Lake Charles American-Press from Lake Charles, Louisiana • Page 4

EDITORIALS Is Police Jury Affecfed? The United States Supreme Court has ruled, in a far-reaching decision, that seats in state legislatures must be apportioned by population, rather than by territory. This ruling is almost certain to upset an age-old balance of power in many states, transferring political power from the rural counties to the urban and suburban counties. Louisiana is no exception to this statement. Large numbers of inequities exist in the representation in Louisiana's two houses of the legislature, and have existed for generations. The Louisiana Senate offers one example.

The largest Louisiana senatorial district, according to population. contains 248,427 people. The smallest contains 31,174 This is not an isolated instance. One third of the registered voters of Louisiana can elect enough senators to control the senate. The same thin? is true of the House of Representatives.

The largest representation of any House member is 57.622. The smallest is 6.909. Here, too, per cent of the voting population could elect enough representatives to control the House. The Supreme Court's decision applied only to s'ate legislatures, but if cvun's "one nan. one vote' 1 doctrine were extended to cover all legislative bodies, most of Louisiana's police juries would be unconstitutionally apportioned Calcasieu parish offers a good example.

Under present law, each of the parish's eight wards is entitled to at least one juror. This method of apportionment was specifically declared unconstitutional in the court's decision on legislatures. it possible that a taxpayer suit would result in a similar ruling on police juries? Here are the numbers of police jurors representing the wards in Calcasieu parish, with the average number of persons each juror represents: Ward One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Total Jurors 10 4 i Average 2,772 1,756 9,397 7,604 1,923 6,824 4,581 3,230 7,273 On the basis of "one man, one vole," Wards One, Two, Five, Seven and Eight are over-represented, while Ward Three is under-represented. The Calcasieu Parish School Board membership is based on the same basis of ward representation as is the Police Jury. A number or cities in Louisiana Hen councilmen or aldermen by districts within the city limits.

Here, too, lies the possibility of future legal action, if the populations within the various districts are in serious imbalance. There is, so far as we know, no movements afoot at this time to force the issue in renresentation at the county (parish) or citv level, but the language of the court's decision does not preclude such a possibility. It might be argued that police juries, school boards and city councils exercise other than purely legislative functions, and thi? is certainly true. For this reason, some courts might consider these other functions exempt these bodies from the "one man, one vote" rule. In areas where the population imbalance becomes extreme, however, there is certain to be agitation and attempted legal action at these lower levels of government.

In the language of the court: "Overweighting and overvaluation of the votes of those living 'here' has the certain effect of dilution and under- valuation of those living The resulting discrimination against those individual voters living in disfavored areas is easily demonstrable mathematically. "Their right to vote is simply not the same right to vote as that of those living in a favored part of the state. Two, five or 10 of them must vote before the effect of their voting is equivalent to that of their favored neighbor. 'Weighting the votes of citizens differently by any method or means, merely because of where they happen to res'ide hardly seems justified. One must be ever aware that the Constitution forbids 'Sophisticated as well as simple-minded modes of It will be interesting to see, therefore, if any legal action arises in Calcasieu parish as a result of the court's ruling on state legislatures.

ISSUES OF THE The Public Speaks (Editor's Note: Acceptance more concerned about who gels is limited Ui original letters to to handle the money than what Ihe editor with name, street ad- Is being taught their children. Mr. Editor, I ask you spare the space' In your newspaper each day for the next six weeks to give us who are not attending school the opportunity of also having this course. We are given articles at "tax time" to help us pay taxes to dress and city. Maximum length is 400 words or tcr-slied pages double-spaced, letters must oe interesting and in good taste).

Not Interested i In Pnlitirnl support the bill. Just give us the ronucai Angie fac aboul lhe bin-instead of Reference is made to the edi- i who (h hat about who han- "McKeithen's 'New Im- d)es it an( 0 is being paid age'?" which appeared in the May 23, 1964. edition of the Lake i Charles American Press, off politically. Maybe if we concentrate more on what is buin? taught ur The editorial was in reference I children now, we will not give to the creation of a new agency, at a cost of $200,000, merely to pay off a political debt. I am quite interested in knowing what changes are taking place under our new admin- thcm the problem of "unfair politics" in a very short period of time when they become our leaders and we must sit back and reap what we have sown.

