Last Gasp

Disorganized, depressed, and debilitated, the Southern bloc in the Senate had faint hope of blocking the Administration-backed voting-rights bill. But last week, more for the record than anything else, the Southerners made their ritual try. The last-gasp effort was somehow symbolized by Mississippi's respected John Stennis, who had scarcely warmed to his subject when he clutched his throat, staggered slightly, fell into his seat. "Get me some water," he gasped to alarmed Senate aides. As it turned out, Stennis had suffered only a temporary throat spasm -- a hazard of the trade -- and soon recovered.

The fight might already be over were it not for Massachusetts' Democratic Senator Teddy Kennedy. For weeks Teddy, a spokesman for 38 other Northern liberals, has blocked the bill by trying to force passage of an amendment outlawing poll taxes in state and local elections (they are already banned in federal elections). The Administration and Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen oppose the Kennedy proposal on grounds that it might be declared unconstitutional and give the whole bill a black eye; two weeks ago Dirksen and like-minded colleagues proposed a compromise under which the Attorney General would try to get poll taxes prohibited by the U.S. Supreme Court. Nothing doing, declared Teddy, pushing his amendment again last week for a scheduled vote this week.

There had been no doubt that with the support of Dirksen's Republicans and the Northern Democrats, there were enough votes not only to pass the bill but to get the necessary two-thirds majority to shut off debate. That was still the probability. But Teddy's move put the outcome in at least a little doubt.

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