Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1943-07-10
Rumors, The New Pandemic

DURING THE FIRST World
War the Spanish influence scourg-
ed the nations. AS pandemic its
virulence has scarcely been equal
led since the plague of "black
death" in Europe. 1t remains to
be seen what will be next on
plaques death list and we shudder
to contemplate what will be it's ex-
tent and nature.
There has already appeared a
moral pandemic that 81 deadly in
its implications and ramifications.
I have reference to "rumoritis"
the new scourge that is especially
virulent in the south. Rumors and
rumOr- mongering are Sapping the
hope and morale of the white and
Negro south. 1t is easily one of the
most dangerous Affections Of this
war. Today had a phone call from
newspapermen asking what know
about an impending uprising on
part of Negroes scheduled to take
place July 4th. I Immediately
branded such rumor as a double
faced lie set afloat by the Axis
propagandists" SO active in this
country.
BELIEF is STARTLING
Even more startling than the ru-
mors themselves is the Importance
attached to them by whites who
should know better. That whites
in this late date can be beguiled
into believing and circulating those
rumors is at once depressing and
distressing. Here in the south
where whites are supposed to know
Negroes thoroughly we have the
sorry spectacle of whites being up
set over such silly rumors. If be-
lieving those senseleSs rumors is an
index of the white south's under
standing and knowledge of the Ne.
gro we are in for some untoward
developments.
The governor of Virginia was
quoted as saying that although he
did not believe the rJmors, he was
taking no chances and prepara-
lions had been made to take care
of any eventualities. In other
words up on the strength of these
baseless rumors white Virginia is
prepared for Negroes and what is
true Of Virginia is probably true
of every southern state.
And herein lies the pity. These
baseless and silly rumors are fall
ing upon attentive ears and the
implications thereof are tragic. A
too serious attention to these ru-
mors, however ungrounded, predis-
pose our southern communities to
lock for trouble OF the Negroes
making: ana seldom do We fail
to find the trouble we lock for.
Some isolated incident unrelated
tc any Negro uprising may easily
be seized upon as pretext to do to
death defenseless and law-abiding
Negroes.
ONE SIDED ORDERS
Some weeks ago in a casual con-
versation with an intelligent white
man on the streets of southern
city, he let slip the remark that
the home guards of the several
states had been instructed to sum-
marily put down any Negro upris-
ing. The danger here is that these
same home guards may not be fur
ther instructed to put down any
white hoodlulnism designed to prey
upon defenseless and 1aw-abidine
Negroes.
It means all the difference In the
world whether the home guard il
instructed to guarantee the peace
of the community or just merely
to put down Negro uprisings. Here
we have an organization definite
ly assigned to the task of putting
down Negro uprisings; but there il
no evidence that there is any or
ganization among Negroes to stage
this uprising. It was found in the
Beaumont, Texas, riots of recent
date that there was no semblance
of organization among Negroes. In
every case Of riots the same thing
is going to be found that there Is
no plan or organization for upris-
ings among Negroes anywhere. To
attribute such imbecilic assump-
tiors to Negroes as an uprising
| implies, is to disparage the con-