Understand, I am an Amen- PEARSON SAYS Truman Should Mediate By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1964, by Bell- McClure Syndicate i ivcr an economically unimpor- uum Cleaner Corporation pre- unit but politically dynamite- sented each governor with the istration, new bills that are be- calli wa nt to fight Communism ing introduced in the and I appreciate Mr. Dodd's opposition to the bill "that a fifth place horse in the gubernatorial race is worth $200,000 and a first class teacher is I worth only $3,400." But this is not my greatest concern. I am not really so concerned about political standpoints or views expressed, nor of the $200,000, or to whom it is going to be entrusted to (operate the proposed "Americanism Department." My concern is this: Just what is the six-week course in Amerl icanism versus Communism. i Can you give the public more 'information about this required course? Where did it originate? Who is the author of this material? I I do not attend school. I finished high school before this program became a required subject.

I am the mother of four children who will be taught and guided by underpaid teachers: the oldest will begin junior high school this fall. Must I wait until Alan who is only 114 years of age, begins high school to "observe for myself" a program that is now a WASHINGTON THERE IS eroding them into war. laden island, is likely to ruin latest thing in appliances, name- both Greece and Turkey by lv a floor scrubber. The instrument spread soap and wa- DIXON'S DIXIE one man who might be able to Since Truman once saved ter on the floor, then scrubbed help President Johnson in his tnem perhaps the two countries the floor and sucked the soap extremely difficult problem of would now give him absolute and water back into a container. preventing war between Greece power to act as mediator, agree- Finally, General Motors fur- and Turkey over Cyprus.

He is ing in advance to accept the sn ed each governor a car for Harry S. Truman. result no matter how he rules. nis use while in Cleveland. "political subject" for politicians to bicker over and express opinions as to what phase of our educational system should have charge of the precious $200,000.

I truly believe they are all let every American, even our politicians, have the opportunity to compare the numerous advantages of: the American system over the Communist system. Isn't this more important than which department of our school system has control? MRS. KENNETH L. PEREGO 1701 Second Ave. Lake Charles, La.

Editor's Note: Not only texts, but films, filmstrips, pamphlets and handouts are used in the six-week course, so publication of the course is out of the question. Materials used in the course have included handouts from extremist organizations. Among these was Carl Putnam's "Race and Reason," a book which purported to prove. the Negro inferior. Some educators say materials have been improved over those first used in the course).

Truman is the man who in either sid( ld Simmer Down, Friends! early 1948 proclaimed the Tru- By KENNETH L. D1XON WEST LAKE, La. -Now that the civil rights bill is passing. I would like to sound a word of warning to my friends, both and white, across the co'jntr. Simmer down.

you d.in't. you are going to unleash violence and destruction far beyond your compie- And completely be- 'j lv otner one blurted out th. control. directions in one sentence with 'And won't arcomplish a all the words running together. nothing to do at night in lin.

thing. It will be violence for the hut the one with the knife ig- nie ta a swing down Unquestionably but it would be man Doctrine to save Greece tnan war and Turkey. At that time the United States a still quite isolationist- happy, lot nese except for the cars which were only lent, iwere wrapped up by the Pack- I 0 JOHNSON WHO' aging Cor ration of America lJ happened to be two young Ne- story. About three nights later minded NATQ had set from groes. I dropped into a conversation been dreamed 01 Tne Ma Ja been Jj lhe re One of them started to an- with a white traveling salesman sha) Plan had not been formu wou have done a double- but the other one inter- in a motel restaurant.

We got lated rupted him. He flashed a knife, off on the subject of guns. Qreece was hungry waMorn Fof the of ts re balanced it on the tip of an in- "Everybody I know carries a and almost on the brink of ceived by the governors from de.x finger and said, "Did I gun now," he said. "You ought chaos. Turkey, though manag- various industries and business hear you say Mister to see the one I've got with me ing to stay out of the war for! firms ma de Lyndon look like a White" Man?" up in my room.

But I the most part, was also in dan-' piker. I had. but I repeated my re- 1 lcave the lace without it. ger. The gifts included a gold plas- quest and added the word And il onlv a matter of time controlled the gateway to tic telephone, cuff links, fresh once agan.

until some t)lack so-and-so gives the Black Sea. long sought by water fishirv? tackle, a transis- me an excuse to use it. th czars of Russia, then cov- radio built like a Pepsi Cola now and then, if 1 eted by the rulers of the Krem- bottle from Pepsi. Th-n- a black sports Truman's iacket governor with -a':" of cruelly for the nored him and moved up to the through their section and just prompt and courageous action Ihe emb'em of his slate sewed sake of cruelty, destruction for side of the car coast alon S' vln lhcrT1 a saved both countries. on the breast pocket.

but that's a pretty little chance to start something. One LOOKING BACKWARD Fifty Years the -ake of destruction. It will ser.e no purpose, advance no car you've got. Mister "White these Anights one of them caj-e, benefit no part of man- Man." he said. "That tup would kind leak a lot with some slashes in left nim as fast as Believe me.

