The Omaha guide., 1938-10-22
PORTER'S BROTHERHOOD
OF AT OF l. DELEGATES
FIGHT WHITE PRIMARIES

Reports from the A. F. of L.
Convention at Houston, Texas,
show that A. Philip Randolph, In
ternational President and M. T.
Webster. First international Vice
President of the Brotherhood OF
Sleeping Car Porters. battled with
force ard ability to place the pow
erful American Federation of Lab
or behind the fight Of the Negro
people to break down white prim-
aries and thereby eliminate the
Acknowledgement of Negroes.
In his speech against white pri-
maries in the South, Mr.. Randolph
attacked the Poll Tax.
Brotherhood Delegates Reverse
Convention
In one of the only two instances
when tht A. F. of l.. Convention
reversed it's position and the re-
port of the powerful Resolution
Committee was overruled when
under the attacks of delegates
Randolph and Webster, the Bro
therhood's Resolution for the re-
~storation Of colored maids on a
basis of seniority rule was upheld.
In a speech on the resolution,
Delegate M. p. Webster told the
Convention that the membership
of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters included Filipinos, Chin
ESQ and that white BARRIERS had
made application for membership
and would be accepted. He point
ed out that the Brotherhood was
fighting for maids who, with 20
and 30 years of service were
thrown out without any consider
alton by the Union Pacific Rail-
road and other carriers.
The Brotherhood's resolution en-
the Scottsboro Boys was adopted
and also the resolution for an Anti
L%ynching Law. The Convention
reaffirmed its position in favor of
the restoration of the independence.
of Ethiopia.
The Brotherhood resolution a
gainst general discrimination "a
gainst the Negro people provoked
an extended and bitter discussion
on the floor, with delegate RAN
dolph denouncing the whole jim
crow system of the South, pointing
out that it was a form of econom-
ic duplication which caused the
South to be Nations according to
President Roosevelt. Number one
Problem.
A. F. of L. Calls on Unions to
Abolish Color Bar
For the first time since the Bro
therhood has been fighting for the
elimination of the Color bar, the
A. F. of l.. Convention, adopted
the Brotherhood's resolution which
requested committee to be set up
in National and international I'm
ions to discuss the question of
their succeeding convention in or
der to keep the issue alive in the
unions.
Southern delegates and the peo-
pie of Houston were astonished
at the drastic demands and attacks
Of the Brotherhood delegates a.
gainst all forms of race discrim-
nation, as attested by general ex-
pressions of the Southern delegat-
IS.
Webster Stirs Negro Houston
At a meeting of tho National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, MI. Webster
assailed Negro leadership as a fail
ure and called for a working class
Negro Leadership which has
courage, vision and intelligence
as is expressed in the Sleeping Car
Porters and other unions.
He told the story of the struggle
of the Brotherhood and pointed cut
the significance of the role of the
Brotherhood in the A. F. of L. and
that the Negro and white workers
should unite in a common ause.
DR.. Jerome Davis, President of
the TEACHERS Union backed the
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