The Omaha guide., 1935-05-18
The A~nti-Lynching Bill
From The Pittsburgh Courier

From The Pittsburgh Courier
The Antilynching Bill was defeated in Wash
ington last week, but IN The face OF that defeat, a
calm review Of the history Of the struggle for an
a~nti-lynch law reveals that progress is being made.
During all the Republican administrations, the
Antilynch Bill never made the progress that the
Costigan-Wagner Bill made in the present Con-
gress. The ground work was laid permanently by
Messrs. Costigan and Wagner, ably assisted by
other white people who, down in their hearts, know
that crime will move from community to community
and attack any and everybody, regardless of race,
creed or color. The practice OF l~ynching began with
Negroes as the victims, but it now extends to white
people, and the more the practice IS tolerated, the
more white people viii be lynched. The white peo-
lie Of this country, North and South, expressed a
desire to see the Costigan-W Wagner Bill made the
law of the land. A few reactionary Senators from
the South Stopped the program Of the bill. They
have accepted full responsibility for the defeat OF
the bill. They did not seem to realize it, but they
were jockeyed in the position Of blocking the legis-
lation, desired by the President Of the United
States, and they accepted that position fully aware
of their predicament. 1t was not so much a demand
from their constituents that compelled the Southern
Senators to vote against the Bill; it was their own
personal CONVICTIONS, uue 10 the aye III NuIcH CHey
were born. The g~randsons Of these same Senators
will frown upon the records of their forefathers.
They will wear the scarlet letter in years to come,
because future generations will point to them as
the sons and daughters of grandfalhers who went
on record for lawlessness and for l~ynching.
What care these Senators now about their grand
children? They live only for today. They think in
terms of today and not tomorrow. They are max
ing it dreadfully hard for their children and their
childrens children, but what care they for the off
spring? Shortsighted men like these are expected
to oppose progressive legislation, but we are max
ing progress. These same men will face a c~onstitu-
ency opposed to lawlessness and l%ynching. The in
~telligent people of the South will stop sending
Senators like Bailey, Bankhead, Byrnes and Smith
to the Senate, because the South prefers to be
classified on a par with any other section Of the
country, and the South will yet rise up against its
reactionary Senators and retire them to the corn
fields and shade trees-forgotten, forsaken and IN
sung.
This involves time, but what is a decade in the
progress of a race or a nation? What is a decade
against rights and privileges, guaranteed for life?
The fight is well worth the sacrifice, and the
American people everywhere are quite satisfied
that, within a few years, the obstructionists Of the
South will constitute forgotten men who lived for
themselves and a tradition, and nothing more.
The Negro must keep his head up, keep his
spirit, save his money, and be prepared for that
larger life which is sure to come, even in the
United States Of America. !