The Omaha guide., 1941-02-01
TWILL FIGHT
NOMINATION
OF BYRNES
IF NAMED FOR HIGH
JUSTICE POST

NCH AoIh-A iOiB anu D1tlef
fight, reminiscent of the campaign
waged against Judge John ]. Par
ker that kept the North Carolina
.urist off the United States Sun.
RENE Court in 1880, will be con-
Quoted against Senator James
Brynes, If President Rooseveit
dominates the South Carolina Re-
preventative to fill the post left
va ant by retiring Justice James
c. McReynolds officials of the
National Association for the Al
vaneement g C1itred Peep e said
today
The announcement came on the
heels of newspaper reports from
Washington indicating that Sen
ator Brynes. ole of the President
chief aides in the fight to pass the
lcase-iend bill, haI the inside track
or the apo 1tment, and quoting
the President a. saying that he
hsd already chosen the man who
would succeed McReynolds. al.
though he did not intend to make
known the name for several
weeks.
AT the same ;'me the association
made public 4 telegram sent to
Roosevelt, January "a, in which
reasons for the opposition to
Rlynes were ssattJ. These reas-
cns We're summed up with the
statement that Brynes "has been
al solutely co lsistent in opposing
any and every effort to give 10
Negro citizen the protection of
the United States Constitution
Brynes has consistently fought
passage OF The federal Anti-Lynch
ing bill, the statement said. In
1885, as chairman of the Senate
audit and control committee, he re-
fused to permit consideration of
the appropriation of $500, 10 in
vestigate fourteen lynchings chat
had taken place since May l, when
the Senate filibuster halted action
on the then pending Costigan--
Wagner anti-lynching bill. Bryn-
es did this despite the fact that the
Senate Judiciary Committee had
reported out ~favorably a resolut-
ion offered by Senator Frederick
Van Mugs, calling for the investi-
CATION, and authorizing the expen-
diture of 1900 to conduct il.
NAACP. officials pointed out
that it is not without significance
that the three Senator'S who are
pressing Roosevelt to name Brynes
Carter Glass, of Va, Harrison of
Miss, and Alben Barley of Ken
lucky, are without exception. OPP
ponents of federal anti -lynching
legislation.
Senator Glass, the NAACP. of
ficials said, is the father of dis
franchisement laws for Negroes n
Virginia, about which he has fire.
quently boosted.
The association urged organi.-
a%tions and citizens to send tele-
grams, post cards and letters to
President Roosevelt at once, urg-
ing him not to nominate Brynes
for the Supreme Court post.
The complete text Of the Assoc
iation's telegram to Roosevelt fol
lows:
"We very sincerely hope that
newspaper reports are incorrect
that you are seriously considering
the nomination of Senator James
+. Brynes, as member of United
States Supreme Court to succeed
Mr.. Justice McReynolds. Sena-
tor Brynes record has been aDsol-
utely consistent in opposing any
any every effort to give to Negro
citizens the protection of the Unit
ed States Constitution. The Uni
ed States Supreme Court has been
the one tribunal to which minoris-
les have been able to appeal in de-
Tense of their citizenship rights.
One holding the views which
Senator Brynes has espoused on
the floor of the United States Sen
ate and elsewhere, ~jeopardizes
democracy at a time when We
must put forth every effort to
safeguard and extent it. We urge
that Senator Brynes or any other
person sharing his views not be
considered for this high post"
MO. LEGISLATORS APPROPRI-
ATE EITNnc EnD IT UnIrnN