The Omaha guide., 1935-05-11
South Repudiates the
Filibuster
Continued from Page ID

ployed in mining, iron and steel,
meat packing, and railroad work.
1t appeared from this report that,
though Negroes in these industri-
es had suffered some i'll effects
from the NRA, the net result had
been to their advantage.
DR.. Charles S. johnson, Of Fisk
University, who has directed an
intensive study Of the Negro in
agriculture, painted a gloomy
picture of the status of farm ten
ants, white and colored. This con-
dition, he thought, could be RENE
died only by an extensive federal
land ownership possible on easy
terms. The commission approved
the Bankhead farm tenant bill,
now pending in the United States,
which provides for the beginning
of such a program. The results
of these surveys, which were con-
Quoted under the Commission s
auspices, r. to be summarized
and made public.
DR.. E. Mcneil Poteat, Jr., of
Raleigh, N. c., was reelected
president of the Commission.
Doctors John Hope and Ashby
Jones were elected honorary presi-
dens, and Mrs. Mary Mcleod
Bethune, Of Daytona Beach, Fla.
first vice president. DR.. Will w.
Alexander was reelected to direct
the work Of the commission. The
an,i-lynching statement, which
vas given to the press and sent
Immediately to all the Southern
senators, was as follows;
Hitherto the Commission on
I%nter-racial Cooperation has taken
no opposition relative to federal
anti-lynching legislation. We
were agreed that the primary re-
sponsibility for the prevention
and punishment Of lynching rest
ed upon state officials and courts,
and that, in last analysis, public
opinion was largely the deter
mining factor. Consequently, the
Commission from its inception
has worked continuously along
these lines, seeking anti-lynching
legislation in a number of states,
urging vigorous preventive meas
ures when lynchings were threat
ened, asking effective court ac-
ton against the members of mobs,
and at the same time seeking
through all possible avenues Of
publicity and education to build
up a public opinion that would
no longer tolerate crimes of this
character.
"Lynching records Of the last
fifteen years indicate progress
along the line of prevention. Of
ficers generally are more vigilant
than formerly in the protection
of prisoners, thereby reducing the
lynching toll. Meantime intelli-
gent public opinion is practically
unanimous in condemnation OF
mob violence.
"On the contrary, with rare ex-
ceptions, attempts at prosecution
IN lynching cases continue to be
futile. In nearly every case the
community hysteria which gives
rise to a lynching makes impos.
sible and effective court action
against the perpetrators Of the
crime. Consequently, in not one
case in ten is an effective effort
made by the authorities to identi
fy and prosecute the members Oh
'ynching mobs. Even in the rare
cases in which such efforts have
been made, indications have very
seldom been obtained, and con
victions have usually proved i'm
possible.
Disappointed by this record
Of impotence on the part of state
and local officials, the Commits
sion has reluctantly been forced
to the conclusion that little is TO
be expected from this source. at
least in the immediate future,
and that an appeal to the feder-