The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-05
GOODBYE MIR. BOURBON


Carolina where the first rebel shot was fired in
the Civil War and where racism has always played
shameful part in politics. While remaining true
to its worst traditions by refusing to permit Ne
groes to vote in the primary election, South Caro-
lnas rank and file white voters gave their most
bigoted blabber-mouth, Senator Cotton Ed" Smith,
a well deserved defeat. The passing of Mr.. Smith
from the Senate marks the close, hope, of long
political career that has disgraced our democracy
at home and abroad.
It has long been a custom for most Southern
boys who took to heart the legend that every Ameri-
can lad has chance to be President, to start their
political careers by beating the drums of white su
premacy. Rival polticos proposed extraordinary
measures for satisfactory solution of the race
dilemma and often the most extreme proposals won
the most votes. Senator Bilbo of Mississippi has
been very successful with his plan to ship all the
dark brothers back to Africa and up until last week
Senator Smith won in walk with his simple plat
form of "hold 'em down and give 'em hell"
1t would probably be too much to expect that
the defeat of Senator Cotton Ed marks the end
of the extreme race-baitng which has been trusty
ladder for so many Southern political climbers.
There are enough signs in the South today however,
to warrant our belief that we are the Threshold
of new period in Dixie politics. One by one the
most vicious racebaiters are being topped from
their high posts and few decent Southerners are
beginning to get an opportunity to hold important
offices. The defeat of Talmadge Of Georgia, Joe
Starnes IN Alabama and Cotton" Ed in South Caro-
lima coupled with the victories Of Claude Pepper of
Florida and Lister Hill Of Alabama must have some
significance for the future.
In some respects the South is entering its Re-
construction period and the rebels who still fight
H. Lns,.c 1xsx,1 .,~&o
corners with the prospect of final defeat weighing
heavily upon them. Many reconstructed Southern
ers have lost their old time religion which relegates
Negroes to an inferior position in the society and the
seeds of doubt are being widely sown. Southern
workers are beginning to feel the democratic in
fuence of Organized Labor as represented by the
industrial unions of the CLIO and new group Of
Southern inteectuals fighting the racist blight
with new courage and vision Not single important
Southern writer has risen in recent years to defend
the feudal Dixie customs and some of the most i'm
portant Southern newspapers Louisville Courier
Journal Richmond Times Dispatch, ETC., have be-
come champions of greater measure of social JUS
tice for Negroes
More important than all of these, however, is
the rise of New Negro in the Southland. If South
ern Negroes win the right of suffrage throughout
Dixie it will be primarily because Southern Negroes
nave put up an intelligent and militant fight for that
right. They demonstrating by their own actions
that they are qualified and ready for full citizenship
They have not resorted to violence nor have they
been intimidated by violence. Using the legal pro-
cesses available to them and making alliances with
liberal whites, they have organized new bloc of
Southern thought and press their case in manner
which can no longer be ignored by the reactionares
In Texas, Georgia and South Carolina, new
Negro leadership is developing which equals in in
teligence the militancy the most advanced leader
ship of the Northern Negro Considering the ira
dtions against which they must struggle this South
ern leadership is doing the job in the only way it
can be done successfully. The old Southern Uncle
Toms who won petty concessions from temporal
mental white boss have had to concede ground to
these new Southern Negroes who are allying them
selves with liberal whites in the labor movement
and in the intellectual fields
These new Negro leaders in Dixie have well
coined the aid and contributed their support to the
NAACP and similar groups. They are taking adj
vantage Of every educational opportunity and press
ing for new educational opportunities for h e
oppressed masses. Carter Wesley in Texas and c.
A. Scott in Atlanta developing newspapers which