The Omaha guide., 1944-05-06

to
Written by
w hite
Missionary

Open criticism of the decision OF the
state OF Texas to circumvent the re-
cent ruling Of the United States SUI
preme court that Negroes must be
allowed to vote in Dixie primaries,
has been made BY E. Stanley Jones,
white missionary to foreign lands, II
this country on a lecture tour.
DR.. Jones, who IS now II Texas,
has fearlessfy spoken out to residents
OF that state, deploring their decision
to get around the supreme court rul-
ings. He has addressed an open let
ter to the editor OF d Texas paper,
and the Associated Negro Press was
given 4 copy Of It as well.
DR. Jones served three and a half
years as a missionary IN India, ana
once before, in this country, made
public his distaste for restrictive reg
ulations against Negroes. When a
previous supreme court ruling on Ne
gro voting IN South Carolina was
handed down, Dr. Jones, speaking be-
fore a large audience in Columbia,
asked permission from the master of
ceremonies 10 announce an obituary
from the platform Bewildered, the
Nc gave assent. Dr.. Jones began
To-day, democracy was killed IN
South Carolina The refusal OF the
right to vote for Negroes means the
death Of democratic procedure in this
state Following that dramatic
obituary, an association which pledg-
ed itself to fight racial discrimination
was formed and is still functioning
Dr.. Jones IS also an author and is in
terested IN international affairs. Ex-
cerpts from his Texas open letter fol-
low:
This letter will have to express
first OF all my deep gratitude for
your large-hearted kindness to me
while in your midst Ny admiration
for Texas and Texans is sincere and
deep. Teaxs gets me-
Because Of my deep appreciation
OF you, l'wOuld share with you a con
Germ. | have been deeply concerned
the reaction to the supreme court
decision regarding Negroes voting IN
primary elections. Initial anger and
opposition vas TO be expected, for
~deep-oOted attitudes change with re-
luctance- This did not trouble me so
much as something else.
TO my adjustment, | found public
officials, dedicated to the upholding
Of law and court decisions, publicly
announcing that they were thinking
out ways Il annul the Supreme Court
decision Do these public officials
realize the effect Of these official
statements upon the public mind? As
l see II, the effect is something like
this laws and court decisions can be
annulled if you can get away with
#. But If you do this IL this partic-
ular case, then why not IN other cas-
es? Respect for law and court de-
cisions IS undermined. This loosens
the whole fabric Of public confidence,
and II is upon confidence tina q dem
ocracy rests. This kind OF an attit-
ude IS far more dangerous to democ-
racy than Hitler could eve be. And
this happens when we saw we are
fighting for freedom and democracy.
If the impatient reply is made that
this is 4 private affair OF Texas a
lone, the answer must be that this is
about as private as would te the case
OF one going into a cabin Of a steam
er and finds the occupant saving 4
hole In the side OF the ship near the
water line, and when demonstrated
with, the man replies: This is my
cabin, isn't it? | can do what | please
with IL" This official attitude IS en-
dangering the whole ship OF democ-
racy. 1t thus becomes the affair OF
every American As a lover OF this
democracy, l am deeply concerned.
and as a free American l speak out
that concern
There is Z side Of this matter Of
ten overlooked l know the fear
that IS IN many minds: if we allow
the Negroes to vote they will be able
BY their numbers to swing an cleo
ton. This is based upon misconcep-
tons. If you treat the Negroes as
racial beings. they will respond rae
tally and will vote as 4 race. If YOU
treat them as human beings they win
respond as human beings and not as
racial beings. In India, where we
have all races living together on the
basis OF complete equality IN our AS
hrams, u years l have never known
the discussions to divide up with the
white people on one side and the col
ored people on the other. Not once
The division is invariably at this
point: the colored and white radicals
will Be on one side and the colorec
and white conservatives on the other
That division between radicai and
conservative IS 4 division that run:
through all races Oh all questions
And It IS a good division-some woulC
conserve values and sone would pusE
ahead and apply them TO larger areas
The human mind is made that way
If the Negro is treated as q hum
an being instead OF a racial being ther
n elections tire white and colOred rad
n - III - -