The Omaha guide., 1935-07-20
The Way Out
Loren Miller
Best Seller

Iney would MAKE a slZaDle vol
ume- The book in turn might get
to be a best seller and win a place
IN the magazine sections of the
Sunday papers. Unfortunately
this is not the case and rs the
matter stands much of the genu-
inc sympathy with him has been
lost to po~sterity.
On the other hand it was never
so necessary to gather up the va
grant indignation expressed over
the performance Of tie Supreme
Court in ordering his return 10
the Georgia chain gang. A petit
ton for a re-hearing IS pending
and the court has always ex-
hibited a strong tendency to
temper its decisions to the winds
of public opinion.
Animal Cage.
With that in view the %Interna-
tional Labor Defense has Just
completed plans for a novel tour
of the country by Herndon. He
will make it in a truck that is a
replica of the contrivances used
to haul convicts to their daily la
bors down in Dixie. The SIGHT is
gruesome enough and reminds me
OF the cages n which the small
time circuses used to exhibit their
animas in the street parades.
To give it added weight pie
lures and documentary proof are
on display which portray in a
startling fashion the fortunes
awaiting any Negro unfortunate
enough to get a chair gang sent
ence. One glance is convincing
proof that Herndon's is really a
sentence of death. You can ge.
a bad case of the jitters with a
glance.
Sympathy Not Enough.
1t is hardly necessary to argue
the merits of the sentence. It's
pretty well understood that
Herndon's "crime" lay in organ
izing white and Negro unem-
plOyed to demand a bost in relief
ratiOns. At a time when every
Negro in the country is author
lty for the statement that we
must organize or perish i is es-
sential that we protect those who
dotry to organize their fellows.
Nor will this protection be ach-
eyed if those who seek the truck
content themselves with sighc Of
sympathy and GO home to their
bridge games and crossword puz-
zles. Coupled with the tour is a
plan to get two million name on
petitions urging Herndon's free
dom and the abolition of the old
slave laws on which he was rail
roaded to Jail.
A Big Job.
The easy way out will be to
sign one of the petitions and call
it a day. More needs to be done.
lot of us ought to pich in and
constitute ourselves agents for Sc
curing names. There's really
nothing hard about it.
For example those who 60
around "just making pop calls
could carry petitions with them.
The business Of expainng the case
would be no more difficult than
an evening devoted to panning
the next door neighbors.
Seriously, it is very important
that everybody understand the
case. The more you study it and
talk about it the more you will
come to understand hat this at
tempt to curb Herndon is but a
prelude to a wider attack on civil
rights and freedom Of speech.
With the country going from
bad to worse it is self evident
that a lot more will have to be
said in the next few years by way
of ~stiffening up the fight against
encroachment on our very ailing
standard of living.
To speak out now for Herndon
is to put in a word for your own
bread and butter.
At the risk of doing violence to
my reputation as a gentleman / find
it necessary to question the popular
belief that Mrs. Roosevelt is a tried
and true friend of the Negro people.
The task is not one to be undertaken
lightly. So widespread is tn theory
that the motives of a lady are not
to be looked into that-look he's
Dragging again-it is a job reserved
for the brave.
Mrs. Roosevelt's reputation has
been gained chiefly because of her
willingness to speak her piece at
various gatherings. Contrary to the
maxim, the First Lady's words
are so well chosen that they serve
to obscure her actions.
WHAT A PAIL
Whose who remember the first daz=