Congress cannot in this instance by statute deprive the States of powers which are reposed in them. In view of these and many other Supreme Court decisions. I fail to see how it can be seriously argued that the Congress has any authority to legislate in this field. that is. to try to set up standards respecting literacy tests. If a State should create a literacy test which is unreasonable and arbitrary. of course we can be sure the U.S. Supreme Court would strike it down as being in violation of the 14th amendment and other related sections of the Constitution. There is no charge of unreasonableness that I can see. Certainly. insofar as my State is involved. the statute proposed would permit the State to set up a literacy test which would require at least a sixth grade education by anyone before he could vote. I do not know whether the proposed legislation would apply throughout all States of the Union. but if so. and the measure were constitutionalit is not. but I am merely assuming that it might beand if a literacy test were then adopted by the several States of the Union. literally thousands of people who are able to vote today would be disenfranchised. So in their zeal to pursue the issue before us. the proponents have overlooked the fact that if the bill should pass and all States of the Union should enact statutes setting up a requirement of at least a sixthgrade education. many citizens in our country who today are privileged to exercise the right of franchise and to vote for their elected officials would be disfranchised. In view of the Supreme Court decisions to which I have referred. and many others.
Keywords matched
literacy test literacy tests