St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-01-12
TWITS ROOSEVELT FOR NO
MENTION OF LYNCH 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 a Fed
eral law which would outlaw lynch
ing.
Congressman Fish said:
Every time a colored man or
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. 1 have few colored peo-
pie in my own district, but would
be derelict to those colored soldiers
who served under my command and
who paid the supreme sacrifice on
the battlefelds of France, fighting
to make the world safe for democ-
racy, if I did not raise my voice
and do everything in my power to
help pass a Federal Anti-Lynching
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 to
safeguard the security and lives
of the American people, and is the
reason for the existence of gov
eminent. I have taken an oath of
office to support and defend the
Constitution, and believe I am de-
Tending it when I 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 entire
population, to equal protection and
due process provisions of the 18th
Amendment. There is a definite
guarantee in the Federal Consti-
tuition that no American, whether
he be colored or white, shall be de-
prived of his life or liberty without
a trial by jury or due process OF
law, and naturally the Congress
has the power to enforce such a
mandate.
president Roosevelt spoke to
Congress on the State of the Ma
ton and of the world, and partic-
ularly of conditions in Europe, but
failed to mention making democ-
racy work at home by enacting a
Federal Anti-Lynching law. Pres
ident Roosevelt does not hesitate
to express his views and pass NOR
al judgments on European ma
tons, but why is he so strangely
silent on legislation aimed to pro-
vide for the security and safety OF
the lives of our own people?
Asks Roosevelt to State His Views
81 agree with the President, when
he quotes the Preamble to the Con-
stitution and says our best defense
is the promotion of our genera
welfare and domestic tranquility
Maintaining those views, ash
President Roosevelt to state at the
Jackson Day Dinner tonight where
he stands on the Anti-Lynchine
Bill and what he proposes to do tt
secure it's passage in the Congress:
and help in establishing justice anc
domestic tranquility in our owl
country.
"a Nation that does not protee
it's own citizens is not worthy o.
the name. A Nation that sits su