"Georgia House Dispute." Congressional Quarterly
24, no. 3 (January 21, 1966): 255.
This article covers many developments in the Julian Bond controversy.
Among the items of interest is Georgia Governor Carl E. Sanders (D)
calling for a special election to fill the vacant seat that Bond had
just been elected to. Said Bond of the special election, "[The election]
cannot legally be required of me. I will seek re-election. I must serve
the people who elected me."
There is also a brief report on the demonstration at the Georgia State
Capitol led by Dr. Martin Luther King (the planning for the
demonstration is described in the previous document). The rally was
attended by approximately 1,000 people. King stated, "Whether or not
you agree with Mr. Bond's stand and with his statement, it would have
to be said that Julian Bond is calling for peace. We would all agree
that we need peace in the world."
Finally, the article describes two telegrams sent to Georgia Governor
Sanders from 23 Democratic and 8 Republican members of the United
States Congress deploring the situation. Names of all the members who
wrote the telegram are given. The Republican telegram called the
denial of Bond's seat "a dangerous attack on representative government.
None of us agree with Mr. Bond's views on the Vietnam War; in fact we
strongly repudiate these views. But unless otherwise determined by a
court of law, which the Georgia Legislature is not, he is entitled to
express them."
 FULL TEXT
A three-judge federal panel Jan. 28 will hear arguments in a suit
brought by Julian Bond (D), 26, a Negro who was refused his seat by
the Georgia House of Representatives Jan. 10 for endorsing a statement
issued by the militant Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC) which condemned the war in Viet Nam. Bond, who was elected
to the Georgia House along with seven other Negroes in a special
election June 16, 1965, had also expressed his admiration for those
who burned their draft cards in protest of the war. Bond is public
relations director for SNCC. (Weekly Report p. 46).
The Georgia House acted under authority granted to it by the state
constitution which reads: "Each House shall be the judge of the
election, returns, and qualifications of its members and shall have
power to punish them for disorderly behavior, or misconduct, by
censure, fine, imprisonment, or expulsion..."
In his suit, Bond alleged the action punished him for exercising his
right of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment and alleged
violations of rights under six other Amendments. Gov. Carl E.
Sanders (D) Jan. 17 set Feb. 23 as the date of a special election
to fill Bond's seat -- five days after the General Assembly's current
session concludes. Bond said he would be a candidate although he felt
the special election "cannot legally be required of me. I will seek
re-election. I must serve the people who elected me."
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., president of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference and a constituent of Bond's, Jan. 14 led a
demonstration to the Georgia State Capitol protesting Bond's denial
of his seat. King, who has also spoken against the war in Viet Nam,
said, "Whether or not you agree with Mr. Bond's stand and with his
statement, it would have to be said that Julian Bond is calling for
peace. We would agree that we need peace in the world." One of King's
aides, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy threatened to "fill the House Chamber"
with demonstrators unless Bond was seated. Only about 1,000
participated in the demonstration.
RELATED DEVELOPMENTS — Twenty-three Liberal Democratic Representatives
Jan. 12 sent Gov. Sanders a telegram protesting "the denial to Julian
Bond of his seat in the Georgia House on the basis of the unpopularity
of his political views on one of the great issues confronting our
nation." Many of the House Democrats were, like Bond, opposed to the
U.S. effort in Viet Nam. Those signing the telegram were Reps. Burton
(Calif.); Edwards (Calif.); Hawkins (Calif.); Brown (Calif.); Cameron
(Calif.); Cohelan (Calif.); Leggett (Calif.); Van Deerlin (Calif.);
Conyers (Mich.); Diggs (Mich.); Fraser (Minn.); Ryan (N.Y.); Scheuer
(N.Y.); Rosenthal (N.Y.); Dow (N.Y.); Resnick (N.Y.); Vanik (Ohio);
Nix (Pa.); Reuss (Wis.); and Krebs (N.J.).
Eight Republican Members of Congress Jan. 15 said the denial to
Bond of his seat was "a dangerous attack on representative government.
None of us agree with Mr. Bond's views on the Vietnam War; in fact we
strongly repudiate these views. But unless otherwise determined by a
court of law, which the Georgia Legislature is not, he is entitled to
express them." Signing the statements were Sens. Case (N.J.); Scott
(Pa.) and Javits (N.Y.); and Reps. Conte (Mass.); Horton (N.Y.);
McDade (Pa.); Morse (Mass.); and Tupper (Maine).
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