The Omaha guide., 1935-01-05
Mitchell IN Congress
BY Atty. 2. L. Harden, jackson, Tennessee

There is a wild speculation il political circles
as to wha Congressman Mitchell will do when
be gets to Congress. Some say one thing and
some another; some say because he isaDemo-
crat that he viii be severely handicapped. Our
colored writers say that. | wonder will he be
under a grea er handicap in Congress by his
political affiliation than any other Negro in
this country. We throw obstacles in our own
way, instead Of waiting to give he Congress
man a chance. We are trying to handicap him
with newspaper articles, etc. The Commercial
Appeal, one Of our Southern papers say: "The
election Of Arthur Mitchell, a Democrat is a
step to progress in the colored race and that
he ought to be able to do more for his race than
Oscar DePries,." That is yet to- be seen. We
all, who. are fairminded, know that Oscar De-
Prlest made a good Congressman, and every
step he made was for the race, and fought for
those principles for the race which his convic-
ton demanded. Congressman Mitchell, a Dem
ocras, Is making a new era in the history Of
politics IN this country. That is an achieve
ment, and we should be proud of it, and wait
with patience to see the result. We do not
Ao ~ pOllC a lit Ii gO111p- uD
to Congress too pious and conservative. They
say Oscar DePriest was too radical and brag-
gadocio. Well what do we want. Congress
man Mitchell says he will make friends with
the Southern White Congressman. What is
--~"~~ with that? Some times friendship is
better than war. That doesn't mean or under
stand that he will go around Congress with his
hat under his arm. He says he will fight for
the enactment Of an Anti-lynch law, and en-
franchisement Of our group in such Sou. hern
States where our people do not vote. 1 hope
he will encourage Negroes to vote where they
have the privilege 10; that is giving more
trouble than acknowledgements That is a fine
hplatform; we ought to lend encouragement to
this man. He was a Negro before he was a
politician. | never critic or question a mans
religion or politics. Congressman Mitchell has
the privilege to come in direct and association
with the section that has his people tied and
handicapped as a group, and it appears to me
from reasoning, that he would be occupying a
mighty good position to get some of these
things lone
Some raised a howl about Sylvester Harris
gong to Chicago to speak for Mitchell. That
was a strategic political move of the Democrat
&c party up there to change sentiment. Did
you know that Henry Allen Boyd of Nashville
Tennessee went to Chicago to speak for Oscar
DePrlest on several occasions. Did you know
that a number of us Tennesseeans wrote hun
dreds OF letters to our Tennessee friends in his
district urging tie support of Oscar DePriest?
Now take this under consideration. Sylvester
Harris helped Mitchell, lived in the State Of
Mississippi. We tried to help De Priest, lived
IN Tennessee. What is the difference. Let's
be fair and honest about these things. Our
group are too prejudice anyway. If we would
zeal with these problems with an open mind
and seek the best for our group; stop selling
item out at the polls as is done right here in
Tennessee, seek representation in our own par
ty, and if we can't get it there, 60 somewhere
else, In Tennessee our Republicans don't care
anything for the colored vote. It is an office.
seeking reconstruction, carpet bag proposition.
We are hoping to end that rule by organizing
our group over the state with the theory of
qualifying them to vote. We have the num-
Der, II they are qualified SOMEBODY will want
them on election day, and if they want them
what they have to offer in the way of represent
alton. A policeman some time, a magistrate
this or hat or the other wen it is all a false
education, some times medical officers where
our people are involved. Assistant attorneys
IN some places. Not a few cankered dollars
and a drink of moonshine liquor for patched
votes. Our people must aspire for office to
encourage our people to vote all over this
country. The south is not as bad as people
above the Mason and Dixon line think. We
sell our people out for personal gain and self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. We keep our people back.
We tell them the white folks won let you do
this or that or the ohr when it is all a false
and deception.