The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-04-29
THE FACTS
M OUR NEWS
~ HoRAce A WHITE
SOUTH CAROLINA
STARTED SOMETHING
" HORACE 4. VIII

Is oy HORACE 4. WHITE
Ss~~s>~s~~~~~~~>s~~~ ~~s~~~~s~~s~~s~~ss
SOUTH CAROLINA
STARTED SOMETHING
After the Supreme Court decision
to permit Negroes and poor whites
10 vote In the Texas primaries. the
ruling whites Of the South began
TO take stock Of what tricks they
had to circumvent the effect OF the
Supreme Court decision In favor OF
Negroes voting in the primaries In
Texas. When the decision was first
handed down. all Of the idealistic.
minded people throughout the coun-
try, North and South. jumped up
and clapped their heels for Joy and
stated that democracy had taken .
great leap forward" because Of this
decision To offset this jubilation
for democracy. the state Of South
Carolina Immediately started re-
pealing all the laws In the state Of
South Carolina pertaining 70 the
primaries. In short. South Carolina
proceeded to abolish the primary
system as . method Of selecting
candidates. They are preparing 70
30 back 10 the old convention sys-
tenn. which was free from stste
regulation.
This act on the part Of South
Carolina, which undoubtedly will
be attempted by other states in the
South, is relatively unimportant
per Sc. The thing that Is important
Is that again the whole nation II
face 10 face with the race problem
In . most dramatic way. The Amer.
lean race problem. especially ~ Il
pertains TO Negroes and whites, II
no longer something 10 be discussed
In the back yards" Of the rich and
powerful. It ceases also 10 be fhe
emotional dumping ground for all
OF the little people In our common
wealth. The American Negro-white
problem has become . problem of
first rate importance. II must be
dealt with in our "psrlors" and
given . respectable place In any
company Of subjects and issues 70
be discussed and solved.
Abraham Lincoln was brought 10
the fore on the eve Of our great
Civil War by the efferyescent- pro-
cess of legal skirmishes over the
Negro problem. II appears at this
time from the reading Of facts and
the tempers Of oil our people that
We are on the eve Of another great
struggle that will further help the
people Of the United States to real
lie the magnificence o: their own
creation. the Constitution Of the
United States. As Mr.. Lincoln un.
derstood when he became President
Of the United States that the mat
ter Of slavery was not just . Sec
tionAl problem, but WAS rather .
problem to be handled by the whole
people Of these United States no
matter how they handled Il as we
today must understand II we are TO
meet head on this problem Of BE
groes and whites living together In
America. The problem of segrega-
tion. discrimination and the denial
Of civil rights to any section Of our
population In any part Of the coun-
try are matters that must be han
died by all Of the people. Any
other method will be denying to
the people of America the oppor-
tunity 10 achieve In their everyday
lives what they have 70 beautifully
sst forth IN the Csnstitntien q The
United 0tstes
We Americans are inevitably
drawn 70 the conclusion, after any
serious consideration, that the great
race problem that now so hampers
and short circuits the ambitions of
all the American people must be
solved on a Federal level which
happens TO be the only instrument
through which all OF the people can
participate in the solution Of any
great national problem. The notion
expressed by great many people
that the Federal government should
not have anything 10 do with the
race problem but leave il 10 the
states 10 handle are expressing an
iniquitous thought. because they
deny TO all the people what is theirs
by Constitutional right.
The race problem In America, and
Il does not take much travelling to
see this, traverses all race and Sec
tional lines Of our country. A lynch
ing in Mississippi hampers and may
stop production and harmony in De-
troit. A race riot in Detroit will
snarl and confuse the activities Of
millions Of Americans located in
any part Of our country. The
thinking and feelings Of our people
are In such close relationships as
individuals, ~ people In . given
section. as people belonging to .
given race, rs people belonging ia
the same labor union. and as people
doing the same kind Of work, that
NO act involving race conflict n Il
may impinge on any Of the above
mentioned relationships will fail "a
60 unheeded by our national SEN
sitivity. Our Federal government
Is the eyes. ears and organizing cen
ter when we need to act as . whole
people to correct national Difficult
ties. The race problem In Americs
Is . national problem. The Federal
government cannot long ignore II
because the people are demanding
now and will be demanding with
Increasing strength that this prob
lem be dealt with by them In term.
Of = national policy and program
This policy and program will no
be set mp 10 decrease the rights Of
states and the people within ths
states, but rather TO permit state,
and their people TO progress unim
peded by the choking sense Of race
discord and pickering.