DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Dorothy Schramm newspaper clippings, 1949-1955 (folder 2 of 2) | 1953-05-22 Des Moines Register Article: "Illinois Governor for Fair Employment"

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Dorothy Schramm newspaper clippings, 1949-1955 (folder 2 of 2)

1953-05-22 Des Moines Register Article: "Illinois Governor for Fair Employment"

Illinois Governor for Fair Employment.
The governor of Illinois, William Stratton, has endorsed and is actively backing a bill introduced in the Illinois legislature aimed at eliminating discrimination in employment.
The measure would set up an "equality of opportunity" commission with the job of investigating complaints of discrimination. The commission would try to handle cases by conciliation, education and persuasion. If this failed it could issue appropriate orders enforceable in the courts.
This measure is almost identical with the Humphrey-Ives bill, which was introduced in the 82nd congress co-sponsored by nine Democrats and seven Republicans. The measure attracted widespread attention when it was reported out favorably, with bi-partisan support, from the senate labor committee. However, it reached the floor near the end of the session and failed to come up for formal discussion.
A key feature of the Humphrey-Ives bill was its recognition of the desirability of state action. It provided that where states adopted measures on their own, the federal commission would not be controlling.
There has been repeated emphasis on the theme that discrimination is a state concern that ought to be handled wherever possible on the state level. In reference to civil rights, the 1952 G.O.P. platform noted "that it is the primary responsibility of each state to order and control its own domestic institutions." President Eisenhower has repeatedly urged the states to live up to their responsibilities and take the lead in assuring civil rights.
Governor Stratton's support of the anti-discrimination bill is a heartening sign that this advice is being followed in Illinois. The chief executive of the country's fourth most populous state apparently recognizes that when the states default and fail to protect their people, the people eventually will turn elsewhere--regardless of what it means in terms of centralization and lost local initiative.

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Illinois Governor for Fair Employment. The governor of Illinois, William Stratton, has endorsed and is actively backing a bill introduced in the Illinois legislature aimed at eliminating discrimination in employment. The measure would set up an "equality of opportunity" commission with the job of investigating complaints of discrimination. The commission would try to handle cases by conciliation, education and persuasion. If this failed it could issue appropriate orders enforceable in the courts. This measure is almost identical with the Humphrey-Ives bill, which was introduced in the 82nd congress co-sponsored by nine Democrats and seven Republicans. The measure attracted widespread attention when it was reported out favorably, with bi-partisan support, from the senate labor committee. However, it reached the floor near the end of the session and failed to come up for formal discussion. A key feature of the Humphrey-Ives bill was its recognition of the desirability of state action. It provided that where states adopted measures on their own, the federal commission would not be controlling. There has been repeated emphasis on the theme that discrimination is a state concern that ought to be handled wherever possible on the state level. In reference to civil rights, the 1952 G.O.P. platform noted "that it is the primary responsibility of each state to order and control its own domestic institutions." President Eisenhower has repeatedly urged the states to live up to their responsibilities and take the lead in assuring civil rights. Governor Stratton's support of the anti-discrimination bill is a heartening sign that this advice is being followed in Illinois. The chief executive of the country's fourth most populous state apparently recognizes that when the states default and fail to protect their people, the people eventually will turn elsewhere--regardless of what it means in terms of centralization and lost local initiative.