I know. it. wouldn't it?" had julied awa from the curb I tell you a dozen sto- voice was soft all the time and lhe knife-wielding Negro a rie- ir-irn nearly three months ui "Yes." I said, reaching into iew ni hls before. I ou-r Eastern and South- the glove compartment, "and so And sick a aia er'i but one or two will would you with some bullet holes eas enou 6 t' say that both sufiice. in vou!" men were probably drunk, but It was late at night in a small It was pure bluff, but it lnat d( solve the problem, cif.

and I was huntjng for the worked. He backed away out of From the tone of lneir voices, office. I pulled up to the arm's reach, and I threw the l' ou could teU men simply curb in a well-lighted section car into gear and got out of were i for violence. Of and asked the first two passers- there. course, they wanted to be on the by saw for directions.

They But that's only one side of the end Thev were a sts not masochisis. And neither of them gave a hoot in hell for any cause. That's why I say, simmer down, friends. The law moves slowly and sometimes it makes horrible mistakes but it does move and the mistakes can be corrected. That's the important thing.

iTji; iv ut al Inis P'J'nl history, if you keep on inciting to violence, Phon- HE uu re troubling your own house the uncontrollable wind you inherit may blow you out of Today however, a dispute acceotine a hi- at no ex ense to the so1 I Baker should ons and shi PP ed back to their BaKer snoulQ state capital. The Cleveland Cor- 4 Oi 1Q11 poration paid the bill. (From the American Press of June 24, 1914) Behind the gifts, it was ex-1 BATON ROUGE Governor Great Britain and the Dominion plained, was the desire to ad-' Hall sent a special message to' of Canada for the purpn-e of vertise Ohio products. ne general assembly today converting the boundary w'-rs i urging the creation of a joint between the United r-nd HOWEVER GIFT GIVING S' at ve commission, "en-'Canada into open wat- has become such a habit at these dowed with ample powers for so that ships might freely sail governors' conferences that in the ur Pp. se of examining into, rom any port on the IW lov Wesley Powell of condition and conduct of Lakes to any port on the seven Hampshire urged that affairs of such of the de art scas there be a limit to the gifts menls of government including Powell did not seem to be in- state and local boards, as Mrs.

D. C. lies returned yes- spired bv any ethical it rnay be deemed necessary to terday from Sulphur and will rebut rather explained that it was i investigate." main for the rest of the week. tor the little states to keep the big states in gift- The state Epworth League Mrs. D.

M. Foster and two passed resolutions asking that; grandchildren, Catherine Bell v. giving In addition, the Hoover Vac- he governors ihe sale of near beer be prohib- Carter and Master Foster Car- that Unscramble these four Jumbles one letter to each to form four ordinary words. LEREI) 4 JUNE 24, 1964, Lake Charles Amer.can Press Lake Charles American Press Tte so MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEPHONt THEY ARE THE HARPER THEY ARE TO WiTH. met in Pennsylvania and the state's industries presented the solons with electric razors, ited.

ter, together with Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Foster and their two The parish school board at its: daughters Mercedes and Anna- watches and various other pres- regular meeting yesterday after-; bel, returned yesterday from a unts.

noon made provision for the es-1 week's outing at Leesburg and In 1963 when the governors, tablishment of an industrial Big Lake. met in Florida, the Sunshine school for colored children on State outdid itself with gifts of dinnerware, sports shirts, ladies hats and marble headed golf tract of land. putters. i In one notable year when the the west side of the river by, The members of the June div- authorizing the purchase of a ision of the Baptist Ladies Aid Bernard Goldfine, who later got Adams into all that trouble, presented each WASHINGTON During the last session of Congress, Sen. Charles E.

Townsend of Michigan introduced a resolution governor with cloth for a vicuna, authorizing the president to en 1 ter into treaty relations with' Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon. Print lie SURPRISE ANSWER here ft' MOD -n Ai. -fl SUBSCRIPTION RATE; -'y Csrr i Ytcr Per Ywr V0.6B: Only GAUZE APART BEWAIL i HERMIT to f-vi' cs Selena yrotr si Morc-i 2. Wetter (Copyright. 1964, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

people uhu are und itule- ouuke nuui teller, WITH ZIP coat A LOT OF PEOPLE DE- serve credit for passage of the civil rights bill, ranging from L. B. Johnson to Sen. Everett Dirksen. But when all the oratory and all the smoke from the smoke- filled cloak rooms has subsided, man who deserves chief credit will probably emerge as Hubert Horatio Humphrey, the boy who was born over a South Dakota drug store and went on to become governor of Minnei sola, then senator.

met yesterday with Mrs. J. J. Rigmaiden, chairman, to complete the patch quilt which was made by the members and sold for five dollars. The hostess served refreshments after the pleasant task was over.

