The Omaha guide., 1935-04-27

on the Supreme Court Decision on
the Texas Primaries was contribut-
ed by a young white Southern writ
er, a native of Texas.)
Austin, Tex.-(CNA)-If you are
black, you cannot vote in a Demo-
cratic primary! This is what the
Southern planters and politicians have
always said. This is what the United
States Supreme Court has just said
in its decision upholding the Jim Crow
procedure of the Texas Democratic
Party. Surely in one corner of the
bed we have the white-robed knights
of the ku klux khan; and in the other,
the black-gowned justices Of the Su-
preme Court.
The exclusion of Negroes from the
primaries has meant the virtual dis
franchisement Of the entire race. The
Dcmocatic party exercises a political
monopoly in the South, and it's nomi-
nees are almost invariably elected.
These nominees are selected by white
voters only, with the result that a
Ngro citizen has no right to say who
shall make his laws, assess his taxes,
or govern his schools.
The Negroe Of Texas have become
increasingly ~resentful toward this
high-handed discrimination against
them. A few counties have allowed
Negroes the right to participate in
the primaries, but only when their
votes were needed I'd keep some polit-
ical machine running.
In certain counties where the Ne
gro voters have demanded the right
of participation the ku klux khan has
been called out to enforce the wishes
of the local election officials.
Court Leaves Loophole /
Tho state legislature attempted in
1925 to bulldoze the Negroes by pass
ing a law ~forbidding them the right
Of participation in Democratic primary
elections. The Supreme Court de-
clared this law unconstitutional, but
left a loophole for the politicians by
declaring that the Legislature could
not bar Negroes through statuatory
enactment.
How quickly these politicians in
GLIDING James ". Alfred, the present
Governor, jumped through this loop
hole! The state party convention of
1880 adopted a resolution opening the
primaries only to persons Of white
descent.
Two years later, another state con-
vention proceeded to restrict party
membership to whites only. The n.y.
pocrisy of these resolutions is shown
by the fact that there is no set form
for becoming a member of the Demo-
cratic party. Any white person may
vote in the Democratic primaries of
the South, even though he may be a
convinced Republican or Socialist at
heart. But a Negro who may be a
convinced Democrat is automatically
barred from participating in the af-
fairs Of that political group.
Fosters Prejudice
Last year, the Negro issue again
came up to embarrass the aspiring
politicians who were stamping the
state. Alfred, then attorney-general
and a candidate for governor, saw a
golden opportunity to get the votes
Of ~prejudiced white people. In his
capacity as attorney general, he ruled
that the resolutions Of the two con-
ventions did not conflict with any pre-
vious ruling of the Supreme Court.
During the campaign, he proceeded to
play the ace issue for all that it was
worth.
"Stand back, you niggers," he yelled
at n political rally, "and let white
Democrats hear what their next Gov
ernor has to say"
R. L. Grovey, 44-year old Negro
voter of Harris county, decided last
year to bring Jim-Crow into court.
When he was refused a ballot by AL