St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-07-28


vention in Chicago EXCLUSI7
in his private suite at the Stew
lowing his nomination. He 2
comment until he reaches Kansas
City and can give more thought to
it, he said.
A similar opinion was voiced by
Congressman William L. Dawson,
only Negro member of Congress,
who will probably head up the DEM
ocratic campaign among Negroes.
In another EXCLUSIVE statement
to the NNPA, he said:
''The nomination of Sen. Harry S.
Truman for Vice President as re-
suit of the free and open conven-
ton held here assures victory for
the Democratic ticket in the fall.
Truman will work in close har-
mony with President Roosevelt, will
do everything in his power to aid
and assist him in carrying out those
liberal ideas and principles which
made him President of the United
States for three terms, and which
assures his election for the fourth.
Truman is a known liberal; a
man of strength and ability. AS
presiding officer of the Senate, he
can be depended upon for teamwork
with the President to obtain that
legislation which will promote the
welfare of all the people at home,
victory in the war abroad and VIC
tory for all freedom loving people
at the peace table after the war"
Elmer Mosee, Deputy Circuit
Court clerk in st. Louis, who is ac-
tive in political affairs of Missouri,
an assistant sergeant-at-arms at
the convention, and well-acquainted
with Truman, fully endorsed Daw-
sons statement. He declared Tru-
man is man in whom Negroes
might well place their confidence.
Dawson and all the Negro Demo-
Gratis at the convention were sup
porting and campaigning for Henry
A. Wallace for the vice presidential
nomination. Dawson pointed out
that "to the everlasting credit" of
the Negro delegates, they went
down the line for Wallace until his
last chance of nomination faded
from possibility. He said that these
delegates-all good American citi-
zens-yielded to the will of the ma
jority and will abide by it.
But not all the Democrats at the
convention, delegates, alternates
and observers, were as optimistic
concerning the convention action.
Many of them, whose countenances
visibly dropped as soon as the
change of votes on the part of Ala
bama and South Carolina started
the landslide to Truman, expressed
the opinion that the holding of the
Negro vote in the Roosevelt column
had been made a much more diff
cult task. They maintain the Dem
ocrats will have to do something
spectacular between now and No
vember Like passing the bill for
a permanent FEPC already pending
in Congress, and enacting the bill
to make a federal offense of mis-
treatment of soldiers in the uniform
OF their country.
They pointed out that there is no
positive objection on the part of
Negro voters to Truman. But they
fear that the Negro voter will take
the action of the convention, in re-
Jecting Wallace, as a slap in the
face after the Vice Presidents out
spoken and courageous speech in
seconding the nomination of Presi-
dent Roosevelt before the delegates
and some $4,000 spectators.
In that speech, Wallace had given
life and meaning to the short para
graph of the Democratic platform
concerning racial and religious
minorities. He had said that in a
political, educational and economic
sense, "there must be no inferior
races" Poll taxes must go and
equal educational opportunities
must come, he declared. And he
added, "the future must bring equal
wages for equal work regardless Of
sex or race"
There was some fear expressed
that the speech of a rejected Wal
lace may now be as big a boone
rang as the same speech of nomi-
mated Wallace could have been a
help in gaining and maintaining
Negro support-particularly should
the opinion persist that the rejec-
ton of Wallace was a rejection Of
his liberal theories as well.
The Democrats expressing these
opinions preferred not to be named
or quoted.
The South is happy in the "com-.
promise" candidate, having given
in on their preferred candidates.
Byrnes, Bankhead and Broughton.
L