Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1934-09-28
HERE and
THERE
BY w. M. Smith

HerndOn last Sunday at the Inter
national Labor Defense meeting
held in Minneapolis.
was disappointed.
Not in the qualities of the speak
ers, for Ada Norris, an uneducated
woman from a Georgia farm, has
been taught in a few months to
speak surprisingly well. Richard
B. Moore was his usual well con-
tanned self with the art of OratOry
well developed, with the knowledge
and the ability to raise his audience
to enthusiastic heights by well di-
rected and invectiOus appeal; and
HerndOn was just what / expected
to meet, a persOnable young man,
sincere and courageous, with de-
cided martyr complex.
My sympathies go out to them
in fullest measure for the tremen-
dOus battle they are waging for
the unfortunate ScOttsbOrO boys,
FOR HerndOn, and all the Negro
people for whom they seek justice.
1 was disappointed, nevertheless,
boooreo sc fbo,r hilton N ,.,.o or1o m ont
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People,
and because of the psychology they
have developed in seeking success
for their organization by vilifying
the work of this long established
and militant society which for a
quarter of a century has success
fully fought in defense of it's peo-
pie.
I am sure intelligent Negroes
will hesitate to bring to the Inter-
national Labor Defense the sup
port it's work in behalf of Negroes
deserves, if such support is based
upon the premise that the NAACP
has failed in it's duty to its people
or is at this time attempting in
any manner to hinder any effort
in aid of the Scottsboro boys,
Herndon or any other Negro who
would be the beneficiary of such
effort from whatever source it
comes.
1t should be evident that the two
organizations engaged as they are
in humanitarian work are yet
fundamentally different, the l. L.
D. a mass movement to adjust the
economic well being of the workers
of the world; the NAACP giving
it's efforts to guarding the civil
rights of the Negroes of the United
States.
Long before the l. L. D. began
it's work and found it advisable to
shoulder the cause of Negroes
whom injustice made known to the
world, like HerndOn and the Scots
bOrO boys, the N. A. A. C. P. had
stood behind the oppressed of its
people, hundreds of whom were and
are yet unknown, and had spent
thousands of dollars, untold energy,
called upon the abilities of many
men and women of outstanding
ability in it's battle for the rights
of the entire group as well as of
it's individual members. This or
ganizatiOn has won six important
cases before the Supreme Court of
the United States, something no
other body has done, and these de-
cisiOns have Vitally affected the
betterment of every Negro in the
union. It's officers have never been
accused Of unfair practice in the
handling of. it's finances, and the
quality of it's militancy is of record
in a thousand courts of the land.
I. L. D. speakers contend that
the N. A. A. C. P. would be salts
fled with a compromise that would
place the Seottsboro boys in prison
for a few years.
Perhaps so. Under /. L. D. pro-
lection they have had three years
of prison life, and are today deep
er in the shadow of the electric
chair than ever before.
These boys and Herndon must be
saved if it is humanity possible.
They must be helped by the Ne
groes' money and by every bit of
influence that can be brought to
bear by the Negro, the l. L. D., or
any other source.
NasILa. =.