QUICK QUIPS The world may be a challenge to the graduate, as he was told by the commencement speaker, but in its present condition he would be foolish to take the dare. Preditipn: Within 100 years space ships for transportation to the moon will be designated "Local." (Wanna bet?) 1 Miss Estelle Elms, who is taking the trained nurses' course in Shreveport, reached here yesterday to take a two weeks vacation and will visit her sister, Mrs. Nick Bulloch and Miss Sallie Elms. A very quiet home wedding will be consummated this evening at Leesburg, when Miss Odelia Miller of that place will be married to Mr. W.

Fred Knapp of this city. They will make their home in Lake Charles. Year's Supreme Courf Rulings Far-Reaching and Controversial By JAMES MAKLOW Press News AnaKil WASHINGTON iAP. Supreme undultrrtd os cntkiim that it is pushing tw far fast and usurping er, has finished jajniiier! year decidirig rj-st-s from rights arid comu.uiij»m to It c'jntinutd iu ctrn civil protcc-- Uofl of the individual frysa the of the statt. ll handled UW problems arid rrumy cases which may seem minor to the general public but took urne, work wid thought Near the end of la.it tar'.

1 ttirn the court blew up a storm by a.uy required reading oi Bible and the Prayer ui public At- made this year to undo that decision But these attempts to a tonstitutioaal ann-n'i- rnent permitting the reading of the prayer the Bible failed so far will probably Jail totally. Again this year, one week fore it finished no Mondaj. li 1 urt gave ptrr.aps niu.M far-reaching opinion in jeari, which will surely ihaice foundations of the old political machines as they haven't been la generations. This ruling it may aifect practically all 50 states instructed them to overhaul their legislatures by reapportioning their election districts more equally by population to carry out this philosophy: "one voter. one vote." The court taid the in both houses of iUU: must ix; reopportiout-d to a'Atiy from the present, ancienl districting in which a relanvt-K small number of people in one can elect one legislator while four as sqtieex.ed into a elsewhere can elect only one.

Earlier ihis the court said siniilar be work'-d out by the itates repreaenu rives to Congiess. This does not touch the arrangement for sen ators which is based on the Constitution and is unrelated population: each slate is entitled to two senators elected by the whole state. The court began to move into this problem of reapportionment in lifti, but this year's actions were the climax. The court made a ruling which affected Ckimmunists fa- vorably. But it in tiled an expression of the- court's concern that individuals be protected by the Fifth Amendment's guarantee that no one shall be deprived of We, liberty or property without due- process of law.

In pursuance of this the court ruled unconstitutional a section of the Subversive Activities Control Act that demes passports to members of officially designated Communist organizations. Two weeks apj the Communist party gained another round in its 14-year-old legal battle against registering as an instrument of world revolution. The court refused to review, and thus let btar.d, a lower U.S. court decision of last Dec. 17 which reversed on technical grounds a $120,000 fine against the party for failure to submit details of its membership and finances.

The court was loaded down with racial ant! civil rights problems this term. The court overturned a series of trespass convictions against sit-in demonstrators; threw out Die conviction of 65 Negro stu- dents arrested on breach of the peace charges in a 1960 racial demonstration; ruled against a Southern courtroom custom of addressing Negroes by their first names instead of as "Miss" or "Mr." or let stand a lower court ruling that hospitals accepting federal funds for construction must desegregate their staffs and facilities; upheld a lower court decision declaring unconstitutional a Louisiana law regulating segregation of the races in public parks and recreation centers; and banned any requirement that candidates (or public office be designated on ballots by race. One of the most notable decisions of the year, or any year, was the court's ruling that the Filth Amendment, which says a witness can't be forced to in- criminate himself, applies to witnesses in state proceedings as well as federal The court added something else: If a state gives immunity to a witness from prosecution for testimony in which he admitted a crime, the federal government can't then use this testimony to prosecute him for a federal offense, and vice versa. The court refused to interfere with a federal arbitration board ruling under which about 48,000 jobs of railroad workers eventually could to eliminated. It let stand a lower court decision that federal law bars unions from disciplining members found guilty of slandering or libeling union officers.

The court said states can enforce their own rigbt-to-work laws. There was a lot tnwe this in the term just ended..