St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-03-24

OF news relaClnS TO the WnOleSOme
progress and activities of Negro
life, in favor of the prominent dis
play of items depicting degrading
conduct by Negroes, the white press
has tended to perform a dis-service
to the Negro. Incidentally, the
shortcomings of the white press
have permitted the radio, through
it's nationwide chains, to become a
more articulate champion of rights
for the Negro, even though some
Southern stations cut such pro-
grams from their schedules.) Other
practices, such as the use of small
"n" in Negro, deletion of such titles
as "Mr." and "Mrs." when referring
to Negroes and the burying of
deserving Negro news in the back
pages, have dangerous psychology
cal effect upon both white and Ne
gro readers. By all means, print
news of crimes committed by Ne
groes. But don't forget that the
great mass of Negroes are law
abiding and restrained in conduct.
Of course, there is good reason
why the Negro does not enjoy those
civil liberties guaranteed him by
the Bill of Rights. None would
gainsay that an individual shares
in privileges to degree CORES
ponding to his role in producing
such prerogatives. In this instance
I am thinking of the disfranchise-
ment of the Negro. Denied full use
of the ballot in virtually the whole
of the South, the Negro has small
chance to vote for the extension of
civil rights, or for those candidates
who will husband these liberties.
There is no need to recount here the
struggles of those who have been
fighting for the repeal of the poll
tax. Suffice it to say that the red
herring of "unwarranted invasion
of states rights" is once more be-
ing dragged across the trail. Again,
as in the case of lynching, our
Southern states solemnly aver that
they can solve this problem by
themselves. Small solace, however is
offered in the recent 3-to-2 decision
of the Tennessee State Supreme
Court which declared the repeal of
Tennessee's poll tax, by the 1913
legislature, unconstitutional. This
is a striking answer both to the
supporters and to the antagonists
of an anti-poll-tax measure. The
day of miracles has not yet arrived.
Undoubtedly, the power of the fed
eral government must be invoked.
The South does not seem likely
to relinquish it's theory of segrega-
ton for the races and its doctrine
of "white supremacy" Take this
excerpt from campaign speech
of a Mississippi gubernatorial can
didate: "No candidate for Governor
will do more to maintain states
rights and white supremacy than I
will, and no one is more strongly
opposed to Communists and North
ern Negro agitators trying to bring
about social equality between the
races in this state" The Southern
Governors Conference, in session
last spring, concurred in the above
view-even as they discussed, soto
vOce, the problem of emancipating
the South from the economic yoke
of interstate slavery. Curiously
enough, too, they complain about
the lack of manpower, when they
have an untapped source of Negro
skilled and otherwise.
If I were Southern gentleman,
I should not be too sure that only
Northern Negroes are engaged in
so-called "rabble-rousing." Rumbles
of discomfort are emanating strong
" from the bailiwick of the South
ern Negro. He has been oppressed
and deprived of decent living so
long that he is now deciding that
he must bring his battle out into
the open. Called upon to sacrifice
his blood on foreign battlefelds and
yet browbeaten on the domestic
front, the Negro is steadily being
driven to the point where he Will
lie for liberty at home. Many of
his race say now that they will
6ght-even physically-no matter
what the cost. Of course, clear
thinking Negroes and discerning
whites do not desire a racial war.
They know that this will only in
tensify the problem. Yet, even the
intelligent Negro is both Disguised
with and suspicious of any con-
tinued system of segregation. He
wants liberty to live as free man.
Hope grows dim, though, as even