St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-12-04
(From N. Y. Peoples Voice.


York Negro ministers, lead
ing a delegation Of over 100
from all over the country to
fight for passage of the Pep
per-Geyer anti-poll tax bill,
had guns pulled on them in
the corridors of the U. S. Sen
ate Monday. The weapons
were brandished by two Sen
ate police officers almost immedi-
ately following the 41-37. vote
against the bill, and climaxed day
in which the clergymen had under
gone various forms of democratic"
brush-off including threats of ply
steal violence.
The delegation, led by Abys-
sinia's Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
had come here to aid the National
Committee to Abolish the Poll Tax
in last minute fight to rally sup
port for passage of the bill. With
Powell were Revs. Ben Richardson,
former minister of Grace Congre-
gational church; Rev. William
Young Trigg, pastor of Salem
Methodist church; Rev. James
Moore, pastor of Amity Baptist
church, Jamaica, L. l., and Rev.
James Mitchell, of Ebenezer church,
Flushing, L. I.
Police Snare
Arriving in Washington Monday
forenoon, the group was aug
mented by delegations from Chi
cago and Detroit, the latter led by
Eddie Tolan, former Olympic
champion. The ministers were met
at Union Station by Washington
citizens. AS they moved through
the terminal, a group of plain
clothesmen, led by a lieutenant,
stopped Powell and asked him if he
was going to the white House."
because, if he was, a car had been
provided to keep him out of the
understandable courtesy in view
of later events.
81 felt there was something
wrong, so l stayed with the dele
CATION" Abyssinia's pastor said.
The group walked the mile from
the station to the Senate building,
not being able to find taxicabs will
ing to take them as passengers.
Sen. James Meade of New York had
been wired in advance of the ar
rival of the delegation, but he was
not available and his office was
closed.
The delegates proceeded to the
office of Senator Wagner, senior
senator from New York, where
three secretaries gave them cards
of admittance to the Senate Cham
Der, telling them they didn't need
individual cards, but could enter in
groups of three or four on cards
inscribed "and party"
Refused Admission
Of this next incident, Powell
says:
ARRIVING at the Senate, we stood
in line with the hundreds who were
going in, when a man in a gray
suit passing through. the corridor
spotted US and called the captain
of the police, who was one Of the
worst looking and worst talking
persons l have ever seen. He evil
IDENTIFY announced that no one could
go through without an INDIVID-
UAL card. I stepped out of line
and asked him why the sudden
change in the rules. He became
very nasty and belligerent, and told
me he didn't care about Senator
Wagner, and that NOBODY was
going ing without an individual
card"
Powell, accompanied by Clifford
McAvoy of the CLIO, and Rev.
Richardson, went downstairs with
the intention of getting Senator
Wagner from the floor. They met
Edgar Brown of the National Ne
gro Council, who suggested they
rush back upstairs and get seats
while he did what he could. An
attempt was made to keep them
from returning upstairs, and to
make them go outside, come in the
Senate building and start all over
again.
Threaten Beating
Powell: "While all of this was
going on, the police captain, lieu
tenant and sergeant were leaning
over the balcony looking down at
the scene. We argued with them,
and one of them threatened to
black US OUT"
A call was. sent in to Meade on
the floor, but that gentleman an
swered with note saying he could
not leave the foor-although there
were senators going in and out. A
similar cali to Wagner brought
back the response he wasn't on the
floor.
During this time Senator Cap
per of Kansas, member of the
NAACP board of directors, came
along. Edgar Brown told him of
the difficulty, and Capper turned
to a man who was apparently in
charge Of the Senate police, telling
him to take care of the matter, then