St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-04-07
RANDOLPH SPEAKS
IN MEMPHIS
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1GN WI IZNAE Mo
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Neither was Chandler. The COM
mittee of invited" Negroes were
told that there had been rumors
that a riot would follow any public
speech by Randolph and that the
scheduled meeting should be called
off. 1t was felt by some that since
Randolph was being invited by the
Sleeping Car Porters that Patton,
being the local head, could speak
for that organization.
Patton is said to have told the ad-
ministration officials that he had
Randolph's tickets to st. Louis Gin
his pocket" and rather than have
trouble" he would meet Randolph
when he came into Memphis, give
him the tickets and tell him he
couldn't speak here.
The attorney general of Shelby
county was too smart to have it
said that Randolph was being de-
MED the right of free speech in
Memphis or the county. What the
city administration was doing was
trying to force these Negroes to tell
Randolph not to speak.
Randolph did not make that pub
lie address. Mt. Nebo Baptist
church, the Rev. Roy Love, pastor,
remained dark that night. Efforts
to get other ministers to open the
doors of their edifices were futile.
Randolph did address the Ma
tional Convention of the Southern
Tenant Farmers Union, a mixed
group, on November 9 and also
spoke at the White Stone Baptist
church and addressed the student
body at LeMoyne college, and spoke
at the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters banquet.
This all happened last November.
This time, five months later, and
with the A. F. of L. behind him,
Randolph spoke. Crump had been
whipped" for the first time.
1t is recalled that Crump has won
every political fight in the last 81
elections. 1t is Crump who opposed
Bob Church, having to okay the
white postmaster of Memphis and
other Federal appointments. Folks
here blame Crump when the name
was changed on Church's audi
forum and park to Beale Avenue
auditorium and park.
Bob Church goes and comes but
spends little time in Memphis.
DR.. J. B. Martin, prosperous
druggist at Florida and California,
in South Memphis, was of different
political faith than Democratic
Crump. Martin sought to speak
for the Republicans in the last
presidential election. Crump sent
word that there would be no
"Negra" meeting of the Republi-
cans. Martin defied him. Result
was that Martin had to leave town
and his business.
Crump is relentless. Last fall
Martin, being president of the Ne
gro American baseball league, stop
ped over in Memphis one Sunday
to watch the Chicago team play and
to pitch the first ball.
One of the Crump "Brown Nuts"
got word to "his boss" A police
car visited ROSEWOOD Park. DR..
]. B. Martin was invited" to the
police headquarters where Chief
Seabrooke told DR.. Martin that he
"was not wanted in Memphis and
to get out of there that night"
DR.. Martin got back to the park |
too late to pitch the first ball. He
left Memphis and hasn't been back
since. i
Latest move by Crump is the ac-
ion of the Urban League directors
who forced Benjamin F. Bell, Sec
rotary, to resign. Bell is being
closely watched by the local police.
More recently he has been beaten
~ a motorman and the same mo- p