constitutionally.48 The New York Herald opined that the anti-poll tax measure had

passed thanks to the leadership of Martin, Bender and other Republicans whose

"determined steering...has been real."49 This determination had been absent during

proceedings on the anti-lynching bill and illustrated that the Republicans had the

power to prevent southern obstruction and pass civil rights legislation if they deemed

it necessary, but matters of racial equality still carried little weight in Republican

circles.

 Things did not go as well in the Senate. On January 8, Florida Democratic

Senator Claude Pepper introduced an anti-poll tax measure, which was referred to the

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and remained there for the duration of

the first session.50 After the House passed the Bender bill, the Senate had no choice

but to address anti-poll tax legislation. At the end of April, the Rules Committee

favorably reported the bill to the Senate floor. The Republicans, faced with warnings

of a Southern filibuster, placed the issue at the bottom of the calendar in order to

accomplish more of their legislative program. Finally, on July 29, the Senate took up

the anti-poll tax legislation after Majority Leader Wherry determined it was the only

major issue remaining on the legislative calendar. Over the next five days, until the

Senate adjourned, the Democrats filibustered the bill despite the efforts of Wherry and

Taft to bring cloture. In this case, unlike the anti-lynching situation, the conservatives

made a concerted effort to help African-Americans in the South, but racially-







48 Congress, House, 80h Cong., 1st Sess., Congressional Record (22 July 1947) A3706.

49 New York Herald and Tribune, 22 July 1947.

50 Congress, Senate, 80th Cong., 1st Sess., Pt 1. CongressionalRecord (8 January 1947), 166.