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Delegate Storm, do you desire to offer
your amendment to Amendment 3?
DELEGATE STORM: Mr. Chairman, if
it is in order, I would like to wait until a
vote is taken on Amendment No. 3. I do
not want to lose any votes for it by putting
any amendment in.
THE CHAIRMAN: I think it would be
too late. We are ready to vote on Amend-
ment No. 3. You would have to submit
your amendment at this point.
DELEGATE STORM: I will submit it,
then.
THE CHAIRMAN: Will the pages
please distribute amendment ZE.
Delegate Storm, I think the Chair is
perhaps hyper-technical in that ruling. I
made it because the way in which you
stated your amendment. But, I take it, in-
stead of substituting some language in the
amendment, your wording would add the
word "sex." Giving regard to substance
rather than to form, the Chair would ad-
vise you that if you desire, your amend-
ment would be submitted after Amendment
No. 3, if Amendment No. 3 is adopted. If
Amendment No. 3 is not adopted, I assume
you would not offer your amendment.
DELEGATE STORM: No, sir.
THE CHAIRMAN: Very well. Hold
amendment ZE in abeyance for the time
being. The question arises on the adoption
of Amendment No. 3. Is there further dis-
cussion?
Delegate Kiefer.
DELEGATE KIEFER: Mr. Chairman, I
desire to make my position known with
respect to Amendment No. 3. I am opposed
to it because I do not think it does any-
thing for this constitution.
The only advantage that it possibly does
is to give some psychological satisfaction
to a group of people. I submit to you, ladies
and gentlemen, that it does not increase
their rights or anybody else's rights; that
the word "persons" means black, white,
red, green, checkered, or anything else, and
that it means male or female.
I therefore say that what we have said
in this language clearly and explicitly sets
forth exactly what we mean, and for this
reason, and not because I am opposed to
the position of Mrs. Mitchell, I am opposed
to this amendment.
I want it clearly understood I shall vote
against it, not because I am against any
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particular group of people, but because I
am in favor of keeping this constitution
simple.
We do not propose in this new constitution
a provision which is in the present con-
stitution; namely prohibition against re-
establishment of slavery. In a few years
remarks about discrimination or slavery
will be silly.
We have laid it out in our recommenda-
tion. I hope you will vote against Amend-
ment No. 3.
THE CHAIRMAN: Docs any other dele-
gate desire to speak in favor of the Amend-
ment ?
Delegate Koger?
DELEGATE KOGER: Mr. Chairman, I
would like to speak in support of the ma-
jority report.
TPIE CHAIRMAN: That is the Amend-
ment No. 3. You may proceed.
DELEGATE KOGER: I would like to
say that we hear much about the moral
decay engulfing our nation. Are we placing
the wrong emphasis on values? Is skin pig-
mentation superior to achievement, valor,
morality? How can we justify our preach-
ments of democracy and justice and free-
dom to all when a man who is courteous
and clean is denied a thirty-five cent beer
by a public licensee simply because he is a
Negro?
Color prejudice is a thing most foul. I
can change my speech, learn Italian, Rus-
sian, Hottentot or Japanese. I can change
my religion worship Christ, Jehovah, Mo-
hammed or Buddha. I can acquire any trait,
ethnic quality or environmental habit, yet
I cannot change my skin.
Why should Delegates Dabrowski or Hos-
tetter expect my son to make a greater
sacrifice on the battlefield than theirs ?
You can go all over the world — China,
India, Russia, France — only here is a man
denied rights because of something he can
do nothing about. This is the injustice of
it all. It is truly a phenomenon.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any other dele-
gate desire to speak in opposition to the
amendment?
Delegate Child?
DELEGATE CHILD: I do not want to
take up any more time, but I want to em-
phasize my position. I am certainly not in
favor of any discrimination of anyone, and
if I thought that the language as we have
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