The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1939-08-19
THE writer's thoughts do necessarily represent the views
and opinions Of this paper

SAID ABOUT the American Negro ID
i'll volume on top OF volume. So
that about all we can do in these
short articles is to touch the high
spots in brief outline.
The political situation Of the
Negro in America is no better than
ris social situation, and, next to the
economic, it is the situation that
hits him hardest. It is the wespcI
that keeps him suppressed; it IS
lie instrument that is used to dis
franchise him; it is the nightmare
hat keeps the White folks scared o.
him. Politics is a hard and cruel
game, and political action is dam
serous weapon loaded with dyna-
mite, for il can upset social order.
end revolutionize the country. The
white folks battle each other with
i. and destroy each other with IT;
out. regardless of how much they
fight each other, they are careful
rot 10 let the Negro too much in or
tie game; for after all, too much
political power in the hands Of ths
Negro might 5sckfire to operate
against the white mans racial SELF
interest.
With this fundamental reason in
mind, it is easy to understand why
no Negroes can get elected to office
or the suffrage OF white people;
"hy there is always political ma
2euyer TO outWit and out-maneuver
The political power OF Negroes; why
political leaders are crushed. chuci-
fed and scandalized for the most
Insignificant sins; that is why-it is
so hard TO get Negroes appointed to
worthwhile Office and specially
those involving an exercise OF Off
clal power over whites.
In the judicial department OF gov
eminent, out OF the thousands Of
judgeships Of all kinds throughout
the country. we only have four or
five of any consequence. There IS
not single district attorney. and a
Lalf dozen assistants. Sheriffs none;
marShalls none: only a handful of
deputies in the North. Clerks none:
one deputy here and there. And in
tie majority of states we have a
lard time getting Negroes to serve
on juries. even when a Negro is in
volved. The sad part about our
judicial system is that since the
Dread Scott case down to the recent
Missouri jim-crow university de-
cision, it has handed more decisions
70 .perpetuate the double standard
and against Negroes than to help
The Negro out OF his civil and social
disability.
In the executive department.
white man gets elected to a publi1
office, and then he either forgets the
Negro, or he is scared to death
about giving Negroes too many jobs,
specially important ones. The sad
part about this situation is that
every Negro who is appointed to
office, he must accept it with the
implied understanding that he is
put there to carry out and uphold
the white mans policies, This at
times is carried too far by certain
Negroes who did not hesitate to
crush another Negro for the sake
Of winning the graces and the APP
PAUSE OF his white boss and thus
holding on TO his job.
In the legislative department. we
have one Negro in Congress and a
few in northern legislatures, anit
city boards OF aldermen. What good
has it done? Has it gotten US any
where? We have been very much
on the margin in this department.
Even Congressman Mitchell was
recently the victim of, jim-crow
discrimination and didn't get very
far with his action in the courts.
White legislators like very much to
use their Negro colleagues when
they have something to put over;
but when it comes TO going to the
front for their Negro colleagues.
many of them use the old trick Of
being absent from the session.
The Negroes saddest plight, po-
l!tically comes in the use OF the
ballot as an elector. In the South,
where his vote would count the
most, he is practically out OF thu
picture through Acknowledgement.
That leaves only a small minority
Of voters throughout the North and
West who are the ones that carry
ne greatest burden of Negro cleo
,oral responsibility OF these rot
all who are qualified exercise the
franchise; and, if all would, it would
not make any difference For We
make a lot of noise about being
the balance Of power" in politics.
This boast is not true to the facts
in the situation. We must remem-
Der that against this Negro balance
Of power there is also a whitsi
balance OF power that is much more
powerful than all the votes that tho
Negro in the Usited States could
marshall together. This white bal
ance Of power is that big mass of
white vote that is neither Republic
can nor Democrat, and that does