Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-11-18
Mississippi's Developing Crisis In Race
Relations

The Amte County Case in which five white men are
charged with the murder of the aged 0
preacher Rev Isaac Simmons beating his son. and run
ming off their families and tenants in attempt to take
nossession of their valuable land with the evidence gam
over to the Amte County Grand jury and aside from
which, the truth and facts of the case were known TO eV
erybody in the county and its principal town. ert even
before the FB went to work the case reached It's eli
max when one of the principals against whom there exist
ed the best evidence in where none of the evidence
was subject to reasonable doubt having obtained sew
GRANGE on trial in the town Liberty last week given
his freedom The prosecuting attorney therenp1n ex-
pressing himself being in doubt as to whether TIE oe
principals would be brought to trial at all
In almost the same week. white man and Negro
preacher of Tyertown only few miles the state
from Liberty having had difference of opinion over
farm matters according to reports met the road and
after having shot the white man, THE white man
was in turn shot and killed by the Negro preacher
In the Amte County Case and in the lylertown Case
here referred taken together with the increasing NUM-
Der of of violence involving individual whites ana
Negroes in all sections of the state if honestly laced
there exists two of the most serious and farreachng
question to confront the people OF the state
The first question is: Beginning with the farcia Fed
era trial in the Laurel Eynching Case followed by the
failure of either Federal state action In the Shubuta
incident and the known and demonstrated unwilngness
inability of state courts to render proper verdcts 10
such cases have white recognizing none of the re-
srants of the either Federal State come to the
conclusion that they and must bend Negroes to the
will by violence? ,
The second question: Negroes being forced to the
conclusion by reasoning the set of facts white
men that in order to themselves against violence
thev must be prepared to do violence?
No person of slight intelligence black or WHITE
can fail to see here developing crisis in race relations
in Mississippi crisis which, if reached may well see m
terscene and nterraca strife and violence seriously ds
ruptng and retardng the economic political social and
industrial life OF the state Tor many wears .
bringing further contempt and rdcule from the rest OF
the people of the nation, well people of the world
upon the people of state the majority of whom Will be
guilty of only crime that of seeing and recognz-
ing coming condition but failing to act before that con-
dition had reached the proportions OF disaster .
What remedy of remedies there be used to OFFSET
the developing crisis relations in Mississippi? is
question arising of the two questions above stated
much needed immediate remedy might we'll be found
in statewide nterracia conference race relations
called sanctioned approved by the highest elective OIL
fcer state and patterned along the lines and study
ing and adopting where practical and feasible the plans
and programs outlined in similar meetings already held
in various sections of the south and the nation.
The only real and lasting remedy, however, rests IN
the full and free of the right of the franchise
the right to by the qualified Negro citizens of the
state.
1t would be utterly foolish and useless in the eyes OF
intelligent people to attempt other conclusions IMAM
that the dsranchisement of Negroes in the state is re-
sponsbe the final analysis for the entire recent court
history the state already briefly reviewed here ana
for what cannot be recognized developing crisis
in relations in the state. -,
"Felow citizens, cannot escape history. We OF this
congress and this administration VIII be remembered III
spite of ourselves No personal significance or nsignif
canoe spare another of us. The flefy tial
through which pass will light down. III honor or aus
honor to the latest generation. We-even We here-hod
the power and bear the responsibility These wise words
of Abraham Lincoln need little change to be applied to
conditions and all the people now facing grave ana pro-
found period in the history Of their state.