Part 2 — Chapter IV THE HEARINGS ON THE CUMMINS-VAILE BILL AND THE AFTERMATH (continued 2)

I am not ready to state my stand on the Cummins-Vaile Bill (S. 2290 H. R. 6542).

(Kindly mark which line represents your opinion.)

Signed .......................

Member of Judiciary Committee.

The nine necessary votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee could not be marshalled before the close of the session. One of the chief reasons was that word had gone the rounds, emanating apparently from the small group which controls the Senate program, that this bill was not to be included among those scheduled for attention at this session, so the Judiciary members felt little concern about deciding their own position on the legislation. Above everything was the sheer distaste which most of the members feel for dealing with this bill, officially. It touches upon sex, which induces embarrassment, which creates inhibition, which resulted in leaving the bill “on the table” where it was placed after the report “without recommendation” by the Judiciary Sub-Committee of three, before whom the two Hearings were held last Spring.

In the House Judiciary Committee the situation was about the same. The Chairman of the Sub-Committee before which the Hearings had been held stated that he was sure that “not a single member of his committee wanted to vote on the bill.” He did not undertake to say whether they approved or disapproved the bill, but merely that they did not want to vote on it. He said he was not ready to express his own opinion on this measure, that he had not yet made up his mind, and was “too busy” to do so. But he offered to arrange another Hearing if it were desired. He was entirely agreeable to anything except action. But as to that he said, “I don’t see the use of trying to make reluctant men act.”