Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-01-12
TWITS ROOSEVELT FOR NO
MENTION OF LYNCH EVIL

MEN HUN UT LII NNu EVIL
Washington, D. c., Jan. 8.-That
hardy perennial, the Gavagan
anti-lynch bill, came back this week
to plague the members of Con-
gress like "Banquo's Ghost" and
the fight to enact laws which will
make the taking of human life by
mobs, began anew.
One of the first speeches in sup
port of the bill was delivered by
Republican Hamilton Fish, New
York, arch-foe of the New Deal
who criticised severely President
Roosevelt's lack of vocal support to
previous attempts to pass Fed
eral law which would outlaw lynch
ing.
Congressman Fish said:
every time a colored man OF
woman is lynched or burned at the
stake in America it means that the
Emancipation Proclamation has
been suspended and that their civil
and equal rights have been de-
stroyed under the law and the Con
stitution. have few colored PEG,
pie in my own district, but l woulC
be derelict to those colored soldiers
who served under my command anC
who paid the supreme sacrifice or
the battlefelds of France, fighting
to make the world safe for democ
racy, if l did not raise my voice
and do everything in my power tt
help pass Federal Anti-Lynchine
Bill in order to make America safe
for their own people, their families
and sons.
Duty of Congress
"The primary and paramount
duty of Congress is to legislate tx
safeguard the security and live
of the American people, and is the
reason for the existence Of gov
eminent. l have taken an oath Of
office to support and defend thu
Constitution, and believe I am de
Tending it when 1 am trying to pro
tect human lives in America
whether they are white or whether
they are colored.
American Ostriches
There are still some American
ostriches who refuse to recognize
the Constitutional rights of thir
teen million free colored Ameri
cans, or one-tenth of our entir'
population, to equal protection ant
due process provisions of the 14tl
Amendment. There is definiti
guarantee in the Federal Consti
tuition that no American, whethe.
he be colored or white, shall be de
prived of his life or liberty withou
a trial by jury or due process O
law, and naturally the Congress
has the power to enforce such ,
mandate.
president Roosevelt spoke t,
Congress on the State of the Ma
ton and of the world, and partic
ularly of conditions in Europe, blu
failed to mention making democ
racy work at home by enacting
Federal Anti-Lynching law. Pres
ident Roosevelt does not hesitate
to express his views and pass NOR
al judgments on European ma
tions, but why is he so strangel!
silent on Legislation aimed to pro
vide for the security and safety O.
the lives of our own people?
Asks Roosevelt to State His View
81 agree with the President, whel
he quotes the Preamble to the Con
stitution and says our best defens,
is the promotion of our genera
welfare and domestic tranquility
Maintaining those views, l asl
President Roosevelt to state at tn,
Jackson Day Dinner tonight wher'
he stands on the Anti-Lynchint
Bill and what he proposes to do tt
secure its passage in the Congress
and help in establishing justice ant
domestic tranquility in our own
country.
"a Nation that does not protec
its own citizens is not worthy O
the name. A Nation that sits su