The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1940-10-31
THROUGH
HAZ (
E Y
.
BY
Hazel Brannon
Hazel Brannon

~ ISSiuent OF the Unite
states, seems to be gaining groun,
rapidly. This is in sharp contrast t,
n last Republican presidential can
didate against F.D.R. Mr.. Landon'
star reached its zenith long befor,
election and sank rapidly into tn,
horizon. When election day ended h,
had carried the sum total of two
states.
Mr.. Willkie seemed to be following
the same path as Mr.. Landon for !
long while. He was hailed as repre-
senting the true voice of the pee
pie" and his success in achieving the
Republican candidacy was widely ac
Claimed as a success of the people
over machine politics.
Then Mr.. Willkie, too, began to
lose ground. One dumb utterance af.
Ger another apparently has served TO
change public opinion regarding his
ability to hold the high office of
President.
Instead of this trend continuing
downward we have a sharp upturn
IN public sentiment in these last few
days. Mr.. Willkie is still a contender
for President.
1t is highly improbable that Wen
dell Wiflkie will be elected to the
office of President. But he is giving
the President a good ace at the pre-
sent time.
=
An interesting folder comes in the
mail today. 1t is a picture of Mrs.
Roosevelt in evening attire escorted
by two young Negro men students.
Contained in the folder is a cop Of
the column Mrs. Roosevelt writes ev-
cry day and which appears in news
papers all over the country. The title
of her column is my Day" Written
in that column under the date line
of September 20, 1910. is the fol
lowing:
Last night | dined with the Bro
therhod of Sleeping Car Porters, af-
fiiiated with the A. F. of L.. 1t was
the 18th anniversary Of their biennial
convention. These men have made life
comfortable and pleasant for me on
many long journeys, and | know that
they had a long hard fight before
they gained recognition Of their un.
Jon.
4 did not know until Mayor La
Guardia spoke that he had been one
of the people at their first organiza-
ton meetings. | am constantly find
ing where there has been a struggle
fer the rights of labor and for the re-
cognition of human values, regard
less of race, creed or color; that the
mayor of New York City has been in
it from the start. If satisfaction has
come in the gains of freedom
and justice meted out to any groups
of human beings, he can take pride
in their achievement because he has
his share Of the fight.
ut was quite a lengthy party and
the breakfast hour this morning ar
rived all too soon. | had to hurry to
DO ready when my doorbell rang to
announce Franklin Jr., and Mr.. Len
were on hand to take me to the
steamer to meet Mr. Leopold Stok-
owski and the National Youth SYM
phony orchestra, which has b e Q
South America"
The fact that our First Lady dined,
apparent good fellowship, with the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters,
IS certainly indication enough that
the Republican party should no
longer be exclusively considered a
Negro" party any more than the
PARTY. The Democratic
party has persistently and consis-
wooed the Negro vote in the
east and other sections of the coun-
try where they are large enough in
numbers to carry and weight.
Mrs. Roosevelt probably attended
this dinner escorted by some white
or official. We do not know.
She probably did this in the same
spirit that many of our southern
aid in every way possible
the Negro churches and schools.
But at any rate the fact remains
that the stigma of Republican -
Lovers" should be wiped out
of the minds of every intelligent
southern Democrat. Our party heads
catered to the Negro vote as
they have never been catered to be
fore.
This was in evidence at the Demo
cratic convention in Chicago where
We're just as many Negroes as
there has ever been at a Republican
convention.
We can be members of n party
we choose. If we want to vote for
President Roosevelt a third or a
fourth term it is our right as Ameri-
can citizens to do so.
But whether we be Democrats or
Republicans we should make an
honest effort to keep up with what
is going on in our national life and
know all the facts possible in every
election.
We should not assiima that hecause