"Georgia House Dispute." Congressional
Quarterly 24, no. 2 (January 14, 1966): 46.
A contemporary article detailing the ouster of Julian Bond from the
Georgia House. Of particular interest is the description of Martin
Luther King's involvement in the controversy. Dr. King, now a new
constituent of Bond's, returned to Atlanta the day after Bond was
initially barred from the House to discuss the issue with him. As
a result of the meeting, Dr. King announced a march in support of
Bond to be held January 14, 1966. Said King, "In light of this grave
injustice, the Negro community and white persons of good will have no
alternative but to engage in creative protests." King promised "an
expression of indignation in the streets."
 FULL TEXT
The Georgia House of Representatives Jan. 10 voted 184-12 not to seat
State Rep.-Elect Julian Bond (D), one of eight Negroes who were elected
to the Georgia House in a special election held June 16, 1965.
(1965 Weekly Report p. 1185). Bond was held guilty of "disorderly
conduct" because of his endorsement of an anti-Vietnamese war
statement issued by the National Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC). The statement labeled the U.S. effort in Viet Nam
as "murderous aggression" and called on Americans to avoid military
service. The seven other Negroes were seated. All are Democrats.
The House voted not to seat Bond after a special committee recommended
against seating him. At the committee hearings, Bond was asked whether
he had made a statement admiring persons who burned their draft cards.
Bond said, "I admire people who feel strongly enough about their
convictions to take an action like that and face the consequences.
I have never suggested or counseled or advocated that anyone burn
their draft cards."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Negro civil rights leader, Jan. 11 returned
to Atlanta from a Los Angeles visit, to confer with Bond. King, also
an opponent of the war in Viet Nam, promised after the meeting that
he would lead a racial march Jan. 14 in protest of Bond's ouster. "In
light of this grave injustice, the Negro community and the white
persons of good will have no alternative but to engage in creative
protests." He promised to join with SNCC leaders and offer "an
expression of indignation in the streets."
Gov. Carl E. Sanders (D) commended the Georgia House's action,
saying the ouster was "acted upon with dignity and a proper sense of
responsibility by all concerned. I will do everything possible to see
that the orderly processes of government and the deliberations of the
General Assembly will neither be interrupted nor interfered with by
anyone."
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