. Whitney for coming before the committee and giving us the benefit of the views of your organization.

Mrs. Goss. We are indebted to you.

Senator ERVIN. You have pointed out, I think, some very serious defects in this proposed legislation. As I understand it, the position of your organization is this:

First, that you do not think that it is advisable to set up a commission of this kind at all.

Mrs. Goss. We oppose it completely.

Senator ERVIN. And, second, that you think the Congress itself is more capable of making a study, if the Congress thinks there is any legislation needed in this field.

And, third, you say that if Congress does set up a commission, you think that the commission should be empowered to investigate the civil rights of all of the citizens of the United States and not confine their investigation to 1 or 2 groups of citizens.

Mrs. Goss. I think we have made it very clear here in our feelings on this. We have a great deal of confidence up to now in our Congress. I think the vote on the bill submitted, the vote taken will probably determine how much confidence we really have.

If there is a necessity for a commission, if the Congress feels there is a necessity, then set up a joint commission. Let it be responsible to you, the people that we elect and put into office.

And I would earnestly beseech you that we try to get together. There is a growing away. There is not an awareness, and I do not blame nor does the organization blame our representatives entirely. Generally our representatives get busy, they forget the people at the grassroots, and we are too timid. Frankly, coming here today, I have never appeared before the Senate body and I was a little nervous, but after I looked you people over I decided, well, I have worked for people just like you at the precinct level and we are just friends.

But I do petition you very much, we would like to see this S. 83 defeated or any similar bill. But if you feel the necessity for an investigative commission, let it be kept within our family.

Senator ERVIN. Thank you very much.

Is Mrs. Buchholz here?

The committee will be glad to hear from you at this time.

You are the president of the Arlington County Women's Democratic Club?

Mrs. BUCHHOLZ. Yes, I am.

Senator ERVIN. The committee is delighted to have you present and will be glad to have you present your views at this time.

STATEMENT OF MRS. LEONE BUCHHOLZ, PRESIDENT, ARLINGTON
COUNTY WOMEN'S DEMOCRATIC CLUB

Mrs. BUCHHOLZ. Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee on
Constitutional Rights, I am Mrs. Leone Buchholz, president of the
Arlington County Women's Democratic Club.

The club appreciates the opportunity to present their views to this committee. Could the able statesmen who worked so strenuously to frame the treasured document, the Constitution of the United States, be present today to witness the attempt that is being made to scrap this noble piece of work which has been the Nation's guiding hand since 1787, they would, I am sure, speak out in strong protest against such action.

Does the so-called civil rights bill designated 83 provide any rights that are not laid down in the Constitution? No.

The amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, grant cherished privileges to all persons residing within the confines of its quarters.

Through this great masterpiece that our forefathers passed on to us, our Nation has grown and prospered. Through individual civil liberties, today its torch of freedom is a shining example to the world; every civil right that the citizens cherish is guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. We could go down the line and name all of those freedoms and all of those rights that are laid down in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Since all of the freedoms and all the rights that have been enjoyed by citizens of this great country are included in the Bill of Rights, why waste time of the already overburdened Members of Congress?

Why bring more economic pressure upon the overburdened taxpayer of American with legislation that is unnecessary and constitutionally questionable?

Gentlemen of the subcommittee, make no mistake-S. 83 is on the one hand solely aimed at a particular section of the country. You know that and I know that.

On the other hand, it flagrantly ignores the women of America. The conditions in this one section of the country, which we admit does have many complex problems, were not created by the citizens of that section alone, but rather were created by circumstances aided by other sections as well as other parts of the world, and I refer to the year 1619 when a Dutch vessel brought the first load of slaves to Jamestown, Va.

After that, slave trade flourished, but it was certainly not the southern people. It was New England shipbuilders, it was some of the inhabitants of Africa themselves and the traders of the West Indies who indulged in slave trade and profited by it, which was to my mind a very wrong thing to do, but it was done and the people of that section did not bring it about.

But at least now they are receiving somewhat of the brunt for what somebody else has done. Though obviously aimed solely at a particular section of the country, this proposed legislation is far reaching. It is not confined to just one section, and please bear that in mind.

It is a threat to the civil rights of every American citizen, regardless of sex, race, creed or color, whether they live in the North, East,

M

South or West, and while I have mentioned sex, it is to be noted that Senator Goldwater has submitted an amendment deleting the word "sex."

The organization which I represent, and of which I am president, objects to the deletion of this word. We women and mothers, now members of this great organization which I represent-and let me say that it is the oldest political organization, women's organization in Arlington County. You have just heard from the oldest women's organization in the county that is bi-partisan, the Organized Women Voters.

Now, I represent the oldest women's political organization in Arlington County.

Senator ERVIN. Your organization is affiliated or is part of, in effect, the oldest political organization on earth.

Mrs. BUCHHOLZ. That is right.

Senator ERVIN. And it looks to a great Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, as its patron saint, and when Thomas Jefferson undertook to give the reasons why the Colonies should separate themselves from England and become independent, he cited as one of the reasons that Americans had been deprived of their right to trial by jury. One of these bills undertakes to deprive them of that same right at this time.

Mrs. BUCHHOLZ. It undertakes to abolish it.

Let me say that there are members of this organization today who worked and fought for women's suffrage until the women's suffrage amendment was adopted in the 19th amendment to the Constitution.

I could go into detail and tell you some of the things they did to get women's suffrage. Some of them rode in parades down Pennsylvania Avenue of this city working for women's suffrage.

In recent years they have worked to have the right to sit on juries. They went to Richmond, members of this organization went to Richmond time after time working and pleading for the right of women to sit on juries, and we do have that privilege.

Gentlemen, neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party can afford to pose such threats, and then campaign after for office, if they expect to get votes, because I will tell you the Democrats would go out and campaign against them.

All of us in the precincts know that in a nation as large as ours, made up of human beings with human nature being what it is, there will always be some injustice. We don't say that every section of the country is perfect. I don't say that my section is perfect, but there is none perfect.

The Bible tells us that there is none perfect. We might approach perfection but we are not perfect.

But are you going to destroy for us our Constitution and our Bill of Rights in an effort to correct these injustices or is the present law under the Constitution going to be enforced to correct these injustices!

Example: If there is a problem child in the home, are the parents going to destroy that child because it is a problem or are they going to attempt to correct the behavior of that child?

Let's take a look at the proposed Commission on Civil Rights, a commission that is proposed to be set up numbering six men, and they will be paid $50 a day plus $12 per diem when they are working.