The tribune independent of Michigan., 1935-07-27
WHAT ABOUT MATTE

WHAT ABOUT MATTE
Memphis; Tenn:-(A N PIN
respect to the large number OF
persons; white and black; through
out he counry; who are aking ad-
vanage Of the relief offered by the
states and the federal government
to escape legitimate opportunities
to work: The Commercial Appeal
OF this city posed a question last
week:
The editor OF the newspaper
chose for his illustration of the
point the story of a colored girl:
done to suit his taste; and set I'D
the implication that the relief
agencies are spelling good SER
wants:
The Commercial Appeal has been
notorious for the viciousness II has
shown in respect to the share
choppers problem in the south: Its
policies have been obviously die
tated by the planter class and Il
has passed up no opporuniy TO
impede and destroy the organiza-
ton OF the sharecroppers: Though
1t has no heart for these American
slaves; white and black: The
Commercial,Appeal shows much
cencern about the problem of
what 1t calls families of Sub
stantial Tennessee ctizenship:"
presumably white: 1t: therefore:
makes the following editorial
query; entitled What About Mat
tie?":
Back in 1928 a ,amily fairly re-
lpresenative of substantial Tennes-
see citizenship employed a IL
Iyearold colored girl as a domes-
tic servant: She was unframed but
willing and agreeable ana IN due
course OF time became what is
icolloquially known as good help:'
She made up In loyalty and homes
ty whatever she may have lacked
technically: She was paid in mon
ey the prevailing wage for that
sort OF service and In addition was
rewarded In ways typical of such
situations:
Things went along on the fore
going basis until the early part OF
1885; which ime Maie became OBJ
|viously Indifferent about whether
she gave any degree of satisfac-
!tion whatever: Ess i.ually she was
dismissed and went her way noch-
Ialantly: I an few days: however;
the family began to wonder about
Matte and he man of the house
went down to see her: She was
found on the front porch; rocking
land tanning: Inquiries revealed
the fact that she was on relief and
not TO be put up to the vulgar
necessity of work as long rs Mr.:
Roosevelt was president: She also
bestowed the information that she
was not only eating but also eating
better than she had been duri1g
the years preceding; during weich
period; of course: she had had fe
same meals as her employers:
What about Mattey; anyway?
Her case presents in little ve.y
serious and an increasingly grave
problem for those of us who are
at work and paying taxes; II is
presumably unreasonable to expect
Matte; or any one of the millions
like her; TO work as long as she
can live without It: There are
plenty OF folks who will take Just
as long as any one Will give and
without lifting their hands or both
ering their minds about finding
work to support themselves: 1t is
a mistake to think otherwise; and
yet there are undoubtedly others
who have been unable to find
work: 1t Is admittedly difficult to
draw the line; and still 1t must be
drawn II this country Is to avoid
the permanent pauperization; and
the unnecessary pauperization OF
large blocs OF population:
II Mr.: Roosevelt and his aides
want to perform genuine service
to this country; they can do 1t by
establishing sharp distinction be-
tween the ability to find work and
the chance to choose It: A bad
disease frequently requires bitter
medicine:"
But The Commercial-Appeal is
still stone deaf to the plea Of Mat
ties brother; the sharecropper;
strangled and starved under a bar
barous land tenant system In the
south which has belched him forth
upon the highways of the south
without shelter and without food
Though there be millions In the
same tragic position OF Mattie's
brother; The Commercial-Appeal
leyes closed without any shame;
remains silent on the plight of the
exploited sharc-croppers: Mem;
,phis Commercial Appeal: