The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-10-23
JEFFRIES JUMPS OVERHEARD

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Described even by his friends as hurt ami
NAL" Mayor Edward j. Jeffries Jr., has at last
chosen to abandon his responsibilities as captain OF
the municipal ship of state and jump overheard to
drown himself in the sea Of public shame. Rebuked
by the majority Of the voters in the primary cleo
ton the Mayor has chosen to get down on his knees
and attempt to crawl back into office through the
muck and mire of racial prejudice. 1t is revolving
spectacle which offends the sensibilities even OF
those who bore him no malice and wished HIM well.
.~ This election has in it some of the elements OF
great Shakeapearean tragedy in which one OF the
central characters Mayor, literally dlsintegrates
and bares to the audience his naked and wicked SOUL
In this characters mad rush to sef-destruction, he
attempts to pull down the pillars of the house and
threaten the very lives of those who occupy it. To
his warped mind, nothing matters any more save
the fulfillment of his egotistic impulses which have
led him to believe that he is some municipal god out
of Greek legend who has been wronged by the rabbe
populace.
Indeed who among us would have believed that
son of the late Judge Jeffres would choose to turn
his back upon the traditions of his family and join
company with the arch-enemes OF democracy who
welcome at this crucial hour an opportunity to pit
race against and labor against industry? That
he should do this foul thing at a time when unity
war, when our own community is still bleeding from
the wounds of June co. is an objectionable sin. That
he should do all of this to save his political neck
is indeed historic instance of consummate treachery
Detroit is great American city of fabulous po-
tentialities Here are gathered races and national
groups from the four corners OF the globe who have
come to build new life for themselves and for their
children. This is town made up of vast minority
groups and it is living example of what is meant
by the American melting pot. The full assimilation
of one of the largest minortes here into the COM
munity life has been made difficult by reason of
color prejudice The attempt of this coored minority
to become an integral part of this community and
to realize its potentialities in atmosphere of
mutual goodwill has engendered hate. 1t is an old
story and it's consequences were envsaged by the
founders of this republic who warned that all men
are created equal" and that this should be govern
ment of men who are both free and equal
However short we may be of our goal, it is the
function of government to pursue at all times that
course which leads to the realization Of the ideals
which d. ESSENCE vf aemocra1 the eyes sf
the vast majority of the Negro people, the admins
tration of Mayor Jeffries has failed in this impor
tant particular They registered their protest over
this failure in democratic manner in the primary
election Because he was rebuked Mayor Jeffres
has chosen to broaden the gap between our peoples
and drive wedge between the citizens on the basis
of color in the vain hope that this election will be-
come a contest between the white and Negro people
One wonders what the Mayor can hope to gain
by such course. Indeed, even if he is elected by
this appeal to white supremacy" which puts him in
a class with Tamadge of Georgia, Rankin of Missis-
sippi and Adolf Hitler of Berlin, he will have lost
the respect of every true American, white as well
as black, in this community. He will have demon
strated to the world that he will take any position
to save his own hide, that he will trade his honor
on an open market The Mayor has done himself a
great personal injury and he has opened the flood
gates of passion and racial hate upon this great city
which had just begun to clear the debris left by the
flood-tide of that CHASTITY riot on June 20 We ask
in great wonderment, who could support such man
fo thu highest public office in this city which is
known around the world as the arsenal ct democracy?
MONSIGNOR FRANCIS J. HAAS
It has been announced that Monsignor Francis j.
IL