The Phoenix index., 1941-03-08

eyer d1CI-pOll TAX DILL.
all men and women for concerted
independent political action to the
end that democracy of, by, and fol-
the people may not perish"
Throughout the conference the
need for an organized peoples
movement to free the ballot and tc
safeguard civil liberties and the
rights of labor was stressed Hol-
lis v. Reid of Memphis, chairman
of the legislative board of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen
was elected chairman of the or
ganization.
THOMPSON, PERRY
SPEAKERS
Speakers included the Rev. John
H. Thompson, chairman of the
Southern Conference of Human
Welfare, of Norman, Okla, ano
Jennings Perry, editorial writer OF
the Nashville Tennessean.
The resolution on civil liberties
said, ITO curtail the rights of any
group is to endanger the rights OF
all people. In these days of war
hysteria selfish and anti-demo-
cratic interests are seeking to get
faith against faith, race against
race, and group against group ip
order to divide the people and to
destroy democracy for their own
profits. We oppose any form of op-
preston and discrimination prac-
ticed against religious or racial
minorities and against labor"
Lewis w. Jones, professor of So
ciology at Fisk University, who
with Collins George of LeMoyne
college, Memphis, was elected to
the federation's executive board,
told delegates the Negro's plight.
In an address that was we'll re-
ceived, he said in part:
SAYS RACE USED
1.-The Negro problem is not one
of majority rule. The Negro pop.
ulation in the South has been used
less ferociouSly it is true, in much
the same fashion as the Jews have
been used in Germany by Hitler.
In both instances small groups OF
poWer-bent men have directed the
attention Of the people against the
racial minority in one instance and
the religious minority in the other
in order to work their will in the
midst of the fear and prejudice they
have foStered.
IF clearly defined issues existed
on which Negroes disagreed with
white people and so constituted
themselves political minority il
would be different situation. Blu,
no such difference exists. The only
thing which fundamentally sets
Negro Tennesseeans apart from
white Tennesseans is color. They
speak the same language, share the
same religious beliefs, and want
the same things for which thei1
white neighbors aspire-jobs that
pay living wage, schools for their
children, and peace and security
in which they can live full lives
Not only are the general aims OF
American life the most sincere
hopes of Negroes but among them
are to be found duplicated all of
the differences found in the white
population.
HITS MEMPHIS SITUATION
This persecution of Negroes in
Memphis seems 20 be tied up with
two important civil rights which
effect the white population: free
dom to vote as they please, and the
right to labor organization. 1t be-
gan with the realization on the
part of the Crump machine that
the Negroes were not entirely in
Inundated and we're planning to
pile up large Republican protest
vote. Coincident with it was the
drive against the organized rubber
workers in Memphis who have
large Negro men bership.
The right to vote campaign in
Tennessee has not played up the
racial angle publicly but under
meath there has been rumbling on
that point. There is no chance for
Negroes to out vote the white pop
ulation in Tennessee since the
whites out number them about
three to one. The power of ole
prejudices is SO strong, however,
that many people will oppose poll
tax repeal because someone tells
them that such repeal would let
Negroes vote. Those who take this
stand are literally cutting off their
noses to spite their faces"