One of the very disquieting things about a constitutional amendment in this regard. which has made people like me oppose it strongly. is the question of whether it would ever be ratified. As the Senator knows. many States do not have literacy tests at all. A number of States have literacy tests somewhat higher in requirement than the one under discussion in the Senate. My own State. for example. has an eighth grade literacy requirement. Proponents like myself have announced that this is to be the maximum test. There is no reason why any State cannot allow a person to vote without a literacy test if it wishes to do so. whether the person has any grade school certificate whatever. so long as he satisfies the State as to his literacy. Therefore. it should not disturb materially any States literacy test. except to fix a maximum which can always be used if it is desired to invoke a basic standard for any particular applicant. But coupling States which have no literacy tests with the States represented by Senators in this Chamber who are very vigorously and constantly opposing the particular measure before the Senate. it has seemed to people like myself who have been strongly supporting this whole effort that it would be impossible to get a constitutional amendment ratified. Would the Senator care to comment on that statement?
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literacy test literacy tests