Profiles in Absence

On the Senate floor, the supporters of the civil rights bill have displayed consistent eloquence, wit, courtesy, and intelligence. Unhappily they are not on the Senate floor enough. The Northern coalition, nailed together by the diligence of Senator Humphrey, has begun to creak and groan.

Last Thursday the Northerners nearly failed to muster a quorum. Fortunately, several of their Dixie colleagues strode into the chamber at the last moment, drawled "present," and spared the nascent coalition an embarrassing setback. Last Saturday morning however, Southern generosity evaporated and the Senate adjourned, without a quorum, after forty-five minutes of self-conscious foot-shuffling by the leadership. Senator Humphrey's commitment and energy haven't flagged. After last week, the same is hard to say of the men he is trying to lead.