The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-12-01
MORE LIGHT ON THE ANTI-LYNCHINC
BILL

BILL
Peter MolyneauX, editor of The Texas
Weekly, an outspoken champion OF the
political rights Of the Southern States, con-
cludes an article on the lynching bill with
these paragraphs, which are quoted for the
information of our readers:
an view of all this, why this so-caed anti
lynching bill passed by the House by such an over
whelming vote, and why is it taken for granted
that the Senate will pass it ultimately, in spite Of
the flibuster being staged against it by Senator
Tom Connally and other southern senators? There
are three reasons for this, to which should like
to direct your attention. First of ALL this bill Is
political measure, designed to please the negro
voters of Northern and Eastern states. Many peo-
pie are sincerely in favor of this measure, but
some of the members of the two houses of congress
who are most vocal and most Industrious in sup
port of it are impeled chiefly by the desire to win
or hold support among their negro constituents.
The second reason this measure Is going TO be en-
acted is that il is characteristic expression of the
craze which has become current among so many
of our people to attempt to deal with evils by CEN
tralizing power at Washington and by increasing
the authority of the government to coerce the citi-
zen. 1t is characteristic expression, that is, of
there is a third reason. and to my mind it is the
most significant. This bill is going to be enacted
into law: it is going to be imposed upon the South,
because of the almost complete lack of under
standing the utter Indifference and the entire
absence of any measure of sympathy among the
people of other sections Of the country with re-
spect 10 the people of the South, and the special
problems which they compelled to face. And
in all present circumstances, this condition is more
serious in its relation to the future of the South
than are the other two reasons for this bill.
g 1T is this condition that explains why the rest
of the American people insist upon having
their government maintain trade policies which are
destroying the markets for Americas chief export
commodity and the South's chief product, cotton.
1t is this condition that explains such proposals as
the Socalled wages and hours bill, which is designed
to bar many of the manufactured products of the
South from interstate commerce. II is a condlton
that the South is going to have to face to an in
creasing extent in the years ahead. There Is good
ground for the belief that the rest of the country
Through the influence of organized minorities at
Washington will succeed in putting into effect a
legislative program which, in an economic sense,
will make the South q subject region-'conquered
territory if you please, more truly than was ever
imagined by the radicals of Reconstruction days
And the circumstance that some southern political
leaders modern counterpartS of the scalawags OF
the seventies likely to participate in enacting
part of this program will not change the character
or the extent of the South's subsection. The en-
aetment of this anti-lynchng BILL which will not
help at all to reduce lynehing should come to the
people of the South like an alarm in the night. 1t
is a sign of the times. And unless the South Is
aroused to its significance in time Pm afraid there
are dark days ahead for the South and for
America"
AS is being pointed out daily by the
press of the South, the anti-lynchlng bill
is. nothing more or less than political
trick framed by politicians in other sec
tfons of the country Cloth Democrats and
Republicans) in the effort to corral the
negro votes in those sections.
Through all the years after the War
Retween the States and the enfranchise-
ment of the negroes, a large majority OF
nsproes voted the Republican ticket. In
the last national election the jim Farley
machine corraled the negro vote in north
ern and western States for the new deal.
In the desperate effort to hold this vote
for the new dealer organization, we lind
the anti-lynching bill fairly on the way to
enactment in new deal Congress, after
being framed and introduced by new deal
ers. --
This bill was not concocted and is not
being forced through Congress by force
bill" Republicans, but by men claiming to
be Democrats. 1t is, also, receiving the
support of some Republicans, who are des-
peratsly trying to stemsthe political tide
and salvage some negro votes in States