The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1941-04-18
The Negro Scores

1t is hard to avoid the conclusion that
the Negro is gaining ground in tins
country. During these critical times the
searchlight Of common sense is being To-
cused upon the nation and upon the COM
ponent parts thereof This nation is be-
ing forced to take stock Of its citizens
and their loyalties. Our way OF lie our
hopes and aspirations are being Welgned
in the balance and woe unto Us II we are
found wanting
The threatened tieup OF industry by
elements that are sympathetic towards
Hitlerism is one Of the dark revelations
of these perlous times. In an hour when
everything is demanded if our country i
TO survive we have certain elements who
are putting selfish gains before the safe
tv Of our common country. There is some
thing reasonable about some OF the hap
penings in industry. AT first we We're
confronted with series OF explosions
today it is strikes and the threats there
Of that are paralysing our defense ei-
forts. There can be no objection TO Ia
Dor trying to get certain gains. me fiehs
OF collective bargaining should be lfs-
served by all means except by sucn
means as will expose our nation 10 dis
aster. The right to organize IS one tha1
labor has won through sweat and tears
and blood and one that intelligent men
want to see preserved.
But even this right should not take
precedence of the measures tor the ha-
tons safety Wherein the abridgemen1
of these rights become necessary lof the
preservation of the larger Liberties q
mankind. they should be abridged. The
-. ,1~in .e,
than the safety of some OF its parts.
When this war is won labor can and will
have it's rights. 1t is not necessary TO
ieopardize national safety to win its
point There is more excellent way
When the matter is summed up it must
be acknowledged that the major gains
Of labor have been through times OF
peace and not in times oil crisis
The growing enlightenment OF man
kind will make it increasingly difficult
for one man or group Of men to exploll
the opportunities of man kind More and
more the world will look with dlsdaln
upon iniustices whether these be racial
or political or economic The real dan
ger to the future is not merely IN the
slowness of the coming Of the Kingdom
but in the retrogressions that come with
war and its concomitants. In the long
run the under-dog will reach the top II
is true none Of us can make the long run;
but what we cannot do as individuals we
can do as races and nations.
These foreign elements that this ma
ton has taken to it's bosom and set to its
heavy laden tables Of opportunity-w
the Negro had to wait for the crumbs
is showing how little it appreciates their
high estate. The Negro, fed on crumbs,
is pressing for an opportunity to defend
these crumbs and the country that pro-
vided them. The foreign elements are
throwing bombs and striking and mani
Testing in every way their preference for
another country and manner OF life. How
ever inclined charitable men may be to
call it by some other name, the behavior
of certain elements in this country is no
thing short of treason. History will be
forced to record the fact that the Negro
stood firm and waited for an opportunity
to defend a country that in its oppor.
tunity has preferred Others.
The Negro's er-patriotism is not al
ways to be unreWarded. Just as during
the first World War the Negroes loyalty
won for him greater respect and reward;
so in this conflict the Negro is scoring
heavily In this nations mind is often
revolving the dreary thought that in the
crisis the Negro who has been rejected is
a greater help and credit to his nation
than many who have been preferred be-
fore him. The disgrace of coddling trai-
tors and spurning loyalists will become
more and more odious as the generations
come and 60 The matter Of biting the
hand that feeds us is matter of char
acter; the matter of defending the coun-
try that affords us home and haven is
matter Of character In the last analysis
character will have its reward. Char
acter like truth may be crushed to earth
but it will rise again
The more | see OF the treacherous tao
tics Of certain elements in this country,
the rrouder am of the record and loyal
ty Of Negroes. This pride is bound to
extend itself in ways that will be bles-
sings to the Negroes. Whether the Ne
gro realizes it or not the race is scoring
heavy and substantial gains in the pre-
sent crisis.
--Ry Dean Gordon B> Haneosk Ter AMP