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1936 › William E. Borah (Republican) › Federal anti-lynching legislation

Oppose the Wagner-Costigan federal anti-lynching bill as unconstitutional; attack party leaders who promise it

pledge_forwardspecific_pledgereportedevidence B Civil Rights & RaceFederal–State Relations similar solutions · similar reasoning

Solution

Reject federal anti-lynching legislation on States'-rights grounds and denounce the leaders promising it to colored voters as 'hypocritical and Intellectually dishonest.'

Rationale

The bill 'strikes at the very heart of State sovereignty.'

Statements (1)

1936-05-13 · Statement after the Ohio primary (Associated Press, Evening Star) · primaryreported ✓ verified

The Idahoan has long opposed this legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality. He said it "strikes at the very ... of State sovereignty."

Source: Borah's attack creates puzzle (Evening Star, May 14, 1936, p. 6) (1936-05-14)

Follow-through

not_applicable

Borah's position prevailed: the Wagner-Van Nuys anti-lynching bill passed the House in 1937 and died by Senate filibuster in February 1938.

1936-borah-states-rights-against-federal-anti-lynching-law · created by claude-fable-5-1 · review: unreviewed