Civil Rights Act of 1964 Quotes

These reports, of course, deal only with the surface exposure of Communist influence in the Negro movement. The actual extent and degree, while obviously substantial, remain unknown, for Congress has chosen to pretend that there is no such problem, even while methodically and relentlessly seeking to satisfy the demands of the very militant groups in which the Communist influence exists. Mr. President, the Nation, and even the Congress, once its hypnotic trance has passed, will find that in this bill are the seeds of destruction of a political system which has served its people better than has any other ever devised.

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Strom Thurmond (D-SC)
413506/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

This bill would renounce the safe, proper, and acceptable role for Government as a referee of disputes between the governed. It would interpose the Government as a biased protagonist, armed with the awesome authority of the Federal Government, in addition to rulemaking and umpire powers. The broad grants of power to the Attorney General to initiate and intervene in civil actions would go far toward transforming him into George Orwell’s ‘Big Brother’ of ‘1984,’ in the year 1964.

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Strom Thurmond (D-SC)
413206/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

I say further that for this great legislative body to ignore the Constitution and the fundamental concepts of our governmental system is to act in a manner which could ultimately destroy the freedom of all American citizens, including the freedoms of the very persons whose feelings and whose liberties are the major subject of this legislation.

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Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)
414206/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

The power granted the Attorney General to intervene in all equal-protection-of-the-law cases is extremely broad and dangerous. Choices made by the Attorney General could follow a political and selected pattern.

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John Sparkman (D-AL)
413906/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

Mr. President, passage of this bill will visit the heel of oppression on all the people, vitiate their constitutional shield against tyranny, and materially hasten the destruction of the best design for self-government yet devised by the minds of men. Its passage will mark one of the darkest days in history

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Strom Thurmond (D-SC)
413606/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

This bill, by vesting the power to withhold or terminate Federal funds, creates a concentration of power of economic coercion unequaled in the history of governments—a power concentration which defies the experience of mankind with the temptation of power to corrupt.

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Strom Thurmond (D-SC)
413306/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

…this bill will require the creation of a Federal police force of mammoth proportions. It also bids fair to result in the development of an ‘informer’ psychology in great areas of our national life—neighbors spying on neighbors, workers spying on workers, business spying on businessmen—were those who would harass their fellow citizens for selfish and narrow purposes will have ample inducement to do so. These, the Federal police force an ‘informer’ psychology, are the hallmarks of the police state and landmarks in the destruction of a free society.

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Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)
414306/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Community Relations Service would be another pro-civil rights Federal agency attempting to make people do what the policy of the Federal Government demanded that they do. Moreover, in title II of the bill, this Service is made an agent of the court without due thought as to the effect on legal and judicial procedures.

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John Sparkman (D-AL)
414006/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Commission should never have been brought into existence. It has been most prejudiced in its viewpoint, and has fomented trouble and racial disturbance since its inception. It should be abolished, not extended.

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John Sparkman (D-AL)
413706/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

By its attempt to regulate and govern the private businesses, which are miscalled public accommodations in the bill, this proposal would inject the Government into the most sensitive areas of human contractual relations—agreements for personal services. In so doing, constitutional interpretations of long standing are being swept aside in favor of tortuous rationalizations which studiously ignore the constitutionally-forbidden imposition of involuntary servitude on citizens

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Strom Thurmond (D-SC)
413406/18/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Civil Rights Act of 1964

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