Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-09-29

erhood of Sleeping Car Porters last
week by the unanimous vote Of
more than 800 delegates from AZ
states and Canada, who enthusiast
tically approved his leadership, not
only Of the union, but the March
on Washington Movement and the
National Council for a Permanent
FEPC.
The delegates chose Randolph and
Milton P. Webster, first vice-presi-
dent, to represent them at the con-
vention of the American Federation
of Labor which will meet in New
Orleans, La, in November. Chi
cago was voted as the site of the
fifth biennial convention to be held
in September, 1916.
The Republican and Democratic
parties had no vocal friends in the
Cleveland convention Of the Broth
erhood of Sleeping Car Porters, il
was evident from heated attacks on
both parties and their presidential
candidates by dozens of delegates
who criticized their failure to cam
paign for passage of the Fair EN-
ployment Practice Bill.
A warning "not3 to insult the
intelligence of millions of Amer
leans by a sham battle" on the
FEPC Bill was addressed to the
United States Senate by the port
ers' international president, A.
Philip Randolph, in a statement to
the delegates.
eve were fooled again and again
by sham battles on anti-lynching
and anti-poll-tax bills, but in 1914
even the respectable daily papers
carried the frank reports of the
columnists that the battle for poll
tax repeal was a sham, designed
to get the Negro vote by circus
act. Nothing short of passage OF
the Fair Employment Practice Bill
before election will cause any great
number of Negroes to vote fol
Democratic or Republican candi.
dates" the noted Negro leader de-
clared.
| Mr.. Randolph charged that the
Supreme Court decision outlawing
the Democratic Party's white pri.
mary rules in the South was being
violated by the recent action of the
Arkansas Democratic Party conven-
ton continuing the exclusion OF
Negroes from membership, but per-
hitting them to vote in primaries
if they met party loyalty require
ments. Negroes, being non-mem-
bers, thus could not be nominated
for public office.
"The Democratic National Com
mittee cannot remain silent on this
issue while trying to get the votes
of Negro citizens in the North
where they hold the balance OF
power in ten states. Silence means
assent" Mr.. Randolph declared.
"But neither can the Republican
Party maintain its policy of silence
on racist activities of the Demo.
cratic Party" said Mr.. Randolph
who had been hailed earlier in the
convention by Miss Jane Hunter
Executive Secretary of Cleveland's
Phyllis Wheatley Association, as
"the most courageous leader of the
Negro people today" at is
known" Mr.. Randolph continued
"that the Republicans are looking
hopefully toward the results Of
their underground activities il
Texas, where their dilgent clandes.
tine courtship of the most racist
Democrats is designed to produce
illegitimate offspring in the form
of Texas Democratic electoral
votes cast for Dewey under the
label Of Senator Byrd or some other
racist. The recent certifcation by
the Texas Secretary of State o.
the anti-Roosevelt electors slate
indicates that there are many
Southern proponents of segrega.
ton and discrimination who looI
hopefully to Governor Dewey as g
better supporter of their policies
than the President.
"The result of the Texas anti.
Roosevelt rebellion among the Dem.
ocrats," Mr.. Randolph continued
"is that the Administration has
been giving in point by point tc
the most reactionary elements in
the South. The Administration has
capitulated to the racists' desire tc
kill the bill for permanent FEPC
by permitting the House Labor
Committee to shelve that bill till
after election. The administration
through chairman Robert Hanne.
gan of the Democratic National
Committee, and Senator Harry
Truman, backed Senator Clark Of
Missouri for reelection after he
made the motion this Spring to
shelve the poll tax repeal bill. This
is no surprise, for it was Admins
tration spokesman and Senate Ma
jority Leader Barley of Kentucky
who begged the Senate to shelve
the poll tax repeal bill after the
cloture motion failed, on the
grounds that a filibuster could
never be broken. Would Senator
Barley say the same thing if SEN