Speech #870172992

In the elaborate words of the dictionary. I do not take any umbrage on account of it at all. Personally I would prefer to continue my discussion on these points until I at least complete pointing out the major cases dealing with literacy tests. to show how the literacy tests of the various States conform to those decisions. It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court of the United States has adjudged constitutional the literacy test of the State of Mississippi and the literacy test of the State of North Carolina. It is also interesting to note that the circuit court of appeals of the appropriate circuit has held the literacy test of the State of Louisiana to be constitutional. and that the Supreme Court of the United States has refused to grant a writ of certiorari to review that decision of the circuit court. We are confronted. in each of these bills. with the very strange proposal that Congress. by a simple legislative act. should declare to be arbitrary. unreasonable. and unconstitutional decisions holding that three of the literacy tests are perfectly constitutional. This is about on a par with an assertion by the proponents of these bills that the Constitution itself is unconstitutional. They now take the position that the Supreme Court of the United States was acting in an unconstitutional manner when it adjudged the literacy tests to be constitutional. One of the earliest cases dealing with the literacy test is Williams v. Mississippi (170 U.S. 225). This decision is somewhat voluminous.