St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1943-04-16


this evasion of the clear purpose
of the present law the Senate bill
forbids the practice.
The bill went to the House of
Representatives, where it met OPP
position and was buried in commit
tees. In the Judiciary Committee
it was promptly tabled in a secret
session. After considerable effort
a public hearing was secured at
which representatives of the Jewish
faith and Negro race, with other
citizens who are opposed to un-
American determinations, argued
in its favor. No one spoke in opposi-
ton, although challenged to do so.
The committee adjourned without
comment or action. Last Tuesday
the bill was reported but to the
House with very important altera-
lions. AS amended it included the
words national origin or religion"
but wholly omitted the provision
against discriminatory advertising,
reduced the present penalty and
struck out the right Of civil action
for damages. If the bill should
pass in its present form Jewish
and other religious groups would
be included, but the insult and in
justice of discriminatory advertis-
ing would continue, and the chief
protection which the Negro and
other colored people have had under
the present law, the statutory right
to a civil action for damages, would
be lost. It is to the credit of the
Jewish people that they refuse to
accept the advantage thus given
them at the expense Of their colored
brethren, and they vigorously OPP
pose the passage of the amended
bill. Indeed, I raise a question
whether this apparent gain for
Jews is not largely an illusion. The
bill would give them some protec-
ton in a few of our larger cities;
but it is my deliberate Judgment
that for the rest of the state the
new bill would amount to a practi-
cal repeal Of the present law. Do
not minority groups have their rep
resentativeS in the armed forces ?
And do you wish these boys to find
when they come home that they
have been made the victims of this
injustice?
The House Judiciary Committees
bill must not pass and probably it
was never intended to pass. am
slow to ascribe unworthy motives
to our legislators, but the action
of the committee looks like a de-
vice to kill the Senate bill without
a vote on the merits.
What can we do about it? This,
I think, and only this: If you believe
in democracy, and if the brother
hood of man is more to you than a
sounding phrase, take this matter
seriously; see your representative
if you can, and if you cannot, write
to him. Let him know that you
consider the treatment the Senate
bill has had in the House thus far
an affront not only to the minority
groups Immediately concerned, but
to every citizen of Minnesota who
believes in the Bill of Rights and
repudiates determinations between
citizens based upon prejudice and
intolerance. Urge that Senate File
No. 124-remember the number
be given a special order number on
the House calendar. That is the
only hope for action at the present
session. If it is brought to a vote
it's friends will be content with the
result.
May say a personal word? I
withdrew from public life nearly
two years ago. It is with reluc-
lance that I now take part in a con-
troversy of any sort. Nothing but
a profound conviction that, as I
said at the outset, a great principle
is here involved has induced me to
thus address you. The people of
Minnesota have given me many
marks of confidence and goodwill.
If my opinion still counts with any
of my hearers, I urge them to act
at once in this emergency.