Twin-City herald., 1940-07-06

milk-and-water Negro plank, without
any definite pledge on any of the burn
ing issues confronting the Negro peo-
pie of this country today. The Re
publican platform, for instance, mildly
condemns the lynching evil and de-
clares that Legislation to curb this evil
should be enacted" but is silent on
the party's attitude toward the anti
lynching bill now pending in the SEN
ate, and the nationwide demand for
passage of that bill, in the fact of the
opposition of Southern Democrats and
many Northern Republicans in the
Senate.
The Negro plank, as finally adopted,
does not even pledge the Republican
Party to work for the passage of anti
lynching legislation, but merely states
that such legislation Should be en-
acted" This is significant, as the
adopted plank is at wide variance with
the first draft submitted to the Plat
form committee. In that first draft.
the Republican Party was definitely
pledged to the enactment of anti-lynch-
ing legislation and to the abolition of
discrimination in the civil service and in
the armed forces A comparison of
the draft plank and the plank finally
adopted reveals further significant
omissions. The draft plank declared:
"To the fight for real freedom for all
Americans for which the Republican
Party was conceived and created, we
dedicate ourselves anew. The Repub-
lican Party pledges itself to make that
freedom more abundant by enforcing
the right of the colored citizen to the
enjoyment of the full benefits of life,
liberty, pursuit of happiness, universal
suffrage and equal economic and in
dustrial opportunities.
"We propose to abolish all discrim-
nation against him in the civil ser
wee, the army and marine corps and in
all branches of the federal government.
1--WE oppose mob violence, whether
the victims be white or colored, and
pledge ourselves to the enactment of
such necessary proper legislation as
will effectually eradicate that particu-
lar character of crime
The plank which finally appeared in
the Republican campaign platform has
little relation to the above, and sub
stitutes ambiguity for definite prom
iseS. 1t reads:
1--WE pledge that our American citi-
zens of Negro descent shall be given
square deal in the economic and po-
litical life of this nation. Discrimina-
ton in the civil service, the Army and
all other branches of the government
must cease. To enjoy the full benefits
of life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness, universal suffrage must be
made effective for the Negro citizen.
Mob violence shocks the conscience of
the nation, and legislation to curb this
evil should be enacted"
At the time of this writing, more
than 40 regular Negro delegates had
been seated at the Convention. This
number did not satisfy the Negro del
egations, however, who bitterly pro-
tested several decisions of the Gre
dentials committee favoring lily-white
delegations from several Southern
states.
The Republican platform as whole
defends the interest of Big Business
against the masses of the American
people, and stresses the ruthless up
roofing of the social gains and legisla-
ton of the last few years, emasculation
of the Wagner Act, and opposition to
any kind of federal work relief or So
cial security.